Why it is important
Community and social development is amongst the most indispensable issues of B.Grimm Power, in accordance with the "Empowering the World Compassionately" philosophy that the Company has long adopted. Understanding expectations and being ready to nurture a good relationship with the community will earn us a social license to operate and ensure business continuity. Nowadays, the number of personnel with expertise in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is still limited. STEM is not only one of the essential skills required to expand the power and utility industry but also a critical skill to drive economic growth. Consequently, in addition to social development and promotion of community relations, we focus on developing such skills for students to jointly contribute to the economy and society on a broad scale.
Target and Performance
| 2023 | 2025 | 2030 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Target | Target | Target | |
| Students receiving support for STEM skills development | ||||
| Kindergarten and primary levels1 (students) | 178,623 | 178,000 | 226,000 | 400,000 |
| University and vocational levels 2 (students) | 171 | 170 | 200 | 300 |
1 Since Programs started in 2010
2 Adjust the targets for the university and vocational levels from annual to the cumulative targets since the start of the project in 2011
Management Approach and Strategy
Commitment
B.Grimm Power is committed to conducting its business according to the “Doing Business with Compassion for the Development of Civilisation in Harmony with Nature” philosophy to deliver value and enhance the quality of life of the community and society. We dearly value the prevention and control of potential operational impact on the community and environment around each power plant by instituting appropriate control and management measures, regularly surveying the needs of the community, as well as supporting, developing and engaging in various community activities to play a part in promoting the community to grow strongly and sustainably.
Governance Structure
B.Grimm Power has established a “BGP Community Work Centre” working group to manage and set guidelines for the implementation of various community and social development projects in a uniform direction as the organisation's guidelines, including centralising information flow, best practices, as well as ways and means to solve problems together in each department. In addition, the working group holds quarterly follow-up meetings and reports the results to senior executives and the Board of Directors through the Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee at least once a year. Furthermore, we evaluate the performance of agencies responsible for implementing community development plans, according to relevant indicators, to continuously monitor and support efficient operation. The working group consists of:
- A senior executive (Executive Vice President - Customer Relations and Operation Management 2) is responsible for community relations. The executive is responsible for oversight, strategic direction, as well as review of the efficiency of community and social development management approaches, including the management of applicable stakeholders.
- Community Relations and Public Relations Department for each power plant, responsible for communicating and creating knowledge and understanding about the operation which is sustainably responsible for the environment, community, and society to nurture confidence and trust amongst the stakeholders around the power plant from before project development, during construction, and after Commercial Operation Date (COD), including fostering good relationship and being a part of surrounding stakeholders, continuously acknowledging problems and needs, to take such issues into consideration of taking part in addressing the needs and expectations of the surrounding community and society, according to the context of each power plant.
- Social Engagement Department is responsible for the corporate-wide social and community engagement programs and communicating our efforts in an accurate and transparent manner.
Strategy
B.Grimm Power has set a strategy for social and community development that is consistent with its business operations and mission, supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) by emphasising partnership and fostering relationships with stakeholders. That way, we may better understand their needs and expectations as well as carry out projects and activities to create an appropriate and positive impact on all stakeholders inside and outside the organisation. Therefore, the implementation of various corporate citizenship projects covers education, social and quality of life development, arts, culture, religion, sports, and the environment.
Strategy
Management of Stakeholders Surrounding the Power Plants
In addition, we have established the Public Participation to gather feedback from the local community and stakeholders. We regularly conduct the Social Survey to assess economic and social conditions, satisfaction levels, and community opinion. In addition, we organise industry meetings (for businesses and communities) and tripartite meetings (with businesses, communities and government agencies) to ensure broad participation and obtain feedback from stakeholders. This helps us to understand stakeholders' perspectives and attitudes towards the organisation and enables us to analyse the survey results, plan and improve management more effectively. We also use the results to develop additional projects and activities aimed at increasing satisfaction and meeting stakeholder needs in an efficient manner, particularly around the power plants.
Training and Development
B.Grimm Power is committed to regularly training its employees and related personnel to develop knowledge and ability, maintaining relationship or managing happy coexistence with stakeholders, and developing skills to solve problems which may arise from conflicts with stakeholders around the power plant. Thus, we organise training every year in the form of seminars/workshops featuring experts that give lectures and self-learning through B.Grimm Academy. In addition to this, we have allocated channels and platforms to promote knowledge and experience exchange between relevant organisations both online and through practical seminars.
Performance 2023
- The investment value for community and social development exceeds 241 million baht.
- We continued to promote skills and education in STEM at all levels as follows:
- Kindergarten and primary school students have received training and knowledge from the Little Scientist House project and the B.Grimm BIP School Camp project, a total of 17,773 individuals in 2023. As a result, a total of over 178,623 students have accumulated knowledge since the start of the project in 2010. Specifically, for the Little Scientist House project, there are over 63 schools under B.Grimm Power sponsorships that have undergone assessment and been awarded the royal seal, "The Little Scientists' House Thailand 2023”, demonstrating successful achievement of the project's objectives and requirements.
- University and vocational students in a total of 29 students have received training, skills, and working experience through various projects, including the Dual Vocational Education Programs, the Harbour.Space project, and collaborative projects with leading universities in the country. After completing these projects, 1 student was hired as employees of B.Grimm Power in 2023. Thus, the cumulative number of students equipped with STEM knowledge was 171 from 2011, when the project was launched.
- We conducted power plant visits annually, providing stakeholders with the opportunity to visit each power plant to understand its operations, impacts, and principles. These visits serve as a channel for stakeholders to provide feedback and contribute to the understanding of power plant operations in the area.
Highlight Projects
