#ClimateAction

Southeast Asia’s urban centres are facing unprecedented challenges as they attempt to finance the transition to sustainable, resilient, and climate-friendly cities, according to the latest analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The report—“Financing Sustainable Cities in Southeast Asia”—delves into the critical question of how city governments in the rapidly urbanising ASEAN-5 (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) can marshal the investments necessary to achieve their ambitious sustainability agendas. Against a backdrop of rising carbon emissions, increased climate risks, and mounting infrastructure needs, the report’s findings have major implications for cities across the region, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and other key Thai urban areas.

Southeast Asia’s urban transformation stands at a critical crossroads, with cities across the region—including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and emerging Thai metropolitan areas—facing an unprecedented financing crisis that threatens their sustainable development ambitions. A groundbreaking analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reveals how rapidly growing ASEAN cities are struggling to secure the massive investments required to combat climate change, manage urban growth, and build resilient infrastructure systems. For Thailand, these findings expose fundamental weaknesses in municipal finance structures that could determine whether the kingdom’s cities evolve into sustainable models or become cautionary tales of missed environmental opportunities.