Environmental policies and practices
With the growing trends of global Aged Society, ASEAN countries, particularly Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, including Thailand have completely become an Aged Society. Changes of the proportion of various age groups of Thai population has become a challenge for certain industries, such as residence management and housing for older people, the pharmaceutical industry, the medical equipment industry, health supplements business and anti-aging business. In other words, the economic growth of the hospital business can possibly impose direct and indirect impacts on the society and the environment, for example, air pollution, water pollution, waste and hazardous waste management, energy use, water use, etc. Therefore, environmental issue management has been both a risk and an opportunity for creating competitive advantages.
Realizing the importance of the efficient use of resources, the Company has determined the environmental goals to be reached. Environmental balance creation is regarded as the commitment to social responsibility through its business operations. Environmental key performance indicators (KPIs) have therefore been determined for both short-term and long-term strategic goals to enable the Company to manage environmental issues efficiently and continuously and achieve sustainable balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability through reducing negative impacts on the environment, which is in line with the SDG 3, 6, 7, 8, 9,12 and 13.
Sustainability Management Goals in the Environmental Dimension
| Environmental issues | Short-term goals within 1 - 2 years | Long-term goals within 3 - 6 years |
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| Climate Change Management |
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| Energy Saving |
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| Water Management and Conservation |
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| Waste Management |
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Environmental Management
The Company has been committed to the management of the environmental dimension of sustainability to create balance between the Company business growth and environmental conservation. The Company has identified material issues that affected its operations to which the Company and stakeholders have given priority consisting of climate change management, energy saving, water conservation and management and waste management. The Company has determined an environmental strategy and guidelines that are in line with the Circular Economy. To achieve efficient resource management, the 3Rs strategy has been implemented in parallel with raising the awareness of its internal and external stakeholders about acting in strict compliance with environmental standards, applicable laws and rules and regulations in supporting and promoting efficient use of energy and water and effective waste management, one of the Company environmental management measures to sustainably reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Scope 1, 2 and 3 through managing the following 4 environmental issues.
Climate Change Management
Climate change has been a challenge for health management of the people in the society, both directly affected by severe weather conditions such as droughts, floods, and extreme weather events which can cause business and, indirectly such as the consequences of food and water insecurity, which may cause business disruption as well as indirectly affected by heat stress, malnutrition, pandemic, community immigration and economic problems, etc. The Company has driven its operations with regard to continuous adaptation to climate change and has been committed to participating in keeping global temperatures from rising beyond 2 degrees Celsius and keeping them from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius when compared with pre-industrial levels in accordance with the Paris Agreement and in line with the SDG 13.
Setting Policy and Goals for Climate Change Risk Assessment of Impacts on the Business and Continuous Monitoring
Taking into consideration the relationship between the climate change and the impacts causing loss of life, injuries or other health impacts causing property damage, and economic and social disruption or environmental degradation, the Company has determined a short-term goal of more than 0.5 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per Adjusted Patient Day compared to the previous year and a long-term goal of 5 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per Adjusted Patient Day by 2028, compared to the baseline year 2022. To achieve such goals, the Company has developed an action plan to control and reduce both direct and indirect greenhouse gas emission throughout the value chain in an effort to reduce physical risk and other risks related to policy and legal affairs, technology, marketing and reputation, as detailed below.
| Risk | Risk Reduction and Management Plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Risk | Risks arising from acute physical impacts caused by climate change, such as floods and unpredictable climate change, such as increasing global temperatures. | Put in place a contingency plan to reduce impacts and risks in case of unpredictable events. |
| Policy and Legal | Risks of current and new policies, laws and regulations, including those related to the climate change that may have an impact on the business. | Follow up new laws and regulations in order to adjust the Company related policies appropriately. |
| Technology | Risks of technology that may affect medical treatment, requiring the Company timely adaptation and may have an impact on the business. | Consider different options for using technologies, particularly those that can be continuously used in the future, including more flexible technologies. |
| Marketing | Risks of marketing arising from competition and marketing channels in case that the climate change has an impact on service users’ behaviors | Enhance capabilities for competition and marketing channels in response to the climate change to create confidence among service users and business opportunities. |
| Reputation | Risks of service users’ higher expectations. | Keep service users informed of the Company news and developments in all communication channels. |
Climate Change Response Performance
Climate Change Management
The climate change management results from 2019 until at present revealed that there has been a significant change in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission calculations, from originally using the data of only one building, Building A, for calculating GHG emissions in the baseline year 2019 to using the data of 4 buildings, consisting of Building A, Building O, Building B, Building D for calculating GHG emissions. The Hospital has set targets for reducing its GHG emissions, using 1) Absolute Approach, which refers to the total amount of GHG emissions to be reduced in the form of percentage of Absolute Emissions and 2) Economic Intensity Approach, which refers to the amount of GHG emission to be reduced per service unit. The findings revealed that in 2022, the amount of the Company GHG emission reduced by 10.45 percent, compared to the baseline year 2019 and GHG emission per Adjusted Patient Day reduced by 26.92 percent, compared to 2021 in accordance with the Absolute Approach and Economic Intensity Approach, respectively.
The Company has set the year 2022 as the baseline year for calculating GHG emissions for disclosure in the folow8hg year. The Company GHG emission calculation was certified by Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (Public Organization) (TGO) in 2022 for the first year. The Hospital has set a target for the reduction of its GHG emissions in accordance with the Absolute Approach with a commitment to reducing GHG emission by 5 percent by 2028, compared to the baseline year 2022.
The Company has started to develop a climate change strategy in accordance with the international standards and Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) bringing about such results of risk an opportunity assessment to be used for overseeing climate change strategy setting and action plan development. In 2022, the amount of Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions was equal to 399-ton CO2e, Scope 2 was equal to 5,948-ton CO2e and Scope 3 was equal to 5,172-ton CO2e.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Management and Development
Energy Management
The use of fossil fuels for generating electricity has polluted the environment, particularly air pollution. The Hospital has experienced a trend of growing demand for energy use as the economy grows. Such factors may cause an increase in energy consumption, energy shortages and the decrease in quality of life of people in the society. The approach to renewable energy management and clean technology development throughout the value chain serves as a tool for reducing GHG emissions enabling the Company to achieve the SDG 7 and SDG 13.
Setting Energy Conservation Policy and Goals and Continuous Monitoring
The Company has established an Energy Management Policy to serve as a framework for creating engagement in energy conservation and applying the ISO 14001 standards, as well as systematically developing environmental and energy databases. This has led to target setting, a short-term target for the reduction of energy consumption per Adjusted Patient Day by more than 0.5 percent, compared to the previous year and a long-term target for the reduction of energy consumption per Adjusted Patient Day by more than 2 percent by 2028, compared to the baseline year 2022. Last year, the Company has evaluated the share of energy consumption and energy management status, analyzed energy conservation potentials, set measures for monitoring and evaluating energy conservation, as well as reporting to the management regularly to reduce risks and negative impacts on the environment and society in a sustainable manner.
Changing Lamps and Lamp Installation in the Parking Lot for Solar-Powered Vehicles
The Hospital replaced 80-watt LED lamps with 9-watt LED Halogen lamps in the public hall, 11th floor, Building B and installed lamps in the parking lot for solar-powered cars to reduce electricity consumption and support clean energy use.
Energy Management Performance
Energy Saving
The energy management results from 2020 until at present revealed that there has been a significant change in the energy consumption calculations from originally using the data of only one building, Building A, for calculating energy consumption in the baseline year 2019 to using the data of 4 buildings, consisting of Building A, Building O, Building B, Building D for calculating energy consumption. The Hospital set targets for reducing energy consumption, using the Absolute Approach, which refers to the total amount of energy consumption to be reduced in the form of percentage of absolute energy consumption reduction. The findings revealed that in 2022, the total amount of energy consumption was 13,145,507 kilowatt-hour or 49.39 percent energy consumption increase, compared to the baseline year 2019 in accordance with the Absolute Approach. In 2022, the Hospital has set targets for energy consumption reduction, using a new approach, the Economic Intensity Approach, which refers to the amount of energy consumption to be reduced per service unit. The findings revealed that the amount of energy consumption per Adjusted Patient Day was 108.26 kilowatt-hour, an increase in energy consumption by 8.04 percent, compared to the baseline year 2019 in accordance with the Economic Intensity Approach.
The promotion of sustainable energy conservation has been regarded as an important task for all parties to take concrete action through the 3Rs strategy: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, by formulating operational plans and measures of energy conservation throughout the value chain to secure the most cost-effective and efficient resources utilization.
Energy Management and Development Approach
Water Management
Water resource has been among top global risks, including water stress, drought, floods and rising sea levels raising concerns in both the developed countries and developing countries. Issues of concerns have been water use of consumption as well as continuously decreasing global water quality affecting people’s health and ecosystems of the environment. Realized the importance of water conservation, the Company has improved water and wastewater quality in line with water-related standards and in accordance with the SDG 3, SDG 6 and SDG 13.
Setting Policy and Goals, Water Conservation, and Continuous Monitoring.
The Company has established a policy and short-term target for the reduction of water use per Adjusted Patient Day by more than 0.5 percent, compared to the previous year and long-term target for the reduction of water use per Adjusted Patient Day by more than 2 percent by 2028, compared to the baseline year 2022. For these reasons, monitoring measures, performance evaluation have been put in place as well as reporting to the management regularly to reduce risks and negative impacts on the environment and society.
The Sensor Faucet Installation Project in accordance with the 3Rs Strategy
Additional sensor faucets have been installed, a part of an on-going project implemented since last year, at the Employee Dormitory, 3rd floor, enabling water saving not less than 80 percent as calculated, resulting in water cost reduction of Baht 24,300 per year (Water supply price was Baht 20 per unit.). This has resulted in a decrease in the Hospital’s total water costs, compared to the baseline year 2019.
The Recycled Water Project in accordance with the 3Rs Strategy.
Wastewater treated through the wastewater treatment processes has been used for watering plants, Recycle 3,150 lites per day enabling recycled water loss reduction of 1,134,000 liters per year, resulting in water cost reduction of Baht 22,680 per year (Water supply price was Baht 20 per unit.).
Water Management and Conservation
The water management results from 2021 until at present revealed that there has been a significant change in the water consumption calculations from originally using the data of only one building, Building A, for calculating water consumption in the baseline year 2019 and using the data of 2 buildings, ,Building A and Building O, for calculating water consumption in 2020 to using the data of 4 buildings, Building A and Building O, Building B and Building D for calculating water consumption in 2022. The Hospital set targets for reducing water consumption, using the Absolute Approach, which refers to the total amount of water consumption to be reduced in the form of percentage of absolute water consumption. The findings revealed that in 2022, the total amount of water consumption was 150,870 cubic meters or 10.27 percent water consumption increase, compared to the baseline year 2019 in accordance with the Absolute Approach. In 2022, the Hospital has set targets for reducing water consumption, using a new approach, the Economic Intensity Approach, which refers to the amount of water consumption to be reduced per service unit. The findings revealed that the amount of water consumption per Adjusted Patient Day was 1.25 days, a decrease in water consumption by 21.88 percent, compared to the baseline year 2019 in accordance with the Economic Intensity Approach.
The Company has promoted water conservation, using technology that enabled the Company to increase water consumption efficiency and participation of employees at all levels in conserving the water used in the Hospital in collaboration with its stakeholders through the execution of the 3Rs strategy, consisting of water consumption reduction, water reuse and Recycling.
Water Management and Development Approach
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Waste Management
Management of Hazardous Waste and Non-Hazardous waste have been one of the challenges for the Company in mitigating the impacts of climate change, as well as being a hotbed for germs, bad odors, and causing deterioration of the balance in the ecosystem arising from disposing waste in landfills from which methane is emitted, a greenhouse gas that is a major cause of global warming. For these reasons, waste management throughout the value chain has been put in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the SDG 12 and SDG 13.
Setting Policy and Goals, Waste Reduction Measures, and Continuous Monitoring.
The Company has conducted waste management and assessed the risks of impacts on business operations. This has led to short-term target setting for waste reduction per Adjusted Patient Day by more than 0.5 percent, compared to the previous year and a long-term target for waste reduction per Adjusted Patient Day by more than 5 percent by 2028, compared to the baseline year 2022. The Hospital has promoted the implementation of the concept of waste management by managing new entry waste by separating waste at the beginning, reducing the use of wastecausing materials or products, supporting reuse and reduction in the use and disposal of single-use items, such as reducing the use of foam or plastics by using personal food boxes, water bottles or cups, cloth bags or pouches for carrying things, and using both sides of paper. This has led to a reduction in disposing waste and hazardous waste in landfills, and sustainable reduction of corporate greenhouse gas emissions.
Care the Bear Project
The Company participated in the Care the Bear Project in collaboration with the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), which entails adoption of the principles of 6 cares: 1. Create a campaign for the use of public transport or carpooling 2. Reduce the use of paper documents and plastic containers 3. Refrain from using foam containers or using foam for decorative purposes 4. Reduce energy consumption from electrical appliances or use energy-efficient appliances. 5. Design enabling reuse of decoration materials. 6. Reduce waste food at events. This project has provided an opportunity for learning and increasing employee engagement and has raised employee awareness about climate change leading to behavioral change in response to the Company policy on climate change management and waste management.
Waste Management Performance
The waste management results from 2021 until at presfent revealed that there has been a significant change in the calculations of the amount of waste from originally using the data of only one building, Building A, for calculating the amount of waste in year 2019 and using the data of 2 buildings, Building A and Building O, for calculating the amount of waste in the baseline year 2020 to using the data of 4 buildings, Building A and Building O, Building B and Building D for calculating the amount of waste in year 2022. The Hospital set targets for reducing waste, using the Absolute Approach, which refers to the total amount of waste to be reduced in the form of percentage of absolute waste. The findings revealed that in 2022, the total amount of waste was 310,156 tons or 8.60 percent waste decrease, compared to the baseline year 2020 in accordance with the Absolute Approach. In 2022, the Hospital has set targets for reducing waste, using a new approach, the Economic Intensity Approach, which refers to the amount of waste to be reduced per Adjusted Patient Day. The findings revealed that the amount of waste per Adjusted Patient Day was 2.57 kilograms per Adjusted Patient Day, or 34.78 percent waste decrease, compared to the baseline year 2020 in accordance with the Economic Intensity Approach.
Used Desk Calendar Donation Supporting the Production of Braille Learning Materials
In 2021- 2022, the Hospital gathered used desk calendars from its executives, physicians and employees, including their families and donated them to the Bangkok School for the Blind to support the production of Braille learning materials for the blind. This initiative aims to create corporate culture of public conciousness in providing assistance to socially-disadvantaged groups and to reduce waste, reuse resources and create corporate image of the Hospital, the donator.
Waste Management and Development Approach
