Thailand’s Central Group wins UN climate awards

The United Nations has bestowed two climate awards on Central Group, one of Thailand’s top retail, real estate and hospitality conglomerates. The awards are confirmation that the Kingdom’s private sector is committed to sustainability.

Central Group is involved in two initiatives that earned Climate Action Awards. The first was for a reforestation project that sequesters tens of millions of kilograms of carbon while also enhancing the livelihoods of local people. The second was for a group-wide effort to tackle food waste, with excess food donated to those in need and organic waste separated and treated. That effort has also reduced greenhouse gas emissions by over 860 tons so far.

The Climate Action Awards are given out by FeedUp @UN and Agricultural and Food Marketing Association for Asia and the Pacific (AFMA). The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) developed FeedUp, a digital blockchain-powered solution for identifying, quantifying, and tracing food loss and waste.

“Central Group has launched many environmental initiatives under the Central Group Love the Earth banner,” said Pichai Chirathivat, Executive Director of Central Group.

“We have joined forces with various parties to take action together, focusing on single-use plastic reduction, recycling and upcycling, waste segregation, food waste reduction, forest restoration and climate change and energy management in particular,” he said.

In 2020, Central Group also handed out 236 million fewer single-use plastic items at its stores. Thailand, like many countries, is battling a growing avalanche of plastic pollution. Central Group, SCG and other leading Thai companies have increasingly been adopting Circular Economy approaches to reduce waste and recycle resources.

Photo courtesy of: https://www.centralgroup.com/th/