On January 28, 2020, Mrs. Prasertsuk Paitoonsittihichai , Director of the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO), andMr. Noppadol Dej-Udom , Chief Sustainability Officer of the Charoen Pokphand Group (C.P. Group), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote and grow perennials as well as support carbon substitution initiatives to mitigate global warming. The MoU signing ceremony was attended by executives from C.P. Group’s various businesses that demonstrated its determination to become a Carbon Neutral organization. In support of the MoU and under the project‘We Grow…Growing for Sustainability’ established by C.P. Group, all businesses of the organization will aim to grow numerous perennials, increasing green areas throughout Thailand to help absorb greenhouse gases (GHGs). Moreover, the Group will continue to support communities in sustainable forest planting.

Furthermore, a seminar was held to exchange ideas on “The Need for Planting Trees for a Sustainable World”. The seminar featured experts in their fields, namelyMrs. Prasertsuk Paitoonsitthichai , Director of TGO, Assistant ProfessorMr. Nikom Laemsak , Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkhen,Dr. Thanapong Puangmanee , Senior Environmental Engineer of Mae Fah Luang Foundation, andMrs. Patcharee Kongtrakuntean , President of the Working Committee of the Perennials Growing Project, C.P. Group. In addition, funds were granted to the Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University to research the growing of perennials and its value towards economic, social and environmental development for the ‘We Grow … Growing for Sustainability’ project. All perennial growth data will be recorded via a mobile application called ‘We Grow’.

Mrs. Prasertsuk Paitoonsitthichai , Director of TGO, revealed that current global warming and climate change affects have brought about far reaching impacts as a result of a surge in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Thailand is bound by its intention to curtail its GHGs by 20 – 25% by 2030 in accordance with UNFCCC. To achieve the target, both private and governmental sectors, as well as communities, need to affirm their cooperation. The cooperation with C.P. Group is of great importance as C.P. Group is a large business conglomerate. C.P. Group’s drive will serve as an example to urge other private sector businesses to realize changes are needed for a better and sustainable future that can be enjoyed by everyone on the planet.

Mr. Noppadol Dej-Udom, Chief Sustainability Officer of Charoen Pokphand Group, stated that the solution to climate change is an important agenda for the world and it will require cooperation from the global community. As C.P Group is a member of the private sector, it gives importance to finding a solution for these global problems. By implementing various measures, these efforts will help drive the organization towards its goal of becoming a carbon neutral company by 2030, which is one of C.P. Group’s sustainability goals.

Furthermore, C.P. Group launched the innovative ‘We Grow’ mobile application developed by True Corporation Group. Its affiliated companies will be able to utilize it as a tool to provide a network of support in planting trees for the ‘We Grow…Growing for Sustainability’ project. The mobile application will help record data from planting trees, calculate the amount of carbon dioxide reduction from tree planting as well as enable knowledge exchange on how to plant trees.

In addition, C.P. Group has provided financial support to the Faculty of Forestry at Kasetsart University to be used in the study of establishing a standardized calculation for the value of timber in Thailand based on criteria and indicators