Our Approach

Our approach to Sustainability is guided by the overriding objective to create a Lasting Positive Impact on the environment and the community. It is guided by the expectations of our stakeholders, on which we solicit and encourage feedback.

The transition to green energy is the single biggest way to reduce carbon emissions and with it, to limit global warming and its negative knock-on effects, including social injustice and biodiversity loss. As an operator of a power plant that is fueled by agricultural waste, and not a primary fuel or crop, we are proud to be helping to drive this transition forward.

But there is always more that can be done. Our aspiration is to transition to net zero waste, which is a very real prospect, including through better and more carbon reducing uses for the ash we generate, continuing to raise the bar on the sustainability of our supply chains, and continuing to educate the next generation of the merits of sustainable energy and the bio-circular-green economy.

We aim to give more back to nature and the community than we take, guided by a policy and culture built on ESG principles, including good governance.

Resources are dedicated to monitoring and management, as well as fronting engagement with the local community, to ensure ongoing compliance with our environmental and social obligations and to support our aspiration of continuous improvement on all fronts. The outcomes are subject to regular reporting, including to the directors and Board.

But for A.T. Biopower, it goes beyond compliance. We expect our staff, of all levels, to live the values, and education is an important tool in this objective. This includes initiatives to educate all staff on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (see below) and empower them to help A.T. Biopower to deliver more towards achievement of these goals.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

A.T. Biopower recognizes the role it can play as a force for good and is committed to supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (“UN SDGs”).

SDG 1 (No Poverty) SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) SDG 4 (Quality Education) SDG 5 (Gender Equality) SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure) SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) SDG 11 (Sustainable Cites & Communities) SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production) SDG 13 (Climate Action) SDG 14 (Life Below Water) SDG 15 (Life on Land) SDG 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions) SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

SDG 1 (No Poverty)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Creates economic opportunity, including through direct employment, for low-income households in the local community, supports community food programmes, and funds medical facilities.
  • Supports local farmers, directly and indirectly, through the purchase of agricultural waste.
  • Partners with education providers, to help elevate future generations out of poverty.

SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Supports access to food, through economic opportunity, including direct employment, for low income households in the local community, and supports community food programmes.
  • Promotes sustainable food production, through use (and sharing of economic benefit) of agricultural waste.
  • Actively participates in local initiatives on health and well-being, including malnutrition.

SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Actively participates in community and government-sponsored initiatives, including on mental health well-being and sustainability.
  • Has polices to promote and support good health and well-being in the workplace, including through staff benefits and education.

SDG 4 (Quality Education)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Supports local schools, through direct sponsorship, education, and internships.
  • Promotes equal opportunity within the workplace, with commitment to continuing training, and an aim to promote from within wherever possible.

SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Leads by example in gender equality, with 50% of the A.T. Biopower senior leadership team female.
  • Offers opportunity for growth, with the aim to educate and promote from within wherever possible.
  • Actively parties in local initiatives on gender equality, including on programmes covering sexual and reproductive health.

SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Is a zero-discharge operation.
  • Supports access to clean water and better infrastructure through funds available under the community fund.
  • Has supported funding for facilities to manage drainage, flood risk, and water supply in the local community.

SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Is a path-leader in the generation of clean energy in support of energy for all and action to stem the effects of climate change.
  • Has a focus on continuous improvement, including on efficiency of use of fuel consumption, to optimize utilization of resources.
  • Partners with community leaders and agencies to support access to energy.

SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Offers skilled employment opportunities, both directly and indirectly, which in turn has a positive economic multiplier effect.
  • Uses waste as fuel, creating value for suppliers and enhancing efficiency of use of resources, including land.
  • Focuses on continuous improvement, to support long-term sustainability of its operation, deliver increased value (benefit for all), and further optimize efficient use of (sometimes scarce) resources, for replication elsewhere.

SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Supports access to clean water and better infrastructure, including media, through funds available under the Community Fund.
  • Promotes sustainable industrialization, through use of a waste product for its fuel, and is advancing initiatives that could see the power plant become a zero-waste operation, through application of new technology to extract enhanced ‘green value’ from its high-quality ash.
  • Frequently hosts, and supports, university and other education initiatives to advance Thailand’s BCG ambitions.

SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Supports local farmers, directly and indirectly, through the purchase of agricultural waste.
  • Leads by example in gender equality, with 50% of the A.T. Biopower senior leadership team female and opportunity for growth with the aim to educate and promote from within wherever possible.
  • Actively participates in local (including government-sponsored) initiatives to promote equality.

SDG 11 (Sustainable Cites & Communities)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Produces renewable energy, fueled by waste, that is exported to the national grid to support sustainability of cities and communities.
  • Has an ongoing focus on efficiency that has resulted in reduced per unit fuel consumption. It opens possibilities to scale-up the sustainability benefits at a faster pace.
  • Actively participates in community events, including to support and preserve cultural and natural heritage, including waste recycling, tree-planting, cultural celebrations.

SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Produces renewable energy, fueled by secondary biomass (i.e., biomass that is a waste, allowing the land to be optimized for its primary function (to produce food, i.e., rice).
  • Has an ongoing focus on fuel efficiency, to optimize consumption, and initiatives underway to further reduce waste and optimize the BCG circularity value chain.
  • Actively supports, and participates, in sustainability initiatives.

SDG 13 (Climate Action)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Is a path-leader in the generation of clean energy in support of energy for all and action to stem the effects of climate change.
  • Implements, and partners with community leaders, on initiatives to improve recycling and sustainability messaging, including composting, tree planting, repurpose and recycling.
  • Through efficiency successes, is facilitating scale-up of similar plants and, through partnerships on waste valorization, is hopeful of advancing a project to displace current carbon-intensive sourcing of silica.

SDG 14 (Life Below Water)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Mitigates its effect on water habitats through efficient consumption and zero discharge.
  • Supports marine life initiatives promoted by local bodies.

SDG 15 (Life on Land)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Operates using secondary biomass, with no primary disturbance of land (the primary use of land is to grow rice, with rice husk the waste from harvesting and milling).
  • Purchases the waste at market value, ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefit, including with some of the most impoverished sectors of the community.
  • Partnering with community leaders and various agencies to promote sustainable land use.

SDG 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Practices equality and non-discrimination, as well as strict stance on anti-corruption and bribery.
  • Supports staff participation in labour courts and various government-sponsored programmes, to leverage experience and promote good practice, for the benefit of all.

SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

A.T. Biopower:

  • Actively engages with the local community and participates in events and initiatives to advance achievement of the UN SDGs.
  • Participates in various forms, including through funding, resources, and people.

To maintain focus, engagement, and help us integrate sustainability even more into our business model, we launched an initiative involving staff at all levels, designed to educate and enable our front line staff to better interrogate and close gaps in performance against the UN SDGs. A committee of SDG Ambassadors representing all departments were selected, with the aim of ensuring that every member of staff can articulate not only our values and how we score in terms of the 17 UN SDGs, but also how they tie in with our partners and local community and why it is of benefit to them. By doing this, we aim to show not only how A.T. Biopower conducts business, but also why, encourage our partners to follow our lead, and determine where we must aspire to improve.