Insight into Osotspa’s missions: Sustainability plan drives centenarian organisation

As the world’s changing context, consumers’ behavioral changes, and climate change have now called for sustainable development plans, “Osotspa” just like various other organizations has drawn up a framework to lay down its sustainability foundation. The goal is to operate its businesses while generating positive impacts on the world in social, community and human dimensions, paving the way for all stakeholders to prosper on a sustainable basis.

Wannipa Bhakdibutr, chief executive officer of Osotspa Public Company Limited, said enterprises had to accord importance to all aspects of products and services today. A growing focus on curbing business operations’ environmental impacts is a must, as enterprises are expected to foster prosperity in society and upgrade people’s quality of life as well. 

“Osotspa” started laying down its Sustainability Framework in 2019. Under the framework, the company’s material sustainability issues were identified, paving the way for further planning in pursuit of primary sustainability goals in 2025. The long-term goal of carbon neutrality or net zero emission is expected to be achieved by 2050.

“One of Osotspa’s key sustainability goals is to become carbon neutral by 2050,” Wannipa emphasised.

Osotspa has already laid down Three Plus One as its sustainability framework, which focuses on its corporate responsibility in terms of “economy”, “society”, and “the environment”. Under this framework, the company has also embraced good governance or ESG principle. 

In addition, Osotspa has fostered the right mindset among relevant parties across all sectors including its more than 3,500 employees. Such efforts aim to engage relevant parties in driving sustainable development together towards the identified goals. 
 

To fulfill primary goals by 2025, Osotspa focuses on five following components:

1. Sustainable supply chain management: Osotspa has accorded importance to this component because its operations involve many vendors. Via this component, it is possible to upgrade people’s quality of life by increasing economic opportunities for 450 small suppliers of glass scraps/parts and transport service providers. This component also involves empowering 500 farmers’ groups that have supplied herbs to the company.

In addition, Osotspa has promoted corporate social responsibility among its vendors in line with ESG principle. Key vendors are required to complete sustainability evaluations every year. 

2. Production of products for consumers’ good health and wellbeing: According to Osotspa’s plan, its beverages must lower sugar concentration to no more than six per cent and introduce sugar-free options to keep pace with a growing health trend. The plan for this part has already been fully completed. As for other healthy products and candies, Osotspa has already completed 50 per cent of sugar-reduction mission. It has now set its sight on introducing sugar-free options for these items too. 

3. Sustainable packaging: For this component, Osotspa focuses on two stages: pre-use and after-use. For the pre-use stage, the company aims to ensure that all its packaging will be made of recycled materials, reusable, or 100 per cent biodegradable by 2030. Aside, the company intends to stop using PVC for its packaging and to reduce packaging weight by five per cent by 2025. At present, Osotspa has already made progress on the sustainable-packaging front by reducing bottle weight by five per cent. Its innovative glass bottles become lighter in weight yet as durable as before. When bottles become lighter, transportation of products consumes less energy and emits less carbon dioxide. 

For the after-use stage, Osotspa aims to collect emptied bottles and return them to manufacturing process via “Bottle to Bottle” initiative. The implementation of this initiative seeks to collect 400,000 tonnes of emptied bottles by 2025.

4. Water resources management: Osotspa, whose core businesses are to produce beverages, needs to use a huge amount of water in its production process. Therefore, the company has accorded importance to water resources management. It also strives to curb its production process’ water usage by 40 per cent. 

5. Energy and climate-change management: Osotspa aims to reduce energy consumption by 10 per cent and greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent. To achieve these goals, it intends to increase the usage of renewable energy and improve energy management efficiency. Not only that the company has installed solar rooftops, but it has also been in the process of conducting a study on setting up a solar farm.

“The challenges of saving the planet or pursuing sustainable development span across various dimensions. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while continuing normal business operations or improving the operation requires many things such as the use of clean energy, energy efficiency, and green innovations,” Wannipa pointed out.