Environmental Stewardship

Environmental Quality Control

Industrial estate development is a business that can directly cause negative environmental impact if operating without good management. The Company, therefore, places importance on the environmental impact management as it is one of the Company’s material topics.

Risk

Inefficient management of negative environmental impact directly affect the quality of ecosystem and the quality of life of people working in the industrial estates and living in surrounding communities. This will destroy trust of all stakeholders and lead to losing social license to operate for future expansion. In the worst case, the Company’ business licenses can be revoked.

Opportunity

The efforts to manage and control the environmental quality in large industrial estates enables the Company to develop new products and services by adopting modern and efficient innovation and technology to ensure that the environment will be closely monitored, thereby increasing the level of stakeholder trust in the Company’s operation and the satisfaction of those customers who place importance on such matter. Additionally, the Company can contribute the knowledge of the environmental management to the society and the country in which it is operating.

The Company has assessed the risks and impacts from business activities throughout the supply chain and keeps overseeing the activities of factory operators in both AMATA Industrial Estates that may cause a negative impact on the Company's stakeholders. The environmental risk assessment shows that the concerned environmental impacts are air pollution, waste, and water pollution. Therefore, the Company focuses on good and efficient pollution management by using appropriate technologies and strictly complying with the laws prescribed under the Environmental Laws related to business operations in the industrial estates, measures from EIA report, and environmental standards

Implementation according to measures specified in the EIA report

The Company, in collaboration with the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), oversees and monitors both AMATA’s industrial estates to ensure that their operations and policies comply with the laws, rules and regulations and minimize negative impacts on society and the environment. The Company adhere to the measures specified in the EIA report regarding the prevention, correction, and monitoring of environmental impact in the industrial estates to build community trust in the industrial estate’s environmental management and to promote environmental management guidelines of the industrial estates based on environmental governance principles. The measures are as follows:

1. Environmental Monitoring and Control Center: EMCC

1) The central industrial estate database system

is working as an information center by collecting environmental data from the entire industrial estates and the factories operating in the industrial estates, such as water consumption, wastewater volume, wastewater quality, industrial waste volume and air quality, etc.

2) The monitoring and controlling system

of the effluent quality after being treated in the central wastewater treatment plant monitors BOD values and online linked to EMCC. If the BOD online shows that the effluent quality exceeds the standards as specified in the Notification of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment regarding standards for wastewater quality from industrial plants, industrial estates and industrial zones dated 29 March 2016 and the Notification of Ministry of Industry regarding Industrial Effluent Standards B.E. 2560 dated 30 May 2017, the EMCC will notify the central wastewater control center to analyze, identify the causes and solve the problems immediately.

3) The Air Quality Monitoring Station (AQMS) is an air quality monitoring system.

There are four AQMS at the AMATA City Chonburi Industrial Estate area covering the surrounding community areas of U Tapao Temple, Mab Sam Kleow Temple, Panthong Ratchanupatham School and Omkaew Temple. There are two AQMS at AMATA City Rayong Industrial Estate covering the surrounding community areas of Health Promotion Hospital, Tumbon Mabyangporn and Pananikom Temple. The AQMSs measure air pollutants which are the total suspended particulates (TSP), particulate matter up to 10 microns (PM10), particulate matter up to 2.5 microns (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and wind speed/ wind direction. The AQMSs also measure wind speed and direction to analyze the trend of pollution spreading and the source of any air pollution. The AQMSs also continuously measure the rainfall and temperature to precisely predict the precipitation and lowest-highest temperature in the area to assess the local climate for environmental management planning. (Disclosure 305-7)

4) The monitoring and controlling system of air quality emitted from factory smokestacks.

This online system monitors and controls environmental quality by linking the emission inventory of each factory and Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) to I-EA-T’s EMCC. If the factory is found that its air emission quality exceeds the standards, the EMCC will notify the factory to inspect, report the causes, and immediately make corrections and improvement. (Disclosure 305-7)

5) The security and environmental surveillance by Close Circuit Television (CCTV) system

to process information used for safety planning, traffic management and environmental monitoring within the AMATA industrial estates.

2. Disclosure of the actions and performance according to Preventive & Corrective Measures for Environmental Impacts (EIA Monitoring Report)

The Company discloses the environmental performance according to the environmental impact preventive and corrective measures in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Monitoring Report which is submitted to the Office of National Resources and Environmental Policy Planning (ONEP), Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), Regional Environment Office 13 (Chonburi), and Provincial Offices of Natural Resources and Environment every 6 months. The report discloses the performance after the implementation of preventive and corrective measures stated in the Environmental Impact Assessment report in both AMATA City Chonburi and Rayong Industrial Estate. The Company also presents the EIA Monitoring reports every 6 months to the Environmental Quality Audit Committee of both industrial estates, which consists of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (I-EA-T), AMATA environmental officers, local government representatives, local community representatives, and representatives from manufacturing operators in AMATA Industrial Estate, for their acknowledgement.

In 2021 the Company had presented the results of the EIA Monitoring Report to the Environmental Quality Audit Committee of both industrial estates in four meetings with an objective to allow the Committee 1. to provide opinions and suggestions on the environmental management of the industrial estate, environmental impacts caused by the industrial estate and complaints concerning the environment, 2. to acknowledge the results of the environmental quality monitoring within and outside the industrial estates, and 3. to help distribute correct knowledge and understanding of the environmental management and to build community trust in industrial estate management. The Environmental Quality Audit Committee of both industrial estates did not have any suggestions concerning environmental impact caused by the Company’s operation. However, there were some suggestions for the Company to increase the efficiency in the operation management of both industrial estates:

Suggestions from the
Environmental Quality Audit Committees

AMATA City Chonburi

Request for knowledge and understanding in the wastewater treatment to people in the communities to jointly help mitigate community wastewater problem which may affect the quality of surface water. For instance, Nong Mai Daeng Community Pilot Project regarding sustainable wastewater and refuse management should be expanded to other communities around AMATA industrial estates.
Request for the traffic problem solving especially at the connecting areas between industrial estate and community to enhance the efficient traffic draining. The committee also suggests an application be used to monitor incidents occurred within the industrial estate, traffic and accidents in particular, in conjunction with CCTV as Smart Safety industrial city.
Request AMATA to expand Farm to Factory project to other communities so that their local products can reach buyers or consumers in the factories, and to help support and promote this project to factories in the industrial estates to expand new market
Request AMATA to help support and expand Eco School project to other schools near the industrial estates in order to provide knowledge and understanding in environmental protection and safety to the youth and people in the community as well as to encourage them to have more participation with the factories.

AMATA City Rayong

Request for training activities to educate the operators in the industrial estates, foreign operators in particular, on environmental laws for the business operation in the industrial estate in order to minimize the opportunity of causing environmental problem from the factory, e.g. air, odor and noise pollution which may affect the community.
Request for the traffic problem solving during rush hour, to open up the area connecting the industrial estate and community to enhance efficient traffic draining, and to facilitate traffic during rush hour for the community.

Implementation according to the government policy

1. Eco-Industrial Town Development

The Company has collaborated with the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) in developing AMATA Industrial Estates to be Eco-industrial Town according to the government policy.

The guideline of development plan is in line with the development framework laid out by the IEAT, which consists of 5 dimensions and 22 aspects. The five dimensions, which are physical, economic, environmental, social, and management, are related to the Company’s stakeholders: local communities, customers, employees, factories’ employees and local government authorities. There are three levels of Eco-industrial Town development, namely Eco-Champion, Eco-Excellence and Eco-World Class. The Company has targeted to upgrade its two AMATA Industrial Estates to achieve Eco-World Class levels in 2024.

The Company has carried out activities and projects to develop Eco-industrial Town at AMATA City Chonburi Industrial Estate and AMATA City Rayong Industrial Estate such as setting up traffic management and industrial waste management committees, creating jobs in the communities, conducting complete and integrated environmental management, improving the well-being of people in communities and factories, and improving its internal information management system.

In 2021, the Company was certified “Eco-Industrial Town: Eco-Excellence: E2 Level” for both AMATA City Chonburi and AMATA City Rayong Industrial Estates, according to the 2021 target for the fourth and third consecutive year respectively. Nevertheless, the Company is determined to improve its operations according to Eco-industrial concepts for upgrading itself to higher level of Eco-industrial Town for all stakeholders’ benefits and to move towards a Perfect Smart City in the future.

2. Environmental Governance Assessment

The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has conducted the Environmental Governance – Green Star Award Project through the Factory Assessment Regulatory Committee consisting of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, local governmental authorities, communities within the radius of 5 kilometers from the industrial estates and the Company, as an industrial estate developer, to assess and regulate factories in both AMATA industrial estates according to the environmental governance assessment which required that the environmental management information and performance of the factories participating in the project be disclosed and assessed. Additionally, advice on improving the factory management system was provided by the representatives from the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand and the experts for free of charge. The representatives from local governmental authorities and community leaders also participated in the factory assessment and site visits in order to be transparent transparency and to nurture accurate understanding to the local communities. The Environmental Governance – Green Star Award Project consists of five dimensions and 13 topics as follows:

Physical Dimension

1. Green area management and maintenance within the factory.
2. Completely separation of rainwater drainage and wastewater systems.
Economic Dimension

3. Promotion of local community economy.
Environmental Dimension

4. Water and effluent management and wastewater treatment systems control system within the factory
5. Management of industrial waste, sewage, and solid waste
6. Air quality management
7. Management of chemical vapors
8. Occupational health and safety
9. Accident and emergency management
10. Complaint management
Social Dimension

11. Quality of life and society of employees in the factory
12. Quality of life and society of surrounding communities
Management Dimension

13. Factory management system

In 2021, four factories in AMATA City Chonburi Industrial Estate participated in the assessment. Due to COVID-19 pandemic in Rayong province, no assessment was conducted in AMATA City Rayong Industrial Estate last year. One representative from the Company joined the factory assessment regulatory committee. It was found that all factories participated in the assessment of the Environmental Governance (Green Star Award) Project passed the assessment criteria by more than 80% which was categorized as good – excellent level.

Social and Environmental Complaints Management

The Company has focused on management of the impacts of business operations towards all groups of stakeholders by providing various complaint channels that are easily accessible to all stakeholders and has developed a complaint management system in accordance with ISO 14001: 2015 in order for the stakeholders to be able to directly report the information such as via Line Official: @AMATACityChonburi, @AMATACityRayong, Tel. 038-213-191 or 038-213-009 or the meetings of various committees, and having the complaints management procedure as follows:

Complaint Channel

Online channel:

Line@: @AMATACityChonburi, @AMATACity Rayong
Facebook: AMATACorp
Tel: 038-213-191,
038-213-009

Offline channel:

Community committee meetings
Meetings of customer and manufacturing operators in industrial estates

Record and Assessment

Complaints from all channels will be recorded into Stakeholder Complaint Tracking System
System will automatically forward the complaints to relevant departments in order to enter into the management and solution procedure

Management and Solution

Relevant departments investigate the complaints and estimate the solving period
Complaints have been resolved until completion

Result Reporting

Results of complaints management will be reported to stakeholders
Summary of complaint management will be reported to the management regularly
Complaints management information will be disclosed in the Annual Sustainability Report

The Company’s social and environmental complaints management will emphasize on the engagement of various stakeholders by taking into account the rules, regulations or related laws as the solution guidelines including cause analysis in order to find the preventive measures at the source, of which management procedure can be divided into 2 levels:

1) Consultation:

If a complaint is found arising from the working process in the customer’s plant or in the common area of the industrial estate, the Company will consider to dispatch an environmental staff or related departments to explore the site in order to advise its customer how to improve the working process and the primary problem-solving guidelines including seeking the advice from specialists or experts from government agencies for implementation of improvements.

2) Operation through the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand:

In case the complaint has not yet been resolved and there is a repetitive complaint, the Company will escalate the complaint to the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand to inspect the process including coordinating the collaboration with the competent supervision authority to further formulate the management approach, cause analysis and prevention measures.

Performance

In 2021 the Company received 12 environmental complaints through various channels, ten of which being complaints between factories and two being complaints between community and factory. There were no significant environmental and social complaints regarding the Company’s operation from the stakeholders.

The environmental complaints received were odor and wastewater concerns. No complaint on significant environmental incidents or being fined from environmental non-compliance. Those complaints were managed in accordance with ISO 14001: 2015 standard by the Company, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, and community representatives jointly investigating the reported areas to solve the problems and prevent the recurrence. 100% of 12 complaints were resolved within 2021.

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