Thai Union Group PCL has become the first food producer and Thailand-listed company to join EP100, a Climate Group global initiative on smarter energy use. As part of the company’s strategy to tackle climate change and its impact on the world’s oceans, Thai Union is aiming to double its energy productivity by 2041, from a 2016 baseline.
Led by The Climate Group and delivered in partnership with the Alliance to Save Energy, EP100 brings together major companies committed to using energy more productively – resulting in higher economic output from every unit of energy they consume.
The Union’s decision to join EP100 reflects its position as one of the world’s largest seafood companies, with a responsibility to drive positive change across the global seafood sector.
“We’ve all seen first-hand the impact climate change is having on the planet, from warmer temperatures, to more extreme weather events, to rising sea temperatures,” said Dr. Darian McBain, Global Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Thai Union. “The world’s oceans are crucial to our business, but more importantly the impact of climate change on them will affect the livelihoods of millions of people. Through collaboration with The Climate Group on EP100, we believe that together we can drive positive outcomes for everyone.”
Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome Thai Union to our EP100 network. Using energy more productively is essential for addressing the global climate crisis, but progress has been far too slow. We need far more action on energy-saving efforts to slash emissions and benefit businesses.
The Climate Group congratulates Thai Union on leading by example – we need others in the global food industry to step up and do more with less energy.”
Thai Union has also joined the EP100 Cooling Challenge. As part of this initiative, Thai Union is looking to cool their operations in the most energy efficient ways possible. Towards this, The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), will conduct an energy audit of two Thai Union facilities and provide recommendations on improving cooling efficiency at the sites. Thai Union will report annually on its progress towards EP100.
Thai Union’s efforts with The Climate Group will complement its global sustainability strategy, SeaChange®, through which it has developed industry-leading programs that are helping protect the oceans.
Last year, Thai Union was ranked number one on the inaugural Seafood Stewardship Index (SSI), which assessed the contribution of the world’s 30 largest seafood companies to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
