Seminar explores how collaboration contributes to sustainability
Four top CEOs share the steps their companies have made towards sustainability future but stress that much more needs to be done
The CEO Panel Seminar at the Sustainability Expo 2024 on the theme “Vision 2030: The Power of Collaboration for a Sustainable Future”, brought together leaders of top organisations committed to driving positive change across all dimensions of sustainability.
Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi, CEO of Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (ThaiBev), remarked that the current challenges stem from the world’s rapidly growing population and the unsustainable consumption of resources, along with the impacts of extreme weather conditions.
“We must equip all sectors with the knowledge to support themselves. Only by uniting and linking all efforts can sustainability be achieved. For the business sector, awareness and collaboration are essential, whether it be among large corporations or SMEs, as they are crucial parts of the supply chain."
The government must also listen to business operators to ensure balance and sustainable success both now and in the future.
ThaiBev's sustainability goals are clearly aligned with ESG principles, aiming to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions both directly (Scope 1) and indirectly (Scope 2) by 2040.
Suphachai Chearavanont, CEO of Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group) and president of the UN Global Compact Network Thailand (UNGCNT), reminded the audience that the UNGCNT supports the private sector in conducting business that aligns with human rights principles and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 goals are recognised by many countries around the world as targets that should be achieved by 2030.
“However, when discussing current progress, we must acknowledge that we are far from the goal, with only 12% progress achieved so far, and only six years remaining,” he noted.
CP’s success in reducing carbon emissions is down to three main factors: Increasing the use of renewable energy and solar power, which now accounts for 17% of the total energy used; improving energy efficiency per unit of revenue by 12% compared to 2022; and reducing overall energy consumption by 2.3% compared to 2022.
Thammasak Sethaudom, president and CEO of The Siam Cement Public Company Limited (SCG), meanwhile, stressed the need to make the cement industry low-carbon. “Thailand uses a large amount of cement thus it is essential to adopt low-carbon cement standards. More attention is being paid to this issue, as evidenced by SCG’s sales last year, with 70% of its cement being low-carbon. This year, the company aims for 80-100%,” he said.
“The push for low-carbon cement covers production technology, cost management, the supply chain, and the adjustment of construction standards to low-carbon practices. I believe Thailand has passed this challenge, and we are the first country to report at COP that our cement industry will transition to Net Zero. That said, Thailand has not yet succeeded in the circular economy and is lagging behind Europe, which has created low-carbon business models with significant growth.”
Thiraphong Chansiri, CEO of Thai Union Group Public Company Limited, stated that Thai Union has implemented the SeaChange strategy to support the corporate goal of “Healthy Living, Healthy Oceans” and the SDGs to create broad positive change in the seafood industry.
“Our operations are driven through four main projects: safe and legal labour, responsible sourcing of raw materials, responsible operations, and care for people and communities,” he said.
