Through our Sustainability initiatives and efforts, we believe  we have struck a balance between the People-Planet-Profit  triangle in our management approach and the policies  we have enforced. With sustainability becoming a more  prevalent part of economies as a whole, we have had to  focus greater attention on incorporating sustainability into  our everyday business practices.

At TDM, we maintain clear communication channels  between the Group and its investors to enhance long-term  shareholder value, sustain a loyal shareholder base and to  build our credibility with the investment community.

For further information on TDM’s Investor Relations please  refer to pages 15 to 16 of this Annual Report.

Sustainability, in a broader sense, can be defined as 3Ps: People, Planet and Profit,  a concept derived from the 1987 Brundtland Commission. Planting oil palm can be

sustainable because it fulfils all the 3Ps: job creation for the local population; safeguarding  the planet (environment) via suitable agricultural practices in place; and making a profit to  enable business sustainability.

In Healthcare, human health and environmental health are deeply and inextricably linked  where human health requires environmental health. Therefore, healthcare delivery systems  are in a unique position as care takers, large employers, and key community leaders to  influence and impact the triple bottom line: commitment to People, Planet, and Profit.

SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFITABLE GROWTH

TDM has outlined an overriding goal of achieving sustainable  and profitable growth in both our core businesses of  Plantation and Healthcare.

The Group continues to monitor the usage of non-renewable sources for energy  production to ensure efficient utilisation.

Biomass

Fibre and shell are recycled to generate reversible energy to power our mills via  our boilers at both Kemaman and Sungai Tong mills. The biomass reversible energy  represents 95% of our mills energy requirements.

For renewable energy, TDM plans to build two biogas plants to capture methane  produced in our mills and convert it into electricity via biogas trapping facilities.  This renewable energy will be used for our mill operations and will supply electricity  to national electric grids. The electricity generated at the biogas plant can then be  sold to Tenaga Nasional Berhad under the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) scheme.

This initiative has multiple benefits which include job creation and environmentally-  friendly low-cost energy production as well as an additional sustainable income to  the Group. Two biogas plants are projected to be commissioned in our palm oil  mills located in Kemaman and Sungai Tong in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Sustainability of the Planet

On the healthcare front, the nature of a hospital’s activities  would inevitably result in high electricity consumption  patterns, to serve the needs of patients, employees and  visitors, within a facility which is open 24/7.

In a typical hospital, sophisticated heating, ventilation and  air conditioning (HVAC) systems are installed to control  temperatures and air flow. Other energy intensive activities  occur in attending to laundry, medical and lab equipment  use, sterilisation, computer and server use, food service and  refrigeration.

To reduce this high consumption, the Group has implemented  measures to increase the energy efficiency at our hospitals,  in order to improve our bottom line and free up funds to  invest in new technologies and improve patient care. We  regularly run campaigns to increase employee awareness on  energy efficiency and electricity saving initiatives.

MANAGING OUR EMISSIONS

The Group emphasises on continual monitoring and managing GHG emissions, based on available data and information from the  operating units. The emissions are measured using the RSPO GHG Calculator V4 and the data is annually audited and certified  by the appointed Certification Body.

TDM Plantation Division’s emission comes directly under Scope 1 (direct emissions) as per the graph below.

In the reporting year, the Group generated about 0.86 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, tCO2-e. (2017: 2.47 tCO2-e). This  constitutes a 65% reduction in Scope 1 emissions. The GHG measurements, are based for the two palm oil mills in Kemaman  and Sungai Tong only.

Our Senior Management and Board members conduct  site visits at various facilities at both our Plantation and  Healthcare Divisions. These visits serve as a platform for  proactive engagement with our employees on site. While  meetings and discussions are regularly conducted at the  estates and hospitals, Town Hall sessions are also organised  to update employees on the Group’s strategic initiatives,  business developments, policy awareness and achievements  as well as targets set by the Group.

TDM is committed to paying all workers the statutory  monthly minimum wage and overtime compensation in  accordance with the current national labour regulations.  Estate Managers take proactive measures to increase the  workers’ productivity, with target earnings of at least 20%  more than the minimum wage for each worker during normal  working hours.

Beyond these benefits, we have also built kindergartens and  nurseries to cater to workers’ families who live in the areas  surrounding our estates. Contributions for furniture and  appliances, as well as cooking gas ensure that all families  enjoy basic amenities.

For eligible employees, the Group provides medical  benefits, life insurance coverages, housing for estate and  mill employees, education allowance and scholarships for  MBA and ACCA.

For Healthcare, it would be impossible for a hospital to operate efficiently and provide the high quality care patients require  without an adequate supply of clean water. Many of our hospital facilities are water intensive by nature, such as our cooling  equipment, plumbing, cleaning and medical process rinses.

At the same time, we are mindful of the pressures placed on municipal water supplies, and the need to contribute to national  environmental mitigation measures such as the reduction of energy used to treat and deliver water supply. Therefore,  TDM encourages all its hospitals to proactively conduct water saving initiatives, not just to drive down costs, but also to contribute  towards a green culture.

]]> https://sustainability.tdmberhad.com.my/planet/water-management-at-healthcare-division/feed/ 0 https://sustainability.tdmberhad.com.my/planet/river-water-quality/ https://sustainability.tdmberhad.com.my/planet/river-water-quality/#comments Thu, 23 May 2019 04:17:01 +0000 http://sustainability.tdmberhad.com.my/?p=3005 Continue Reading]]> RIVER WATER QUALITY

TDM conducts an Annual River Water Quality monitoring programme for all rivers that run through our estates for both biological  and chemical parameters. This is to ensure that usage of fertilisers and chemicals in our estates are not contaminating the rivers.  The mills conduct daily and monthly monitoring on final discharged water to maintain the quality of wastewater which is released  to the rivers. In 2018, the water quality index is still within the permissible range approved by the Department of Environment,  Malaysia (DOE).

Water is a key element in the Group’s entire palm oil supply chain, from oil palm plantations to mills. We recognise that maintaining  good water quality is vital for safeguarding the health of the local communities in which we operate to ensure a clean and healthy  environment for all.

Our effort to minimise the risk of water contamination is by analysing water quality and consumption every month to gauge the  health of the river ecosystem and the quality of the water supply respectively.

Clean, accessible water is critical for the well-being of communities, wildlife and aquatic ecosystems. In line with best practices,  we continuously monitor the impact that our Plantation and Healthcare operations have on waterways. This enables us to  safeguard water availability and quality, and to drive efforts to mitigate any potential negative impacts. We also seek to minimise  the use of potable water in all our operations.