As part of its work towards Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action), Chiang Mai University has a target date by which it will become carbon neutral according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol: it will be a Carbon Neutral University by 2032. Carbon neutrality here covers all greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. The target covers Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3. The Scope 3 categories counted are fuel- and energy-related activities (category 3: upstream emissions from electricity the university buys), waste generated in operations (category 5: waste sent to landfill, and municipal solid waste treated by waste-to-energy), and business travel (category 6). Having made steady to progress towards that date, the university has now begun to plan its next step towards net-zero emissions.
A target set in the university’s development plan. Under its Education Development Plan 13th (2023-2027), whose vision is to be “a leading socially responsible university for sustainable development through innovation,” CMU set a strategic target to become a Carbon Neutral University by 2032, in line with national climate policy. Progress is tracked through a university indicator, KPI2, which targets a 75% cut in greenhouse gas emissions against the university’s business-as-usual (BAU) baseline. The base year is calendar year 2019, when Scope 1 and 2 emissions were 30,568 tCO2e, and each year is measured against a BAU projection that grows with the university. On the university’s pathway, net emissions in 2032 fall to 21.3% of BAU, a cut of 78.7% that meets the 75% target.
How emissions are measured. CMU runs an online carbon footprint platform that collects data from every unit of the university and reports Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions. The method follows the Carbon Footprint for Organizations (CFO) standard of the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO). Four units hold TGO CFO certification: the Energy Research and Development Institute Nakornping (ERDI-CMU), the Hairphunchai Education Center, the Mae Hia Educational Area and the Office of Academic Service. ERDI-CMU and the Hariphunchai Education Center are also certified carbon neutral.
Results so far. Between October 2025 and September 2026, CMU’s projects cut emissions by 14,361.7 tCO2e and its forests removed a further 11,025.7 tCO2e. Together they come to 25,387.4 tCO2e, or 66.92% of the BAU baseline of 37,936 tCO2e a year, against the 75% target. Emission cuts alone equal 37.9% of the baseline.
The next step: towards net zero. CMU has started to plan beyond carbon neutrality. Its new Education Development Plan 14th (2028-2032) was prepared between June 2025 and August 2026 with input from 7,794 stakeholders in nine groups, including local communities. The plan names the climate crisis as one of the main forces the university must respond to. Its vision is “Inclusive Innovation University for Sustainability,” and its first strategic objective, SO1, is a participatory innovation to respond to global warming and to cut emissions together with outside partners. The plan was presented to the University Council in August 2026 for approval in principle and takes effect in October 2027.
The first formal net-zero commitment within the university came on 15 May 2026. ERDI-CMU issued an announcement, signed by its Director, Assoc.Prof.Dr.Sirichai Koonaphapdeelert, adopting its Action plan towards Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions. ERDI-CMU will cut its emissions so that no more than 10% of its fiscal 2019 baseline remains by fiscal year 2040. The plan is built to be measurable and verifiable so that other faculties and offices can follow it as a model.