Why is it important
In the transition to renewable energy, it is crucial to recognise that renewable energy projects may be situated within a complex ecosystem, where every operation may impact biodiversity. Expanding investments in solar, wind, and hydropower plants is not solely about reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also about ensuring that the development of clean energy does not adversely affect ecosystems. By integrating biodiversity considerations into energy planning through responsible site selection, impact assessments, conservation measures, and adherence to legal and international best practices, we can develop renewable energy solutions that support both climate goals and ecosystem resilience, ultimately paving the way for a truly sustainable future.
Target and Performance
| 2024 | 2024-2030 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Target | Target | |
| Percentage of sites undergoing biodiversity impact assessment1 every 5 years to total sites | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Percentage of sites with identified biodiversity exposure that have implemented a biodiversity action plan | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Sites located in the protected areas under IUCN2 definition | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Collaboration with external organisation with relevant expertise to create positive impacts on biodiversity |
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Continue to expand collaboration |
1Reassess land use and perform biodiversity impact assessment
2Cover wildlife habitat, protected area, nearby area of world heritage site and protected area classified under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Category I-IV
Management Approach and Strategy
Commitment
B.Grimm Power realises the importance of preventing, minimising, and mitigating the environmental impacts of our operations. Our efforts include the conservation of biodiversity—the variety of life, both flora and fauna, within natural ecosystem—and the protection and preservation of water sources and forested land. We set commitments to develop, and implement group-wide compliance, monitoring, and restoration mechanisms as well as collaborate with external partners to generate a positive impact on biodiversity and no deforestation.
In 2022, we formalised our commitment through the Biodiversity and Forested Resource Conservation which was endorsed by the Board of Directors. This commitment applies to all subsidiaries and joint ventures under our control, as well as key stakeholders. It has also been communicated to Tier-1 Suppliers, Critical Non-Tier 1 Suppliers, and business partners, encouraging them to adopt and integrate this commitment into their own operations to foster shared value and mutual benefits. The key components of this commitment are as follows:
Net Positive Impact (NPI)
on biodiversity and ecosystem service by investing in conservation and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem service.
No Net Deforestation
at all operating sites by implementing future reforestation to compensate for current forest loss.
Avoid operating in significant wildlife habitats, legally protected lands,
World Heritage Sites, and IUCN Category I-IV protected areas.
Governance Structure
B.Grimm Power has established a governance structure of biodiversity and forest resource conservation to ensure effective implementation in alignment with our commitments, regulatory requirements, and comprehensive monitoring of biodiversity and forest resource management performance. The key parties involved in this governance structure are as follows:
Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee
is responsible for providing strategic guidance on the organisation’s sustainability matters. This includes reviewing and offering recommendations on the draft Biodiversity and Forested Resources Conservation Commitment, which has been approved by the Board of Directors. The Committee also plays a key role in assessing related risks and opportunities to support the formulation of strategic directions and implementation approaches aligned with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. Progress and performance updates are regularly reported to the Board of Directors.
Occupational Health, Safety, and Environment Working Team
consists of senior management representatives and professional safety officers from Bangkok Office and power plants. The team works in collaboration with the power plant operations department to oversee and monitor the implementation of environmental impact mitigation measures and biodiversity action plans. Their responsibilities also include identifying and monitoring potential biodiversity risks and impacts arising from ongoing projects. Performance and findings are reported to the Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee.
Corporate Safety Health and Environment Department (Corporate SHE)
is responsible for establishing guidelines for risk and impact assessments, as well as implementing measures to reduce biodiversity and forest resource impacts from both development-stage and operational projects. These efforts are supported by relevant expert knowledge and reference to national and international biodiversity databases. The Corporate SHE department ensures that project owners and relevant personnel are informed and comply with these guidelines. Additionally, the Corporate SHE Department collaborates with project owners to assess biodiversity impacts at project development sites. If any biodiversity risks are identified, a suitable action plan is developed and continuously monitored. The Corporate SHE Department reports directly to the Head of Corporate Sustainabilty, who in turn reports to the Co-President - Thailand Business and Energy & Industrial Solution Business and the Management Committee.
Social Enterprise Department and Corporate Communications and Social Engagement Division
work in collaboration with Corporate SHE department to develop biodiversity initiatives that align with the company’s goals to generate positive impacts on biodiversity. These projects are designed to maximise benefits for stakeholders surrounding our power plant sites and at the national level. We also communicate our biodiversity policies, operational guidelines, and project information to both internal and external stakeholders. Additionally, we actively promote collaboration and raise awareness among employees, contractors, suppliers, and regulatory agencies.
Strategy
Committed to creating a Net Positive Impact on Biodiversity and No Net Deforestation
Comply with local and international laws, regulations, and mandatory standards regarding biodiversity, forestry, and environment.
Assess nature-related risks and opportunities related to our businesses, considering our dependencies and impacts on nature.
Ensure that all our operational activities that potentially impact biodiversity are strictly controlled through operational procedures, under the “Mitigation Hierarchy” principle.
Prepare Biodiversity Action Plans including monitoring mechanisms for all relevant locations.
Regularly monitor our progress in achieving Net Positive Impact on biodiversity through collaboration with external organisations or experts.
Develop a system to collect and monitor the impact on forest areas and review the operational activities of relevant business units and suppliers in high-risk areas to ensure compliance with all applicable laws.
Collaborate with our Tier 1 and Critical Non-Tier 1 suppliers to assess their risks and impacts on biodiversity and deforestation.
Publicly communicate our progress and targets according to the Biodiversity and Forested Resource Conservation Commitment on an annual basis.
Nature and Biodiversity Risk and Opportunity Assessment
Dependencies and impacts from business operations on nature and biodiversity are key factors used in assessing nature-related business risks and opportunities, in accordance with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework. This framework enables organisations to identify and evaluate both risks and opportunities arising from natural factors that affect business operations and long-term sustainability. We apply the LEAP approach (Locate, Evaluate, Assess, Prepare) as recommended by TNFD to guide our assessment of nature-related issues across the value chain. By adopting the TNFD framework in reporting, stakeholders are provided with clear insight into potential nature-related impacts and the company’s risk management strategies for managing associated risks, as outlined in the following details:
1. Identification of Material Nature Dependencies and Impacts
- Identify the nature dependencies and impacts associated with electricity generation from natural gas, wind, hydropower, and solar energy, based on data from the Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks and Exposure (ENCORE) platform.
- Screen and identify key nature dependencies and impacts relevant to our business, based on insights from internal stakeholders, management, and external experts. The key issues identified are as follows:
Dependencies
Climate Regulation
Surface Water
Flood and Storm Protection
Impacts
GHG Emissions
Water Pollution
2. Identification of Nature and Biodiversity Related Risks and Opportunities at The Business Level
- Identify biodiversity-related risks and opportunities based on key nature dependencies and impacts identified in Step 1, and integrate them into the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework as follows:
| Physical Risks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Risks | Nature Dependencies and Impacts | Corporate Risk Mitigations |
| Natural Disasters such as floods, typhoons and landslide |
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| Water Scarcity in Water Stress Areas |
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| Habitat and Biodiversity losses |
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| Transition Risks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Risks | Nature Dependencies and Impacts | Corporate Risk Mitigations |
| Reputational Risks |
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| Policy and Legal Risks |
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- Identify nature and biodiversity-related opportunities, including improving resource efficiency, expanding into businesses with lower environmental impact, forming partnerships with global businesses that prioritise nature and biodiversity conservation, gaining access to sustainability-related financial benefits such as issuing Sustainability-Linked Bonds or securing Green Loans, and obtaining Social License to Operate from communities.
3. Identification of Nature Sensitive Areas among Projects
- The projects that located in nature sensitive areas are considered to have a significant potential impact on biodiversity, which are assessed based on the following criteria:
- Biodiversity importance and richness of natural areas nearby the projects, based on the protected area databases and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, to identify the type of protected areas, threatened floras and faunas’ presences, and their proximity to the projects.
- Water Scarcity around project areas, based on water related risks mapping tool, AQUEDUCT Water Risk Atlas from World Resource Institute.
- Impact on the access to nature for indigenous people and affected communities.
- The projects located in nature sensitive areas must develop and implement a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) in alignment with the mitigation hierarchy to ensure that the project does not cause significant adverse impacts on biodiversity.
4. Implementation to Prevent Nature and Biodiversity Impact according to Mitigation Hierarchy Principle
| Avoid |
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|---|---|
| Reduce |
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| Restore and Regenerate |
Focus on restoration and ecosystem regeneration, as well as offsetting unavoidable or non-restorable impacts, to support operations that contribute to long-term positive impact on ecosystems.
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| Transform |
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Performance 2024
1 Data from the 2022 bird species survey, with the next survey scheduled for 2024–2025.
2 The total number of operating projects is 47, all of which undergo a comprehensive review of land use and biodiversity every 5 years. Biodiversity Action Plan are defined and implemented for projects identified as posing biodiversity risks, including compensatory reforestation for those impacting forested areas.
3 The total number of trees planted from 2008 to 2024, excluding those planted by other companies within the B.Grimm Group.
Biodiversity and Forested Area Impact Assessment Results
In 2024, we have 47 operating projects, covering a total area of 1,072.09 hectares (10.72 sq.km.), an increase of 50.26 hectares from the previous year due to adjustments in the reporting scope. The updated scope includes the Malacha Hydropower Plant, while solar rooftop projects and the LNG trading business were excluded, as they do not involve significant land use. All projects have undergone a comprehensive land use review during the past 5 years, and no changes in land use or biodiversity impacts were found. However, biodiversity risk assessments revealed that 3 solar power plants in Thailand, covering 24.27 hectares (0.24 sq.km.), equivalent to 2.26 percent of the total operating area, are exposed to biodiversity risks. In addition, 3 hydropower plants in Laos were found to impact forested areas, covering 3.42 hectares (0.03 sq.km.), or 0.32 percent of the total operating area. Biodiversity Action Plans have been implemented for projects identified as posing biodiversity risks, as well as compensatory reforestations have been conducted at projects impacting forested areas, ensuring the restoration of suitable habitats for wildlife that previously inhabited the areas prior to construction. In this regard, no project was found in areas under legal protection, such as areas next to a world heritage site and areas protected under the IUCN Category I-IV.
Performance of Biodiversity Action Plan Implementation to Achieve Nature Positive Impact
According to biodiversity risk and impact assessment, 3 solar power plants in Lat Krabang, Nong Chok Districts, Bangkok, and Sai Noi District, Nontaburi Province, Thailand were identified as being situated within an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA), according to the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). In response, we conducted a comprehensive study on bird species diversity and behavioural patterns within the project sites and surrounding areas. As a result, a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) was developed and implemented to avoid and mitigate potential negative impacts on the IBA, including the following actions:
- Avoid the use of herbicides with residual effects that could harm birds and other wildlife within the project area.
- Maintain vegetation in a way that supports bird habitats; for example, mow grass to a height that avoids cutting down to the ground level.
- Restore open areas within the project site by planting fast-growing native species, such as tall grasses and sedge.
- Improve access roads and perimeter zones to preserve bird habitats and promote vegetation in adjacent public areas, in collaboration with local authorities.
- Record any incidents involving injured or deceased birds and wildlife found in the project area to help improve biodiversity impact mitigation measures.
- Conduct Biodiversity and Ornithology Assessment report on bird species diversity and abundance within the project site and surrounding areas, led by external experts.
Results of the survey of bird species during 3 years of operation
B.Grimm Power conducted bird biodiversity surveys at its solar power plant project sites both before and after operations commenced. The surveys were carried out during the construction phase (December 2018 – February 2019) and during the operational phase (December 2021 – February 2022). A comparison of the survey results revealed that, 3 years after the plant began operations, the site's environment had recovered sufficiently to support bird life, resulting in an increase in bird populations. New bird species were also observed, including species listed as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. This indicates that the project's impact on biodiversity is very low. Additionally, land use within a one-kilometre radius of the project area provides favourable conditions for various bird habitats, supporting waterbirds, bush birds, grassland birds, forest birds, and certain urban species. The most recent survey in 2022 recorded an increase in Near Threatened (NT) bird species, from 2 in 2019 to 6 species in total: the Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), Asian Golden Weaver (Ploceus hypoxanthus), Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala), Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster), Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), and Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis). The next survey is scheduled for 2024–2025 to assess trends and develop further long-term conservation measures.
1Conservation status according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species represents the global extinction risk of species and is classified into several categories as follows: CR (Critically endangered): extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, EN (Endangered): high risk of extinction in the wild, VU (Vulnerable): likely to become endangered, NT (Near-threatened): may be vulnerable to endangerment in near future, and LC (Least concern): at low risk of extinction; widespread and abundant in nature
Performance of Forest Stewardship
B.Grimm Power has collaborated with key agencies, including the Royal Forest Department, Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, and local authorities, to implement continuous reforestation projects since 2008. Recognising the urgent need to restore degraded forest areas and declining biodiversity, the company is committed to compensating for lost forest cover by revitalising ecosystems. These efforts aim to increase forest richness, support wildlife habitats, enhance carbon sequestration, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, reforested areas are developed into ecological learning centres to promote environmental awareness among local communities and the public.
By the end of 2024, B.Grimm Power had planted a total of 100,000 trees through various initiatives, such as Commemorative reforestation events in honour of Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana, Volunteer tree planting to support community development and mangrove conservation, Landscape improvement activities around power plants to instil environmental, safety, and energy conservation values, “Reviving Forests through Royal Benevolence” project in partnership with the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), Green space collaboration with Amata City Industrial Estate, Rayong, “Let’s Zero Together” campaign with IEAT to plant forests and combat climate change, and Reforestation and native plant restoration around hydropower plants, such as the Nam Chae 1 project in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Chaiyabouly Province, Lao PDR, and the Xe Namnoy and Xekatam hydropower plants. These efforts reflect the company’s strong commitment to ecosystem conservation, green space expansion, and contribution to regional sustainability development goals.
Performance of Collaboration with External Organisations with Relevant Expertise to Create Positive Impacts on Biodiversity
B.Grimm Power is committed to fostering collaboration with external expert organisations to create positive impacts on biodiversity. The company emphasises inclusive participation from communities and all stakeholders and supports partners in aligning their operations with biodiversity conservation principles and sustainable ecosystem restoration. As a member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), B.Grimm Power actively contributes to biodiversity-related policy development in collaboration with government agencies. This includes signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) to support biodiversity conservation initiatives. Additionally, the company supports various biodiversity awareness and education activities led by government and non-government organisations. Examples include joint public engagement programmes, biodiversity exhibitions, knowledge-sharing events, and partnerships that raise awareness of the importance of ecosystem preservation.
- Continued the “Save the Tigers” project, implementing various activities over the past year to raise awareness about the importance of ecosystems, natural resource conservation, and wildlife protection, while also enhancing the competencies of national park rangers, who play a critical role in maintaining ecological balances. Key activities including a panel discussion “Rangers and Tigers: Restoring Balance to Thai Forests”, in collaboration with Amata Foundation and Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, a "Competency Development Programme for Park Management" training, a public dissemination of “Save the Tigers” campaign materials, and collaboration in broadcasting “CNN: Mission Tiger” documentary throught global media channels to broadening and inspiring the sustainable wildlife and ecosystem conservation efforts in Thailand.
- Signed a joint agreement under the Finance for Biodiversity (Fin4Bio) initiative, alongside 31 organisations from the public sector, private sector, and financial institutions. The aim is to develop funding mechanisms, establish biodiversity-friendly economic activity classifications (Taxonomy), and identify suitable measures for each country to move towards a Nature Positive Economy.
- Participated in exhibitions and hosted booths to raise awareness and understanding of biodiversity at relevant conferences, such as the 12th National Science and Technology Conference (TST) held at the Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, and the International Day for Biological Diversity 2024 event under the theme “Be Part of the Plan,” organised by the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP).
- Supported the implementation and achievement of national biodiversity targets under the National Biodiversity Action Plan. B.Grimm Power conducted surveys of target community forests near the Bo Thong Wind Farm project. The Ban Loup Pueng Community Forest in Nikhom Kham Soi District, Mukdahan Province, was selected to participate in ONEP’s preliminary assessment for potential designation as an Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs).
