WHA Group, through WHA Industrial Development Public Company Limited (WHAID), the leading developer of comprehensive industrial estates in Thailand, has signed a contract with the Mae Fah Luang Foundation under the Royal Patronage to develop green spaces and reforest areas at WHA industrial estates. This year, the project will commence in three industrial estates: WHA Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate 2 (WHA ESIE 2), WHA Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate 3 (WHA ESIE 3) in Chonburi, and WHA Rayong 36 in Rayong, covering a total area of approximately 108 rai. The goal is to increase green spaces, restore biodiversity, develop habitats for living organisms, and improve soil quality, ultimately contributing to the sustainable creation of public benefit areas for surrounding communities.

This project combines the expertise of two organizations with aligned visions. WHAID develops 15 industrial estates in Thailand and one in Vietnam under the concept of a “Smart Eco Industrial Estate,” which is modern and environmentally friendly. Meanwhile, the Mae Fah Luang Foundation brings knowledge and experience from its successful “Planting Forests, Planting People” initiative from the Doi Tung Development Project in Chiang Rai, along with regenerative agriculture concepts, to expand and apply these practices in the industrial estates of Chonburi and Rayong, located in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). The reforestation will focus on local trees and economic trees through agroforestry, while also surveying biodiversity data in the green spaces of WHA ESIE 2. The development of green spaces at WHA ESIE 3 and WHA Rayong 36 will involve soil regeneration and improvement to prepare for tree planting and future biodiversity restoration.

Ms. Jareeporn Jarukornsakul, Chairwoman of the Executive Board and CEO of WHA Corporation Public Company Limited (WHA Group), stated that the reforestation and green space development project in WHA industrial estates represents a significant collaboration that reflects WHA Group's commitment, through WHAID, not only to develop industrial infrastructure but also to create an ecosystem conducive to sustainability. This year, the pilot project will cover over 108 rai, planting more than 20,000 local and economic trees while conserving existing trees in the area. The initiative will continue to expand to other industrial estates in the following years to create shared value for businesses, communities, and the environment, marking a significant step in increasing carbon dioxide absorption and storage as part of supporting WHA Group's “Net Zero 2050” goal.

Mom Luang Dispanadda Diskul, Secretary-General and CEO of the Mae Fah Luang Foundation under the Royal Patronage, said, “The Mae Fah Luang Foundation believes that sustainable development must go hand in hand with ‘people’ and ‘nature.’ This collaboration will serve as a model for integrating ecological restoration knowledge with industrial estate development to achieve a balanced and sustainable coexistence between the economy and the environment. Led by experts in reforestation from the Doi Tung Development Project in Chiang Rai, the foundation will apply over 30 years of experience in restoring degraded forests and nature-based solutions to expand sustainability to other areas in Thailand. For WHA ESIE 2, we will plant over 20 species of local and economic trees and conserve more than 87 species of native trees using nature-based planting methods to restore biodiversity, enhance soil moisture, and connect original forests with newly planted areas to achieve balanced richness. Regarding biodiversity studies, the Mae Fah Luang Foundation will conduct baseline surveys of living organisms in the original ecosystem at the project's start and will repeat data collection to compare species and numbers of organisms in the green spaces. The foundation believes that the beneficiaries of this project will not only be the business sector but also employees, customers in the industrial estates, the general public, and surrounding communities who will benefit from the green spaces.”

This collaboration with the Mae Fah Luang Foundation not only addresses environmental concerns but also drives WHA Group's vision towards achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions (Net Zero 2050) by creating and developing green spaces within industrial estates that will enhance carbon dioxide absorption and storage, reduce climate change impacts, increase biodiversity, and create public benefit areas for surrounding communities. WHA Group and the Mae Fah Luang Foundation are committed to making this project a model of collaboration between the industrial sector and development organizations that can be expanded to other industrial areas in the future, reinforcing WHA Group's role in “shaping the future” in economic, social, and environmental aspects to achieve sustainable development goals under the concept of “WHA: WE SHAPE THE FUTURE.”