Singha Estate and its sustainability partners Siam Kubota and Thaicom, along with local communities around Singha Park in Chiang Rai, have kicked off the 'Planting Forest with a Finger' project to mitigate the impacts of climate change in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 13 on Climate Change. The initiative aims for Singha Estate to achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2030, with a target of planting at least 1 million square meters (over 625 rai) of forest in upstream, midstream, and downstream areas to maintain biodiversity and raise awareness for a low-carbon society. This project will also serve as a model for community engagement in reforestation activities, adhering to the Asian Green Initiative (AGI) 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 commitment to create green spaces equal to the area of real estate projects, targeting 1 million square meters within 10 years.

“Singha Estate recognizes the challenges posed by climate change, which leads to global warming, disasters, and social impacts. This is a critical issue worldwide. The company acknowledges the future impacts of its business operations and has collected carbon data over the past years, aiming to become a low-carbon organization while increasing carbon absorption areas through extensive reforestation. We also aim to raise awareness and share knowledge on carbon reduction among urban stakeholders. This is the inspiration behind the 'Planting Forest with a Finger' project, supported by Singha Park Chiang Rai with 625 rai designated for reforestation and conservation, which is crucial for long-term forest development. Additionally, we will utilize technology from Thaicom to monitor tree growth and carbon absorption throughout the project duration, while Siam Kubota will provide innovations to expedite large-scale reforestation. We also collaborate with local government agencies and communities to maximize green space, aiming to match the area of our real estate projects, or at least 1 million square meters within 10 years. Furthermore, we hope to raise awareness among urban residents who may not have 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 Forest with a Finger' project, stating, “The concept of this project is that taking care of the forest is easy... just use your finger. We aim to reduce carbon emissions in daily life. From last month's online campaign with Environman, we received over 500 ideas for carbon reduction or 'planting forests with a finger' from participants. Every idea submitted will be used to promote a low-carbon society or 'Enriching Community', while also enhancing biodiversity with a focus on forest care and increasing carbon absorption in all three forest types: upstream, midstream, and downstream. These three forests are interconnected and crucial for creating Blue Carbon. Importantly, we are implementing this project under the AGI standards, which are internationally recognized, with assessments of growth and expansion of forest areas. The forest areas will also allow local communities to participate and sustainably benefit from them. Today's joint reforestation activity marks the official kickoff of our goal to create 1 million square meters of green space in upstream, midstream, and downstream forests over the next 10 years.”

Regarding Mr. Pongrat Leungthamrongjaroen, Managing Director of Singha Park, Chiang Rai, he stated, “Singha Park is a social enterprise of Singha Corporation and its subsidiaries, aiming to create sustainability for communities, society, and the environment. The 'Planting Forest with a Finger' project is one of our subsidiary's initiatives, and Singha Park is delighted to collaborate in this effort, having allocated approximately 625 rai for reforestation and forest care. This area is a crucial ecological zone and a natural disaster prevention area. Increasing forest area here will enhance forest integrity and maximize benefits.”

“This project is an extension of Singha Park's forest care efforts, adhering to standards for monitoring and measuring tree growth, allowing local communities to participate, which will yield genuine benefits. Particularly around Singha Park, there are diverse communities and ethnic groups, making this a beneficial project for all sectors in the long term. It also contributes to increasing carbon absorption, addressing a global issue,” Mr. Pongrat stated.

The 'Planting Forest with a Finger' project also receives support and collaboration from other organizations. Thaicom Public Company Limited, a satellite service provider, represented by Mr. Pathompob Suvarnasiri, CEO, stated, “Throughout Thaicom's business operations, we not only aim for stable 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 services while 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 contribute 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 reforestation areas that are difficult to access, supporting the balance of carbon absorption from the atmosphere and aiming for future carbon neutrality.”

Mr. Pisanu Milintanuch, Assistant Managing Director, General Manager of Sales, Marketing, and Services at Siam Kubota Corporation Limited, also stated, “Siam Kubota is very pleased to participate in environmental activities that align with our vision of focusing on the 'Sustainable Development Goals' or SDGs, with key objectives in 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 that help reduce burning in agricultural areas, while also creating income from agricultural waste for farmers nationwide. We plan to expand this to a project aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture to achieve Net Zero Emission by 2050.”

“In this activity, Siam Kubota has brought agricultural machinery innovations, including a 3-ton Kubota excavator model U35 and KX91-3S2, as well as a 50-horsepower Kubota tractor model L5018 SP, along with 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 Forest with a Finger' project over an area of 124 rai. This collaboration marks the beginning of co-branding efforts to create a 'sustainable society' while advancing Net Zero Emission goals in Thailand together,” Mr. Pisanu concluded.

Overall, the 'Planting Forest with a Finger' project by Singha Estate aims to increase green space and plant at least 1 million square meters, starting with the upstream forest at Singha Park 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, alongside various campaigns to raise awareness and instill a sense of responsibility.