A number of people may be aware of the PATT Foundation which we set up over 4 years ago now to take positive action to help the environment ( see our website for more details www.plant-a-tree-today.org ) however many may not know the other environmental areas that I have been working at since our arrival in Thailand over 4 ½ years ago. After working in the military and the power sector and setting up a small real estate company in Sri Lanka I realised that I was an entrepreneur at heart and I got the chance to continue my ambitions when I came to Thailand setting up our company Equitech back in 2006 – As the company slogan suggests and where we derived our name – Technology in Equilibrium. We saw an opportunity to use technology to solve environmental issues and give the planet a helping hand and we later launched Asia Forestry Management offering people socially responsible investments into forestry products.
At the same time we also wanted to demonstrate positive action on the ground and show that it is easy to make a difference – you have to want to first of all; but then you have to show up and step up to give back effectively and hence the PATT Foundation was formed in . It was at this point that I realised that I wasn’t just an entrepreneur but moreover a social entrepreneur; creating social enterprises.
Social enterprises are social mission driven organizations which trade in goods or services for a social purpose. The aim is to accomplish targets that are social and environmental as well as financial. Social enterprises are profit-making businesses set up to tackle a social or environmental need, however we went a step further creating our own environmental charity to effectively give back.
So please follow my updates on the 3 entities I am involved;
PATT Foundation
A pretty busy week for PATT Foundation organising tree planting events for a number of high profile companies and organizations. We are currently working with Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) on a project in Mumbai, India and also Bali, Indonesia - yes it does have degraded forests as well as great beaches & surf!
We are also pleased to announce that we were recipients of the UN SEED award this year for our sustainable environmental development programs. A great accolade for our work with recognition from 8 senior panel members that have been involved in social development work for a long time. So if you’re looking for a charity to support then PATT has many offerings that need your support from environmental education to microfinance and not forgetting - planting trees also.
The team in Thailand is busy preparing for October with a number of tree planting events with the Australian Embassy & BED lined up plus our ongoing work with the International Schools. Our Eco Kids camp will also run during the half term break in October - so if your kids are at a loose end - send them along, we gaurantee they will have lots of fun getting VERY dirty whilst learning about nature & the environment.
Equitech
We are currently working on putting together sustainable village water projects using new technology that we have introduced from Australia - have a look at our site www.equitech.biz for more info.
I have recently returned from Shanghai after looking at some new chiller plant control systems that will improve energy efficiency up to 30% thus saving lot on your bottom line. The great thing is they can be retrofitted to existing buildings which is great news for the environment and also your company’s bottom line.
Asia Forestry
Work continues as usual on our factory in Trat, Thailand run under our subsidiary company Asia Forestry Distilleries (AFD), that is producing Oudh oil – a very high value aromatic oil that is sold into the middle east. We now have 60 stills installed which at present I think makes us the 2nd largest producer of Oudh oil in Thailand. The largest being 200 stills – we hope by the end of 2009 to have increased our capacity by 60%.
If you’re looking for a socially responsible investment or simply just wanting to diversify your investment portfolio then Asia Forestry Management offers niche market forestry investment products with very attractive returns.
As for me – the work never stops but when you enjoy your work then can you actually call it work?
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