On 15th February 2022, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) by the Royal Forest Department, Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, and Pollution Control Department (PCD) and SCG signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in the Management of Fuel Materials in Forest areas. Mr. Jatuporn Buruspat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, presided over as the Chairperson and witness of the signing ceremony of the MOU with Mr. Chana Phumee, Executive Vice President Cement-Building Materials Business, SCG at the Saksit Treedej Convention Room, MNRE.
Mr. Jatuporn Buruspat said that the signing of the MOU between MNRE and SCG at this time has shown intention and commitment between public and private sectors in preventing and alleviating the situation of forest fires, haze and particulate matter of the country from open burning by utilizing fuel materials, reducing forest burning, promoting community participation and creating added value to fuel materials. Mr. Jatuporn emphasized that the government has concerned and focused on the prevention and solution of forest fires, haze, and particulate matter problems, and also ordered all agencies to strictly expedite the implementation of the National Agenda Action Plan on “solving the problem of particulate matter” As a result, the situation in the year 2021, shown that air quality in 17 northern provinces was better than in 2020 during at the same period, which number of hotspots decreasing by more than 52 percent, number of days at PM2.5 exceeded the standard decreased more than 8 percent. However, the situation at the beginning of this year was better than last year. Hot spot are focus in 17 northern provinces, especially in forest and agricultural areas. This situation has made the government to emphasize significantly to the utilization of waste fuel materials to reduce burning. In 2021, MNRE has implemented the project “Keep first, before burning” which can collect more than 2,500 tons of fuel waste material. In the project area, hot spots can reduce more than 60 percent. So, this year, we set a target at 3,000 tons of fuel materials and must reduce 20 percent hotspots.The cooperation between SCG and MNRE will mobilize this situation into action and sustainability.
Mr. Chana Poomee, Vice President – Cement and Green Solution Business, SCG Cement-Building Materials Business, said that SCG has realized and acknowledged problems of forest fires, haze, and PM2.5 including the efforts to prevent and solve problems of public sector for a long time. As part of society and communities, SCG is ready to take part in solving such problems by joining to force with public sector as well as transferring and developing knowledge and innovations in the management of agricultural waste and fuel materials in the forest area heaped fuel source to be transformed into alternative energy for cement production, consistent with the concept of resource utilization in accordance with Circular Economy and SCG’s business guidelines that aim to enhance the sustainable development guidelines according to the ESG 4 Plus (Environmental, Social and Governance) principles, consisting of 1) Aim for Net Zero 2) Go Green 3) Lean unequal 4) Cooperate Plus with fairness transparency and good corporate governance.
MNRE by the Royal Forest Department, National Parks Department Wild animals and Plants, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, PCD and SCG will integrate cooperation in the management and promotion of utilization of fuel materials that occur in forest areas by driving development and transferring knowledge to create concrete projects. We hope today’s cooperation will be starting point with common goal of developing and creating sustainable growth for the community society and environment.