Sustainability Expo 2022 is considered the largest sustainability expo in ASEAN, with a shared goal of finding solutions for the world and creating a new balance for ourselves and society, which just ended earlier this month.
When it comes to developing the world towards sustainability, one thing everyone must realize is that we cannot drive this path to our destination alone. Every change that occurs is like a drop of water, even though it is just a small drop, but when it flows together, it is no different from a vast and powerful ocean.
This is the idea that led to the creation of the largest sustainability event in ASEAN, Sustainable Expo (SX), to help spread the knowledge and understanding of sustainability issues more widely. Not only the business people who are the originators of the products, but also the consumers themselves are an important part in making sustainable operations a complete cycle.
The Practical invites you to a conversation with Ms. Tongjai Thanachanan, Director of the Sustainability Expo 2022 organizing committee, about the team’s intentions in organizing an ASEAN-level event and the seriousness of Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, which has announced its stance on social development and natural resource care alongside its long-standing business operations, earning it the reputation of being a leader in sustainability in the beverage industry in the ASEAN region.
Results that cannot be achieved alone
“This is our third year of organizing the sustainability event,” Khun Tongjai began with a smile. “We planned from the beginning that we wanted this event to be a platform to raise awareness about sustainability and to stimulate action in various sectors, whether they are organizations, companies or individuals, so that everyone would understand and know how they could make a difference in the world for the better.”
The SX event is therefore conducted under the concept of B2C2B, where the first B refers to businesses or large organizations that are aware of the importance and already have knowledge about sustainability development. These organizations should share and inspire the C, which is the Consumer, and the second B, which refers to other businesses, whether SMEs or startups that are still hesitant, to join in walking the path to sustainability together.
“Because sustainability encompasses many dimensions, one person cannot lead the whole world to its goal. Everyone must work together. The drive must occur together throughout the system.”
And sustainability is something that takes time to bear fruit, so SX doesn’t just present stories for adults, but also has many spaces for children and youth, who will be the future drivers of sustainability. There are exhibitions that provide knowledge and many activities where the new generation can come and try thinking and doing creative things.
Sustainability pioneers
One of the mainstays of SX is ThaiBev, which has a long history of operating businesses in tandem with social and environmental development, such as collecting and recycling glass bottles of beverages that have been consumed. ThaiBev started doing this more than 40 years ago, before the term ‘sustainability’ became as commonly used as it is today.
“Today, when sustainability has become a standard that all sectors must urgently implement, we must have a clear and tangible policy. Today, ThaiBev’s sustainability policy is divided into three parts under ESG,” explained Tongjai Tongjai.
Starting with E or Environment , which means environmental operations, ThaiBev aims to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero and return 100 percent of the water used in the beverage production process to nature by 2040, including the intention to push biodiversity with full force because it directly affects the abundance of natural resources in the future.
Next is S or Social , which is about society. ThaiBev started by taking care of its employees in terms of skills development, health and quality of life. Then it expanded to developing products that are good for consumers’ health and continued to develop communities in 5 areas: education, sports, public, arts, culture and community development.
Finally, G or Governance covers management of various aspects. ThaiBev is setting standards for its subsidiaries in 6 countries, as well as all raw material suppliers, to operate with the same level of environmental care and social responsibility, while expanding its network of trading partners to create a wider impact on sustainability. The SX event itself is a driving force in this area.
All goals lead to one vision.
In addition to the SX event, which is part of ThaiBev’s sustainability operations, there are many other projects that have been initiated and seriously implemented, resulting in tangible results.
“The Plastic Bottle Collection Project, where we collect used water bottles and recycle them into blankets to donate to those in need. Over the past two years, we have collected and recycled around 15 million plastic bottles and produced over 400,000 green blankets. These blankets are very important during the winter for people in remote areas.
“Another project I would like to tell you about is the Local Thai Handicrafts Sarong project, where we develop community products together with university students to turn local products like sarongs into modern products that people of all ages want to buy and use. We also work with football clubs to bring the developed products as souvenirs for the football clubs. All of this helps Flick revive local wisdom and increase income for the community.”
You can continue to say that every project has its own goals because ThaiBev’s sustainability development is divided into many dimensions. However, when we combine those goals into a big picture, we will see the connection to efforts to change consumer behavior to see the value and turn to consuming products that are good for the environment, society, and community.
Small drops of water come together to form an ocean.
Back to SX, if you have visited the event, you will notice that in addition to the many innovations and technologies that various sectors have brought to showcase, your team has also designed many areas at the event to show that living a sustainable lifestyle is not as difficult as you think.
Such as the food zone that has plant-based products that emit less greenhouse gases for people to try and see that they taste just as good as meat, to the corner demonstrating how to manage food waste so that it does not contaminate and cause other types of waste to rot and become unrecyclable, using the food scraps of the participants as the demonstrators.
“Working on sustainability for years has taught us that every decision we make in our lives can be good or bad for the world. Whether it’s choosing clean energy, using public transportation, eating seasonally, choosing biodegradable containers, managing waste properly, or choosing products, there are so many beautiful, recyclable and community-made products available today. Making choices that make the world a better place isn’t hard, it just depends on whether we care enough to make them.”
You have to remind us that for herself and the team behind SX, knowing that every goal leads to sustainability inspires her to continue to expand on this cause so that every drop of change becomes an ocean. Because whether it’s a large-scale sustainability event or a small action from everyone every day, it all connects to a sustainable outcome for us and the planet.
We adapt, the world changes. The Next Generation: Sustainability Expo joins forces to create sustainability.
Or you can choose to listen to the program in Podcast format at:
We adjust, the world changes The Next Generation because we all can “change” the world for the better. Meet many ideas and actions from the new generation who have risen up to “adjust” their thinking and take action to jointly create a sustainable world.
#WeShiftWorldChange #NextGeneration #WeShiftWorldChange #EveryoneCanChangeTheWorldForTheBetter
