Thai Green Building Institute Upbeat on Launch of "Trees" Initiative
With six pioneer companies, the Thai Green Building Institute (TGBI) expects to attract 100 applications this year for its newly launched "TREES" certificate, designed to boost green awareness among building owners and demonstrate Thailand's commitment to environmentally friendly development.
The TGBI yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with the six pioneer companies in the TREES scheme: Univenture, Toyota Motor Thailand, Toyota Nakornratchasima (Tai-Yen), Kasikornbank, Siam Cement Group's Siam Fibre Cement, and Ananda Development.
Established as a result of cooperation between the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage and the Engineering Institute of Thailand under HM the King's Patronage, the institute launched TREES yesterday, followed by a seminar to reveal details of the requirements.
"We're convinced that our standards are on a par with global standards, with a focus on all areas from designing and material selection to building management," said Ninnart Chaithirapinyo, Vice Chairman of Toyota Motor Thailand speaking as chairman of the newly established institute.
He sees the TREES certificate as a warranty of companies' commitment to the environment, in light of greater impacts from global warming.
"Going green will benefit Thai and global society and this CSR [corporate social responsibility]-like commitment will boost their corporate image and influence consumers' decision," he added.
To promote the institute and its standard, the TGBI plans to provide training courses on green building for Thai architects and engineers, which should prepare them for the Asean Economic Community in 2015.
original article was published in The Nation online and can be seen here:
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