47 private organizations from retail, wholesale, real estate, packaging, sugar, cement manufacturing, construction materials, industrial estates, and the Thai SME Confederation joined forces at the CEO Forum: SCG ESG Symposium 2024 to brainstorm 6 key approaches: 1. Promoting sustainable packaging 2. Driving waste management 3. Greenhouse gas reduction-focused building design 4. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in construction industry value chains 5. Supporting SMEs in adapting to global changes and 6. Transitioning to clean energy and using ‘Saraburi Sandbox’ as a testing ground, to propose to the government ways to push Thailand towards a low-carbon society and increase national competitiveness.
Mr. Thammasak Sethaudom, President of SCG, said that to drive Thailand’s transition to a low-carbon society, SCG has invited business sector representatives to provide suggestions and find collaborative approaches to drive Thailand towards Net Zero, while creating opportunities and enhancing competitiveness. The brainstorming results in 6 topics are as follows:
Driving Waste Management: Recycling waste for maximum value is the best management method. Currently, less than 20% of waste materials in Thailand are recycled. Two solutions were proposed: managing waste from the source through sorting for easier recycling, starting with cooperation from the private sector in various areas and buildings. Additionally, the government should issue regulations, starting with wholesale markets as a model before expanding to other sectors, followed by mandatory sorting laws and proposing the establishment of an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) tax collection management unit with clear objectives for efficient and transparent waste management.
Promoting Sustainable Packaging: Using recycled material packaging faces several limitations, especially for food products where packaging cannot maintain product longevity. Therefore, the government should have policies supporting entrepreneurs through tax benefits or research investment support for private sectors to develop practical and accessible recycled material packaging. Additionally, the government should focus on raising consumer awareness, especially among youth, through educational curriculum design that instills environmental care awareness in the new generation to promote long-term use of recycled material packaging.
Supporting SMEs in Adapting to Global Changes (How to Raise Awareness and Support SMEs Towards Green Transition): Research shows that SMEs face limitations in human resources and capital. It’s recommended that SMEs view ESG as a business opportunity and seek new markets and consumers demanding eco-friendly products. Additionally, if entrepreneurs switch to clean energy, it will help reduce costs and add value to their products. Meanwhile, the government should provide access to loans and give Green Priority to help SMEs adapt quickly to avoid losing future business opportunities.
Greenhouse Gas Reduction-Focused Building Design: Proposed management in 3 phases: (1) Upstream – encouraging building designers to consider reducing both embodied carbon from construction materials and operational carbon from energy use during building operation (2) Midstream – government offering tax benefits or low-interest loans during low-carbon building construction, or providing 5-10% additional Floor to Area Ratio (FAR) for green building (LEED) certified buildings and (3) Downstream – managing construction waste materials for maximum recycling.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Construction Industry Value Chain: All buildings have high Carbon Footprint of Products, use significant energy, and emit greenhouse gases throughout the chain from construction to building management. This requires cooperation between public and private sectors. Private construction sectors should use low-carbon construction materials and transfer knowledge about the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to contractors for stronger collaboration. Meanwhile, the government should have clear guidelines for buildings using solar power to enable carbon credit utilization in other areas or enhance building owners’ competitiveness.
Using ‘Saraburi Sandbox’ as a Low-Carbon Society Testing Ground: Saraburi province, being a major cement production area, needs to focus on clean energy transition in both production processes and transportation. Private sectors must collaborate, such as electric vehicle manufacturers working with EV charging station installers. The government must play a role in providing and delivering clean energy to the private sector to create a “Green Infrastructure” ecosystem, including sustainable waste management through Waste to Material approach, using technology to maximize waste material value. This Saraburi sandbox model can be expanded to other provinces like Ayutthaya.
“This is a significant phenomenon where leading Thai private organizations with combined operating results worth over 1.25 trillion baht are joining forces to find solutions to accelerate Thailand’s transition to a low-carbon society, creating opportunities and enhancing competitiveness for sustainable Thai economic growth. Because the faster we change, the more opportunities we create,” Mr. Thammasak added.
Published on: Oct 17, 2024