Social and Community Development

Why it is important

Social and community development is one of B.Grimm Power’s highest priorities, in line with the philosophy of “Empowering the World Compassionately” which we have consistently upheld. Understanding community expectations and fostering strong relationships enables the company to obtain a Social License to Operate, ensuring the continuity and sustainability of our business operation. The development of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills is a key driver of economic growth and plays a crucial role in addressing the future demands of the energy sector. However, ensuring equitable access to education and nurturing the potential of local youth remains a significant challenge, requiring collaboration from all stakeholders. Simultaneously, developing infrastructure, living conditions and environmental conservation to improve the quality of life in communities faces challenges in managing limited resources and varying community expectations. With a commitment to engaging all stakeholders, we continue to implement initiatives that drive sustainable development, ensuring that we grow alongside our communities.

Target and Performance

	2024	2025	2030
	Performance	Target	Target
Students Receiving Support in STEM Skills Development¹
Kindergarten and primary level students	196,322	226,000	400,000
University and vocational level students	199	200	300

¹Cumulative number of students since the project began. Kindergarten and primary level projects started in 2010, while university and vocational level projects started in 2011.

Management Approach and Strategy

Commitment

B.Grimm Power is committed to conducting business in line with our vision of “Empowering the World Compassionately,” delivering value and enhancing the quality of life for communities and society. We place great importance on preventing and mitigating potential impacts from our operations on stakeholders surrounding our power plants. This includes implementing appropriate control and management measures, regularly assessing community needs, and actively supporting, developing, and participating in various community initiatives. Through these efforts, we aim to foster strong and sustainable growth alongside our stakeholders

Furthermore, we recognise the importance of engaging and respecting all stakeholders. We are committed to implementing Stakeholder Engagement Procedure, guided by the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard (AA1000SES) 2015. This approach ensures a thorough understanding and assessment of impacts on all stakeholder groups, including local stakeholders surrounding our power plants, such as communities, social groups, and relevant government authorities. Key local stakeholders include households, community leaders, local government representatives, and administrative bodies, as well as vulnerable groups in the area, such as religious institutions, educational establishments, and community healthcare facilities. In doing so, we promote comprehensive and balanced stakeholder engagement, striving to respond to three foundational pillars: Inclusiveness, Materiality and Responsiveness (read more under the Stakeholder Engagement section).

Governance Structure

B.Grimm Power has established the “BGP Community Work Center” as a key mechanism for defining and managing community and social development initiatives in alignment with our organisational goals. Serving as a central hub, the center facilitates knowledge sharing, best practices, and collaborative problem-solving across departments. Quarterly meetings are held to monitor progress, with results reported to senior executives and the Board of Directors through the Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee at least once a year. Additionally, B.Grimm Power conducts performance assessments of departments responsible for community development, using relevant key performance indicators to ensure continuous monitoring, support, and improvement in operational effectiveness. The working group comprises:

A Senior Executive (Executive Vice President – Industrial Customer Relations and Operation Management) oversees community engagement, sets strategic direction, and reviews the effectiveness of community and social development management, including stakeholder engagement.
Social Enterprise Department focuses on building sustainable relationships and driving long-term positive impact for communities, society, and stakeholders. Serving as a bridge between B.Grimm Power and its stakeholders, the division facilitates transparent communication and fosters understanding of the company’s operations, strengthening trust and collaboration. It actively engages with communities to gather feedback, address concerns, and understand expectations, leading to the development of appropriate response strategies in areas such as improving quality of life, developing infrastructure, and supporting socially and environmentally beneficial initiatives. Additionally, the division collaborates with employees, customers, government agencies, and partner organisations to implement impact-driven projects, with the ultimate goal of fostering sustainable shared growth and delivering tangible benefits to society.
Social Engagement Department is responsible for the corporate-wide social and community engagement programmes and communicating our efforts in an accurate and transparent manner.

Strategy

B.Grimm Power has established a social and community development strategy aligned with its business operations and mission, while supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The strategy emphasises collaboration and relationship-building with stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations of the organisation. This enables us to design and implement initiatives that generate positive impacts for all stakeholder groups, both internal and external. Our corporate citizenship efforts covers education, social and quality of life development, arts and culture, religion, sports, and the environment. The details are as follows:

Social and Community Development Strategy

Local Stakeholder Management

B.Grimm Power places great importance on engaging with local stakeholders, focusing on building mutual understanding and promoting sustainable development. This is achieved through continuous communication and collaboration with local communities, business partners, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders. Our engagement follows B.Grimm Power’s Stakeholder Engagement Policy and the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard, ensuring that stakeholder perspectives and feedback are considered in business decisions and project planning. This approach not only fosters strong relationships but also enhances our ability to effectively address local concerns and challenges, which is crucial for long-term success and sustainability. To achieve this, we have established strategies tailored for each power plant, ensuring effective stakeholder engagement through the following key initiatives:

Plan and Prepare
- Designate the main departments involved, which are Social Enterprise and Social Engagement departments
- Assess the potential negative impacts that may arise from power plant operations on local stakeholders, such as water resource uses, waste disposal, air pollution and noise, including defining the scope of these impacts on stakeholders within a radius of 1-5 kilometres around the power plant.
- Create a stakeholder profile database at the power plant level, including information such as names, positions, attitudes towards the power plant, and concerns or expectations. This also includes assessing their level of influence and interest to evaluate the impact or significance of stakeholders on the power plant.
- Develop an annual stakeholder management plan, which includes levels of engagement, methods of engagement, frequency, budgets, and responsible team.
Implement
- Conduct the Public Participation forums, Bilateral meetings (company and community), and Tripartite meetings (company, community, and government agencies) regularly. These provide opportunities for stakeholders to engage and discuss issues or concerns, such as environmental impacts, public health, sustainable energy management, and mutual development needs. These forums also serve to educate, foster understanding, and exchange views on power plant operations, ensuring stakeholders receive accurate information and can continuously monitor company activities during both construction and operation phases.
- Conduct annual social surveys to gather feedback, suggestions, and concerns from stakeholders around the power plant, such as local residents, community leaders, and government representatives. The main objectives are to: 1) Study the surrounding socio-economic conditions to understand actual problems and needs; 2) Assess awareness, issues or concerns, and the need for information or contact channels with the power plant; and 3) Gather opinions, concerns, and satisfaction with past and current community-engaged projects.
- Organise annual power plant site visit programmes for stakeholders to understand production processes and gain accurate knowledge about the power plant, including its safety and environmental impacts and mitigations. These visits also provide stakeholders with contact information and communication channels with the organisation, such as contact numbers for responsible officers, suggestion boxes, and online platforms like Line or Facebook groups.
- Hold informal meetings with local stakeholders regularly, such as focused group between community leaders and community relations officers. These meetings facilitate quick and effective communication of needs, problems, or concerns, allowing for in-depth explanations in a local, friendly and non-technical language to ensure that they can understand the information provided effectively.
- Use feedback from participation meetings, surveys, and various activities to plan and improve management strategies. This also includes designing or enhancing social development projects that meet the needs of stakeholders around the power plant.
Review & Improve
- Establish key performance indicators for relevant departments, such as measuring local stakeholder satisfaction around the power plant and response times to complaints or concerns.
- Conduct training, meetings, and discussions between power plants for teams involved in local stakeholder management. These sessions aim to share experiences, suggest best practices, and identify observation to improve and align stakeholder management practices across all power plants.
- Track the number of complaints, suggestions, and feedback from stakeholders, and report the results to management. Additionally, report significant complaints on the company's website.

Training and Development

B.Grimm Power is committed to developing the capabilities of employees and stakeholders through continuous training, enhancing knowledge and skills in stakeholder relationship management, effective engagement, and organisational efficiency. We also prioritise conflict management training, equipping employees with the ability to systematically and effectively address stakeholder concerns and complaints near power plants. Annual training programmes are offered in various formats, including seminars, workshops, expert-led lectures, and self-learning through the B.Grimm People Excellence Center. Additionally, we provide dedicated platforms and channels for knowledge exchange, allowing employees to share insights and experiences across relevant departments through both online platforms and interactive workshops, fostering continuous learning and collaboration.

Performance 2024

The investment value for community and social development exceeds THB 244 million.
We continued to promote skills and education in STEM at all levels as follows:
- Kindergarten and primary school students received training and knowledge from the Little Scientists’ House and the B.Grimm School Camp projects, reaching 17,699 individuals in 2024 and bringing the cumulative total to over 196,322 students since the project’s inception in 2010. Notably, more than 62 schools supported by B.Grimm Power have undergone assessment and been awarded the royal seal, "The Little Scientists’ House Thailand 2024”, demonstrating successful achievement of the project's objectives and requirements.
- University and vocational students benefited from the initiatives, with 29 students receiving hands-on training, skills development and practical experience in 2024 through various projects, including the Dual Vocational Education, the Harbour.Space, and collaborative projects with leading universities in the country. Thus, the cumulative number of students equipped with STEM knowledge has reached 199 since the project’s inception in 2011.
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.

¹No political contribution including charitable contributions and sponsorship, in line with our Anti-Corruption Policy. B.Grimm Power has no intention to provide political support or assistance, whether in money or any other assets, to political parties, political groups, politicians, and persons directly or indirectly involved in politics.