Human beings and nature are so intimately connected that destroying nature surely harms our lives.
According to the United Nations Climate Change Conference Report 26 published in 2021, global warming is rapidly unfolding, with the average global temperature having already risen by 1.1° Celsius since the pre-industrial era. Based on 2016 data, the global emission rate of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) has mounted above 50 billion tons each year, with Thailand responsible for about 417 million tons or one-tenth of that. This means climate change issues are perhaps closer to us, both as a national problem and to mankind, than we have realised. Hence, it has become everybody’s obligation to recreate global sustainability.
Singha Estate Public Company Limited (Singha), a leading Thai real estate developer, has been gearing to create a more sustainable world via its operation by splicing multi-level environmental issues and social responsibility together. Among the company’s many connected initiatives, the Sea You Tomorrow project has been consistent in cultivating awareness and creating positive change in the natural environment for the past three years. Specifically, in 2021, the project has taken on the crucial task of involving younger generations as a key force to act and focus on environmental change.
At a policy level, Singha aims to co-create its corporate growth with environmental sustainability. Hence, its future directions integrate environmental concerns on a corporate basis. Under this concept, organisation leaders have become a crucial force in bringing environment-related policy to implementation. This has led the company to join hands with the Environmental Education Centre (EEC) to bring out “Sea You Tomorrow Camp: Fighting Climate Crisis”.
The camp comprises two main events. The first event was held on 14-16 Dec 2021 at SAii Phi Phi Island Village, and the latter will take place on 26-28 Jan 2022 at Singha Park, Chiang Rai province.
“The reality is all of us are affected by climate change in some ways, so we must all become a force for change,” says Sirithon Thamrongnawasawat, Vice President – Corporate Branding & Sustainable Development department. “At Singha, we put great importance on cultivating our employees to become more aware of the environment and act as agents of change against many environment-degrading factors such as reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Our internal effort also expands to our business partners and alliances.”
“Although the payback from these efforts might not come in the form of profit or financial return, we know that we can grow as long as the environment, local communities, and society improve. Ultimately, we believe that these external changes will reflect back to our corporation’s sustainable growth; a place where all sectors need to cordially co-exist.”
The first Sea You Tomorrow Camp: Fighting Climate Crisis event, held at Singha’s SAii Phi Phi Island Village, was led by Alexander Simon Rendell, CEO of EEC HQ Co., Ltd. and UN Environment Programme's first National Goodwill Ambassador for Thailand. During the programme, 15 management-level employees and 10 local youths learned together about oceanic and forestry preservation in practice. This creates a sense of caring for the participants, and helps them reflect on what can be done to tackle climate change, GHG, air pollution, and our green and blue carbon and carbon footprints. Biodiversity and marine ecosystem threats are brought in, along with other knowledge and environmental issues local to Lah Lana bay. The activity aims to create agents of change that will come home and spread knowledge of how to tackle climate change in their surroundings.
“The children of today will become our future leaders,” Alexander Simon Rendell explained. “It’s crucial to cultivate them to internalise the importance of environmental issues so they become change agents in their own life, family, and community. Defense mechanism and restorative measures will soon become the tools for problem-solving.”
Wasita Pramongkij, a young participant from Bann Laem Tong school in Phi Phi islands, spoke enthusiastically about joining the camp. “I learned some crucial lessons about marine ecosystems and preservation of oceanic environments. Although I was born here, I learned many things new to me, especially things that are integral to natural sustainability. Now I know more about the natural habitats of sea creatures and the nature of mangrove forests and how they absorb our carbon dioxide emissions. Only nature allows us fresh air to breathe, so dumping land waste in the ocean and interfering with coral barriers through our activities have to stop.”
“Above all, the camp makes me realise that we all have an obligation to protect the oceanic environment for the local community, the nation, and the world,” she added. “By trying to revert our oceanic ecosystem to its pristine condition, we’ll create a better place for us to live and more employment opportunities too. Plus, we and the generations to come would be able to enjoy the beauty of the sea as long as we live.”
For his part, Boripat Siriaroonrat, PhD, DVM from the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, and Chairman of Green World Foundation, commented that: “Regardless of age, we are all responsible for the environment. To champion a better environmental trajectory, we can start with small steps in our daily life such as supporting environment-friendly products, reducing household waste and electricity use, replacing paper waste with e-paper, recycling our inland waste, lowering CO2-intensive activities, and keeping a watchful eye on our tourist attractions. Altogether, these small changes and adjustments will become a major force against climate change and global warming. At the end of the day, they’ll benefit us all.”
