SINGAPORE- MediaOutReach - 7 October 2020 - A total of 81 projects and business leaders across Asia were selected asrecipients of the Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards 2020 (AREA),which was an increase of 27% from last year. Widely regarded as the goldstandard for CSR and sustainability practice, this year's award ceremony wasorganized virtually due to the unprecedented global healthcare crisis. Adiversity of industries and leading organizations from all over the regionreceived the AREA, demonstrating a continued dedication to responsible businesspractices despite the pandemic.

Organized byEnterprise Asia, the leading non-governmental organization for responsibleentrepreneurship in Asia, the AREA aims to recognize and honor Asian businessesand leaders for championing sustainable and socially responsible businesspractices. The award categories are Social Empowerment, Investment in People,Health Promotion, Green Leadership, Corporate Governance, Circular EconomyLeadership and Responsible Business Leadership. Through the award ceremony,this unique opportunity has provided over 600 attendees to interconnect andcelebrate virtually.

Company Introduction

ProvincialElectricity Authority (PEA)'s core business is to produce, procure, deliver,distribute, and provide electricity services for the public, businesses, andindustries to meet customers' needs and to create customers' satisfaction inquality and service. In parallel with core business, PEA also takes ofenvironment and quality of customer life by continuously developing corporate socialresponsibility project.

Scrap Woods for Wealth

Treebranches near power line have affectedthe PEA distribution system or caused power outage. One of PEA's duties for protecting these problems is to always check branches alongdistribution line and cut them down before they make problem. This processcauses lots of scrap woods. Therefore, PEA found the opportunity to develop andturn waste into wealth.

Treebranches, which were trimmed and cut down on ground unattended, made PEA theidea to transform and create new products on CSR project called "Scrap Woodsfor Wealth". The goal of this project was to turn waste into wealth, instead ofdiscarding them. PEA has researched and designed solutions that turn scrapwoods to be beneficial and new products. Then, PEA has educated all know-how tothe people in the local communities, so they can apply this knowledge intotheir careers.

Quality, Stability,Continuity, and Safety

The mainmission of "Scrap Woods for Wealth" project was to deliver electricity to allconsumers with high quality, stability, continuity, and safety. As the mentionabove, the tree branches have caused unstable electricity transmission so thatPEA must often trim these tree branches and apply the scrap woods to create thenew products, which equally benefited the communities.

PEA hasused the surveys and interviews from local community to study the main problemsand figure out the solutions of scrap woods for the community. After that PEAhas engaged with the local community to make understanding and set thecommitment together. Then, PEA haseducated people in the community to create value or make a new product fromscrap woods with a proper process and suitable for each community such ascharcoal, fertilizer, furniture, and etc. Finally, PEA has transferredknowledge management by handling a work manual or process manual to them.

Achievements and Impact

PEA had reused and rebuilt scrapwoods in each area more than 20 tons at present. Moreover, PEA has establishednew career opportunities in the communities by brainstorming and creating newproducts from scrap woods. This can generate income to communities by sellingrecycled scrap woods in proper product. In fact, this also helps PEA'sdistribution system to avoid the disturbance from growing scrap woods. Throughthis project, PEA has created connections with the communities as they are ableto help monitor uncultivated of wood growth that might disturb the PEA distributionsystem. That makes the communities understands and looks after power line thatmay cause power outages by trimming the tree as this will help to deliverelectricity to consumers with high quality, stability and safety.

Future Direction

PEA plansto scale up this project and cover all communities in Thailand by arrangingcourses to educate and provide the project manually. According to developingthe scrap wood to a proper product can generate income for all communities, PEAplans to level-up products and quality by working with the designer to developthe modern product. Moreover, PEA plans to expand a variety of product lines,work on marketing plans, coordinate with government departments and privatesectors to launch selling channels. This will include tradeshow, exhibition,and distribution channels additionally including an online marketplace toexpand more opportunities to promote and reach the product to more people.

About Enterprise Asia

EnterpriseAsia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that isrich in entrepreneurship as an engine towards sustainable and progressiveeconomic and social development within a world of economic equality. Its twopillars of existence are investment in people and responsible entrepreneurship.Enterprise Asia works with governments, NGOs and other organizations to promotecompetitiveness and entrepreneurial development, in uplifting the economicstatus of people across Asia and in ensuring a legacy of hope, innovation andcourage for the future generation. For further information, visit www.enterpriseasia.org.

About Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards

The Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards program recognizes and honorsAsian businesses for championing sustainable and responsible entrepreneurshipin the categories of Green Leadership, Investment in People, Health Promotion,Social Empowerment, Corporate Governance, Circular Economy Leadership andResponsible Business Leadership. For more information, visit: https://enterpriseasia.org/area/.