Be compassionate to save this world, advise business leaders

This was highlighted by Duangkamol Limpuangthip, head of SME Banking Group at the Bank of Ayudhya, who told us about an “embarrassing but enlightening” experience she had while travelling upcountry.

She checked into her hotel and upon getting to her room, she said, she could not find toothpaste in the set of complimentary toiletries. So, obviously, she called the front desk to complain.

A housekeeping staff then showed up to explain that her toothpaste was actually a tablet. This was the hotel’s small contribution to reducing plastic waste.

Another example she cited was a tiny Thai business that sells bamboo toothbrushes, which have now caught the eye of many international five-star hotels.

Duangkamol said these little gestures can mean a lot to the environment.

She was speaking at the Sustainability Forum 2023 hosted by the Nation Group’s Bangkokbiz news last month.

Duangkamol was among several local and foreign business representatives to share their thoughts on driving the Thai economy towards sustainability.

She said green products and services are becoming popular because more and more people are concerned about the environment.

She also said that the Bank of Ayudhya has come up with a funding model for green businesses and suppliers of green energy. It is also ready to support enterprises that apply the concept of a circular economy.

Start with what you are good at
With climate change, sustainability has become a keyword for all sectors in recent years.

Responsibility is now more important than profitability, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said.

“The globe is like a creature. Even a one-degree change in body temperature can make a human ill. It is the same with the planet,” he said, urging everybody to act quickly before it is too late.

Varawut said everybody can do their part by starting with one small task that they are good at.

This viewpoint was echoed by TPI Polene Power, a leading energy company in Thailand.

Pakkapol Leopairut, TPI’s executive vice president, said the energy business is a leading contributor to climate change. However, he said, TPI improved its waste-management system and transitioned from fossil fuel to renewables to generate clean energy. TPI is one of the best waste-to-energy power plants in the world, he said.

Apart from providing electricity at affordable prices to households, TPI also provides a solution for eradicating waste without having a negative impact on the environment, Pakkapol said.

“We’re pretty good at getting rid of trash. We already have a waste-disposal facility, so rather than burning the trash, we have devised a method of turning it into something useful. That is where waste-to-energy plants come in,” he stated.

If you realise you are not good at something important to your business, just keep investing in it, advised Dan Pathomvanich, CEO of NR Instant Produce Plc (NRF).

NRF is a local leader in clean food technology.

He said the food industry emits as much carbon as the energy industry and as a result, it is necessary for food companies to transform their processes to reduce emissions.

“Investing in technology is one solution while changing the process of producing food in collaboration with farmers is another,” Dan said.

He also highlighted the new trillion-dollar business idea of removing carbon in food and agricultural industries.

Though companies around the world try to reduce their carbon emissions, it is nearly impossible for some manufacturers, particularly in the agriculture sector, to not generate carbon. 

Hence, some developers are trying to use the carbon they emit, he explained.

“A new by-product called biocarbon has been created, which when added to the soil, helps boost its capacity to absorb water. This will ultimately increase per-rai productivity by more than 30%,” Dan said.

 

Work together
Though it’s great that everybody does their job, it is even better when everybody does it together, said Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi, president and CEO of Thai Beverage.

This comment was backed by Supachai Cheawavanont, CEO of Charoen Pokphand Group, and Auttapol Rerkpiboon, president and CEO of PTT Plc – two giant firms in the Thai food and energy industries.

The three execs spoke about their companies’ strategy to become carbon neutral and even net-zero carbon companies by 2065, five years ahead of Thailand’s own net-zero goal for 2070.

Collaborations and partnerships, be they small or large, are key to achieving this, they said.

 

Don't forget to be kind
Harald Link, chairman, CEO and owner of B.Grimm Power, said the secret to long-term success is conducting business with kindness.

"Doing business with compassion for the development of civilisation in harmony with nature is always the way forward," said Link, who inherited his century-old family business in Thailand.

He also urged other businesses to preserve and protect what is left of this Earth, while searching for a sustainable solution.

Gita Sabharwal, the United Nations resident coordinator in Thailand, agreed. In her remarks onstage, she emphasised the importance of both the public and private sectors paying equal attention to nature and biodiversity as they do to climate change.

She encouraged all parties to consider nature-based solutions to preserve the environment.

Though it may appear difficult, it is not impossible, said Stephane Nuss, president and CEO of Schneider Electric Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.

He said digitisation in conjunction with electrification has become a role model in producing and consuming energy without emitting more carbon into the atmosphere.

Therefore, he said, there is still hope for a better future, provided everybody takes it seriously.

These commitments were made at the Nation Group’s Sustainability Forum 2023, held at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel on November 30. The aim of the event was to demonstrate the importance of taking action and adjusting to a low-carbon society.