Thailand's Climate Leaders : True Group reaches for a sustainable future with climate change and environmental management goals

Sustainability development in today’s corporate world determines how well ours and future generations meet challenges posed by climate change and environmental issues.

Highly committed to adopting this organising principle into its corporate DNA, in 2015 True Corporation Pcl (True Group) declared its True Sustainability Goal 2020 under the concept “3H’s: Heart, Health, Home”. 

It’s objective: to balance the three dimensions of sustainable development—economic, social, and environmental. Climate change and environmental impact management with regard to impact reduction, sustainability for future operation, and operational assessment involving business partners, have all since been integrated into the company’s mission and execution is moving ahead.

With its integration of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy of the late King Rama IX and 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015, True Sustainability Goals 2020 raises 12 objectives established for climate change and environmental impact management. 

In the Home segment, True sets four specific environmental development goals involving 10% reduction of annual greenhouse gas emission intensities as vital components of climate change management. Other aspects include water resource management and ecosystem and biodiversity protection. All to be accomplished by planting six million trees through a project shared on True’s We Grow app. 

True Group has developed several projects to help achieve the greenhouse gas reduction goal of 10% by revenue from telephone and other service. The company has already reduced the emission rate by 10.58% compared to 2016. Installation of 3,745 solar cell panels had been made at the company’s cell towers nationwide as of Q3, 2021; expansion still continues. Together with True e-Bill and e-Tax, the company has shrunken its CO2 equivalent emissions by over 12,853 tonnes. Internal carbon pricing and shadow pricing have been implemented to help determine the CO2 price and ensure carbon offsets credit compensation. 

The pursuit of more renewable energy sources apart from solar energy continues.

In terms of supply chain management, online suppliers’ self-assessment of ESG (Environment, Society, Governance) has been implemented to support responsible business operation of True Group’s partners. Especially, 100% of True Group’s Critical Supplier Tier 1 has to undergo an onsite audit to confirm they operate in the supply chain with full responsibility.

Moving towards ensuring a sustainable future with True Sustainability Goal 2030, True Group aims to achieve carbon neutrality (zero CO2 emissions), along with practicing circular economy, biodegradable packing, and zero e-waste to landfill. Reduction of water resource usage is expected to be 20% compared with 2020, along with ensuring a 100% responsible supply chain with high-risk business partners.

Meanwhile, True Group has innovated and introduced True VWorld, a new platform with a cloud solution that accentuates online service provision. It will help accommodate consumers’ daily activities without having to commute. Real-time systems such as VRoom, VLearn, and VLive will be available for video conferencing, group meetings, online classrooms, as well as in-home entertainment. 

The new platform is designed to complement the new normal culture by enabling more tasks to get done with less commuting which, in turn, reduces CO2 emissions at scale.

True has been selected as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices World (DJSI) for Emerging Markets category for four consecutive years from 2017 – 2020, and is the first and only Thai telecom enterprise to be listed as a DJSI Industry Leader for three consecutive years from 2018 – 2020. 

#GCNTFORUM2021 #ClimateAction #ANewEraofAction

ref: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2210407