SET President Senior Executive Vice President - Head of Corporate Strategy Division and Sustainable Market Development Division Soraphol Tulayasathien said that the "ESG Impact Assessment Report: THSI 2022" contains the ESG performances of listed companies in the Thailand Sustainability Investment (THSI) list in 2022 and their case studies. Companies in the THSI list have created positive and concrete impacts for all stakeholders and been committed to integrating ESG practice into their business operations.
SET has developed the ESG Data Platform to be the center of data collection and dissemination of the ESG information disclosed by listed companies. ESG information will be useful for business operators, enabling them to study and apply to level up their business operations, while allowing investors to make informed decision. This leads to sustainable business development and investment which is in accordance with SET's vision "To Make the Capital Market 'Work' for Everyone.
"ESG Impact Assessment Report: THSI 2022" demonstrates that listed companies can use ESG to strengthen their business. Last year, listed companies managed energy; used electricity, energy and water; and handled waste and greenhouse gases efficiently. They also developed employees, business partners, communities and society; managed risks; and promoted corporate governance to ensure transparent and accountable operations which can be evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively with details as follows:
- Environment aspect - harnessing technologies to improve the efficiency of machines and, in turn, reduce power/energy losses. They consumed water in accordance with the principle of 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), applied circular economy to waste treatment and supported net zero emissions, resulted in positive impacts. For example, electricity consumption declined by 10.65 billion kilowatt-hours, while using 248.19 billion kilowatt-hours of renewable energy and 227 million cubic meters of reduced and reused water, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by about 15 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Moreover, environmental projects carried out by these companies helped them cut down costs by THB 654 million (approx. USD 18.92 million).
- Society aspect - prioritizing internationally-recognized human rights practices, preventing violations with thorough human rights due diligence to evaluate possible impacts and risks, taking care of employees/workers by developing potentials including functional, management and leadership skills to improve the capabilities and efficiency of their personnel. These companies also created safe workplace environment; improved the quality of life of communities and society via various projects related to agricultural support, career development for communities, underserved and underprivileged people, health and quality of life promotion for dwellers in society.
- Corporate governance and economic aspects - cultivating culture of transparency and accountability with organizational structure that adheres to good corporate governance as seen by the fact that chairpersons and heads are different persons, and more than 66 percent of the total board members is non-executive director. In addition, 125 listed companies participated in the Collective Action Coalition Against Corruption. They attached importance to the management of risks related to ESG, climate change and business partners as well as emerging risks to prepare for adaptation and handling the situation that may occur and affect business while helping develop business partners towards sustainable operations.
"ESG Impact Assessment Report: THSI 2022" is available for download at www.setsustainability.com.
Source: SET Corporate Communications