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Biodiversity

Commitment to Biodiversity

The Company believes that protecting marine biodiversity must begin with restoring the "habitats" that form the foundation of ecosystems, with seagrass meadows being one of those vital habitats. Seagrass is not merely an underwater plant, but a crucible of biodiversity—serving as a feeding ground, a nursery for juvenile marine life, and a sanctuary for numerous species, including the rare dugong. When seagrass meadows flourish, the biodiversity of the area thrives alongside them.

The Company is therefore committed to conserving and restoring seagrass meadows, while managing impacts in accordance with the Mitigation Hierarchy (Avoidance → Minimization → Rehabilitation → Offsetting). We aim to avoid and minimize negative impacts from our operations and supply chain, while collaborating with government agencies, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations to scale up conservation efforts to a national level.

776–1,293

tons/rai — Amount of carbon sequestered by seagrass meadows, based on a study of the Koh Tha Rai area in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.

1,000

Number of seagrasses planted in the 11th Touch of Marine Life Youth Camp Project

100

ร้อยละ 100 ของวัตถุดิบหลักมาจากพื้นที่ที่ปราศจากการตัดไม้ทำลายป่า

Occupational health and safety

Composition of
Management Structure

Governance

The Board of Directors and the Sustainability Committee oversee the policies and strategic direction for biodiversity management. They have assigned the sustainability unit the responsibility of driving project implementation, monitoring progress, and periodically reporting results to executive management to ensure that biodiversity considerations are seamlessly integrated into strategic decision-making.

Strategy

The Company implements its biodiversity strategy by restoring crucial foundational ecosystems—specifically seagrass meadows—under the "Blue Carbon Project." Conducted in collaboration with the Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University, the initiative focuses on the Koh Tha Rai area in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. This location serves as a habitat for various seagrass species and a vital feeding ground for the rare and endangered dugong. The project follows a strategic roadmap, beginning with a pilot initiative before scaling up to national-level conservation efforts.

Partnership and Collaboration to Mitigate Biodiversity Loss

Government Agencies and Regulatory Bodies — The Company supports a collaborative research project with Kasetsart University. The newly developed knowledge in seagrass planting site assessment techniques (KU-SST) has been transferred to all 5 centers of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources nationwide, scaling up coastal resource restoration efforts to a national level.

Academic Institutions and Non-Profit Organizations — The Company operates in collaboration with the Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University, and the For Sea Foundation, alongside private sector networks. This partnership aims to drive conservation efforts and build a network of next-generation marine resource custodians.

Risk management

The Company assesses biodiversity risks and impacts associated with its operations and supply chain by considering both physical risks (such as ecosystem degradation impacting raw material security) and transition risks (such as shifting regulations and stakeholder expectations). The Mitigation Hierarchy is applied to avoid and minimize these risks, while the status of seagrass resources and localized threats within project areas are continuously monitored.

Metrics and Targets

The Company monitors performance through concrete indicators, such as:

The amount of organic carbon sequestered by seagrass meadows: 776–1,293 tons/rai (based on a study of the Koh Tha Rai area).
The number of seagrasses planted for restoration
The abundance and diversity of benthic fauna (bottom-dwelling organisms) in seagrass beds compared to unvegetated areas:
The number of youth and next-generation marine resource custodians engaged

Protection and Restoration of Biodiverse Habitats

The Company supports the seagrass meadow conservation and restoration project for carbon sequestration (Blue Carbon) in collaboration with the Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University. Located at Koh Tha Rai in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, this highly biodiverse habitat features various seagrass species—including Enhalus (Enhalus acoroides), Thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii), Halodule (Halodule uninervis), and Halophila (Halophila ovalis)—and serves as a vital feeding ground for the rare and endangered dugong.

The study reveals that areas with seagrass cover have significantly higher accumulated organic carbon in the sediment than unvegetated areas, alongside a greater abundance and diversity of benthic fauna.

Partnership and Collaboration to Mitigate Biodiversity Loss

The Company collaborates with multi-stakeholder partnerships to drive marine resource conservation and restoration.

Government Agencies — Technical knowledge of the KU-SST methodology has been transferred to all 5 centers of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources nationwide, scaling up coastal resource restoration efforts to a national level.

Academic Institutions and Non-Profit Organizations — Collaboration with Kasetsart University and the For Sea Foundation

Participation in Conservation Pilot Projects

The Company supports biodiversity pilot projects, including seagrass meadow restoration and the "Touch of Marine Life" Youth Camp Project, aimed at instilling conservation awareness and building a long-term network of marine resource custodians.

Moving Toward Sustainable Biodiversity Conservation

Partnership and collaboration mean more than just providing financial support; it is an investment in ecosystem restoration and in empowering the next generation to become future custodians of marine resources. The Company is dedicated to scaling up its conservation initiatives and continuously driving toward a Net Positive Impact on biodiversity.