"Singha Estate" and sustainability partner Siam Kubota Thaicom, along with local communities around Singha Park in Chiang Rai, kicked off the "Planting Forests with a Touch of a Finger" project to mitigate the impacts of climate change or global warming, in line with the United Nations' SDG13 Climate Change sustainable development goals. The initiative aims for Singha Estate to achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2030, with a target of planting at least 1 million square meters, or over 625 rai, in watershed areas to maintain biodiversity balance and raise awareness to encourage urban behavior change towards a low-carbon society, while also representing the continuation of tree planting activities in collaboration with local communities under the AGI (Asian Green Initiative) standards.

Ms. Thitima Rungkwansiriroj, CEO of Singha Estate Public Company Limited, stated that as part of Singha Estate's plan to become a low-carbon organization by 2030, one of the sustainability indicators for combating climate change is the mission to establish green spaces equal to the construction area of real estate projects, targeting 1 million square meters within 10 years.

“Singha Estate recognizes the issues of climate change, which leads to global warming, disasters, and social impacts, and is a significant concern worldwide. The company sees the future impacts of its business operations and has collected carbon data over time, aiming to become a low-carbon organization while increasing carbon absorption areas or planting as many trees as possible, along with raising awareness and sharing knowledge to help reduce carbon emissions among urban stakeholders. This is the origin of the 'Planting Forests with a Touch of a Finger' project, supported by 625 rai of planting area from Singha Park, Chiang Rai, which is a crucial area for long-term forest creation.

Additionally, technology for monitoring tree growth and carbon absorption has been provided by Thaicom throughout the project duration. Siam Kubota has introduced innovations to expedite large-scale tree planting, along with support from government agencies in Chiang Rai and local communities, aiming to increase green spaces to match the construction area of the company's real estate projects, or at least 1 million square meters within 10 years. Furthermore, the initiative aims to raise awareness among urban dwellers who may not have the time or space to plant trees but can easily contribute to carbon reduction in their daily lives,” the CEO of Singha Estate added.

Ms. Sirithorn Thamrungnawasawat, Director of Corporate Image and Sustainable Development at Singha Estate Public Company Limited, elaborated on the "Planting Forests with a Touch of a Finger" project, stating, “The concept of this project is that taking care of forests is easy... just a touch of a finger. We can collectively reduce carbon emissions in our daily lives. From last month's online campaign with Environman, we received over 500 ideas for reducing carbon emissions or planting forests with a touch of a finger from campaign participants. All submitted ideas will be used to further promote a low-carbon society or 'Enriching Community', while also enhancing biodiversity with a focus on forest care and increasing carbon absorption areas in all three types of forests: upstream, midstream, and downstream, as these forests are interconnected and essential for creating Blue Carbon. Importantly, we are implementing the planting according to AGI (Asian Green Initiative) standards, which are internationally recognized, assessing growth and expansion of forest areas, and ensuring that these forest areas allow local communities to participate and sustainably benefit. Today's joint tree planting activity marks the official kick-off of our journey to create 1 million square meters of green space in upstream, midstream, and downstream forests over the next 10 years.”

Mr. Pongrat Luangthamrongjaroen, Managing Director of Singha Park Chiang Rai, stated, “Singha Park is a social enterprise of Singha Corporation and its affiliates, aiming to create sustainability for communities, society, and the environment. This tree planting project is one of the initiatives of our affiliate, and Singha Park is delighted to collaborate in this effort, having allocated approximately 625 rai for planting and forest care. This area is a crucial transitional forest zone that serves as a natural disaster prevention barrier, and increasing forest area here will enhance the forest's integrity and maximize its benefits.”

“This project serves as an extension of Singha Park's forest care efforts, adhering to standards for monitoring and measuring tree growth that allow local communities to participate, ensuring genuine benefits, especially since the areas around Singha Park host diverse communities and ethnic groups. This is a commendable project that will yield long-term benefits for all sectors while also increasing carbon absorption areas, addressing a global issue,” Mr. Pongrat added.

The "Planting Forests with a Touch of a Finger" project has also received support and collaboration from other organizations. Thaicom Public Company Limited, a satellite service provider, represented by Mr. Pathompob Suwannasiri, CEO of Thaicom Public Company Limited, stated, “Throughout Thaicom's business operations, we not only aim for stable business growth but also have a commitment to creating sustainability for society, the economy, and the environment. We leverage our experience and expertise in space technology to develop products and enhance services, creating solutions that support the transition to a new space economy, benefiting the country in all dimensions, especially in environmental and agricultural sectors affected by climate change. We have contributed to food and environmental security and the sustainability of various ecosystems using Earth Observation satellite technology integrated with Thaicom's AI/ML modeling expertise. This collaboration with Singha Estate, Singha Park, and Siam Kubota utilizes this technology as an innovation for monitoring and assessing tree growth and health, especially in large planting areas that are difficult to maintain, supporting the balance of carbon absorption from the atmosphere towards future carbon neutrality.”

 

Mr. Pisanu Milintanuch, Assistant Managing Director, General Manager of Sales, Marketing, and Services at Siam Kubota Corporation Limited, also remarked, “Siam Kubota is very pleased to participate in environmental activities that align with our vision of operating under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on food security, youth education, social well-being, and environmental preservation. As a business in the agricultural sector, we promote zero-burn agriculture by providing knowledge and innovative technologies to reduce burning in agricultural areas, while also creating income from agricultural waste for farmers nationwide. We also plan to expand into projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture to achieve Net Zero Emission by 2050.”

“For this activity, Siam Kubota has brought agricultural machinery innovations, including a 3-ton Kubota excavator model U35 and KX91-3S2, along with a 50-horsepower Kubota tractor model L5018 SP, and a DR550 hole digger for preparing suitable planting holes. Additionally, we have a 20-liter AGRAS T20 agricultural drone for fertilizing after planting, to support the "Planting Forests with a Touch of a Finger" project on 124 rai. This collaboration marks the beginning of co-branding efforts to create a "sustainable society" while driving towards achieving Net Zero Emission in Thailand together,” Mr. Pisanu concluded.

The "Planting Forests with a Touch of a Finger" project by Singha Estate aims to increase green spaces and plant forests to achieve at least 1 million square meters, starting with the upstream forest in the Singha Park area in Chiang Rai, covering 625 rai, and will expand to midstream forests or urban forests, with plans for areas in Bangkok, followed by downstream forests or mangrove forests in Koh Phi Phi. The long-term project spans 10 years, with monitoring, measurement, and evaluation to maximize benefits, along with various campaigns to raise awareness and instill consciousness simultaneously.