Questions/Answers
Question 1
Please briefly describe the initiative, what issue or challenge it aims to address and specify its objectives. (300 words maximum)
In the past, industrial development in Thailand focused on the industrial economic growth regardless the impact of environment, social and quality of life which resulted in conflict between industrial entrepreneurs and people who lived around industrial estates area and resistance the industrial expansion. To solve the problem, Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (I-EA-T) is the first organization in Thailand that brings the concept of Eco-Industrial Town (EIT) to apply industrial estates developed in Thailand by defining performance strategies into following 5 dimensions 1) Physical dimension aims to develop infrastructure to support eco-industrial sector which has less impact and also increase green area and eco-buffer zone to prevent surrounding areas from industrial impact. 2) Economic dimension aims to create an industrial economy in parallel with promoting community economy 3) Environmental dimension aims to manage resources efficiently to reduce the amount of wastes 4) Social dimension aims to promote quality of life for employees and communities and 5) Management dimension aims to integrate the stakeholder collaboration
The challenge for I-EA-T is the driving of sustainable development to balance the growth of industrial economy, reduction of environmental impact and improvement of quality of life. Therefore, I-EA-T’s goal is to develop all 34 operated industrial estates into the Eco-industrial town within 2021, also to create community economy which gets along with industrial economy to become one industrial estate, one community enterprise.
Question 2
Please explain how the initiative is linked to the selected category. (100 words maximum)
I-EA-T has EIT development policy which promotes integrated mechanism by creating network for stakeholders, including industrial estates, entrepreneurs, local government agencies and local community to involve in EIT development plan. The network drives by public hearing which all sectors’ requirement is revealed and brainstorming is occurred. The network gathering results in continuous cooperation to balance the industrial economy as well as local community economy which promotes local employment and create the community enterprise that leads to quality of life improvement.
Question 3
a. Please specify which SDGs and target(s) the initiative supports and describe concretely how the initiative has contributed to their implementation. (200 words maximum)
EIT development results in participatory working from various sectors including I-EA-T, industrial estate developer, government agencies, entrepreneurs, and community which can reflect stakeholder’s requirement. Therefore, EIT development mainly corresponds to 17th SDGs agreement: partnership for the goals. In addition, EIT development can increase job opportunity and equality which corresponds to 8th SDGs agreement: decent work and economic growth. Also, it encourages eco-efficiency assessment in industrial entrepreneurs to concern on sustainable resource consumption, waste reduction and greenhouse gas emission which correspond to 9th SDGs agreement: industry, innovation and infrastructure, 12th SDGs agreement: responsible consumption and production and 13th SDGs agreement: climate action.
b. Please describe what makes the initiative sustainable in social, economic and environmental terms. (100 words maximum)
I-EA-T proceeds the EIT Development project by applying the Social Enterprise and Creating Shared Value concept as a framework. I-EA-T uses industrial sector’s potential to develop knowledge and capability of community enterprises, increases variety and modern design of product for shared benefits to both industrial sector and community. This cooperation leads to innovation of raw material exchange. Industrial waste is used as raw materials for new products from community enterprises as resource circulation.
Question 4
a. Please explain how the initiative has addressed a significant shortfall in governance, public administration or public service within the context of a given country or region. (200 words maximum)
EIT Development Project results in network of working groups with cooperation, builds good relationship of all stakeholders. It helps on management and solution, also reduces complaints and government oversight. In addition, it leads to increase quality of life and social equality, also reduce workload and budget of the government sector to look after the underprivileged.
b. Please describe how your initiative addresses gender inequality in the country context. (100 words maximum)
Promoting of community enterprise from all stakeholders’ cooperation leads to job opportunities for old people and unemployed women. It will reduce gender and social inequality.
c. Please describe who the target group(s) were, and explain how the initiative improved outcomes for these target groups. (200 words maximum)
Entrepreneurs and people who lived in local community around industrial estate area were our target groups. Outcomes for these target groups were as follows.
1) Social outcome: EIT improved local employment and community enterprise which made an income for old people and unemployed women. It led to increasing of community income, decreasing of human migration and reducing inequality.
2) Environmental and economic outcome: EIT improved efficient resource management and industrial wastes reduction, especially industrial symbiosis/circular economy improvement. Some industrial wastes/byproducts from one factory could be used as raw materials or support materials for another factory. Also, it could be used as raw materials for local community enterpriseห. For example, leather and scraps from factory in Pinthong Industrial Estate were used as raw material for shoes making of “Eco-Lady” community enterprise.
Question 5
a. Please describe how the initiative was implemented including key developments and steps, monitoring and evaluation activities, and the chronology. (300 words)
Procedure of EIT development and community enterprises development consisted of
1) Arranging the Eco Team, Eco Committee and Eco Green Network: Eco Team consisted of I-EA-T employees of each industrial area. Eco committee and Eco Green Network consisted of all stakeholders in each industrial area.
2) Planning EIT roadmap and working project: SWOT analysis and stakeholders’ requirement were used as planning material.
3) Improving potential of EIT: All stakeholders of each industrial estate cooperated with 5 dimensions of EIT performance strategies. For example, Industrial Estate and entrepreneurs cooperated with training workshop, budget and material support for local community which proceeded Economic and Social dimensions.
4) Evaluating EIT level: Each industrial estate had to improve EIT progress respectively in accordance with EIT criteria and indicator which were defined into 3 levels, consisting of Eco-Champion, Eco-Excellence and Eco-World Class. The annual evaluation was arranged.
b. Please clearly explain the obstacles encountered and how they were overcome. (100 words)
The followings are obstacles of EIT improvement: stakeholders’ potential, stakeholder’s requirement and physical characteristics of each industrial estate.
As above mentioned, I-EA-T arranged Central Committee (I-EA-T Steering Committee) and area-based committee to make suggestions and improve EIT development plan which was suitable for potential, requirement and physical characteristics of each industrial estate.
Question 6
a. Please explain in what ways the initiative is innovative in the context of your country or region. (100 words maximum)
EIT development is the collaborative management innovation. I-EA-T is the first organization in Thailand that brings an Eco Industrial Town development concept to apply industrial estate development in Thailand in order to improve social recognition.
b. Please describe, if relevant, how the initiative drew inspiration from successful initiative in other regions, countries and localities. (100 words maximum)
I-EA-T has applied the concept of EIT from experts’ theory and global leaders of EIT development. It mainly focuses on industrial symbiosis, waste exchange and collaborative management such as
1) The exchange of industrial supplies at Kalundborg, Denmark (Kalundborg’s industrial symbiosis)
2) The theory of coexistence and mutual benefits by Ed Cohen. (Ed Cohen’s symbiosis theory)
3) Eco Industrial Town Development in Kitakyushu, Japan
Question 7
a. Has the initiative been transferred and/or adapted to other contexts (e.g. other cities, countries or regions) to your organization’s knowledge? If yes, please explain where and how. (200 words maximum)
Because of I-EA-T’s substantial EIT development, many sectors from both government sectors and educational institutions adapt I-EA-T’s development to be their develop model or expand the knowledge such as
1) Department of Industrial Works (DIW) has adapted the I-EA-T’s Eco-industrial town development criteria and indicators to be DIW eco-industrial town indicators.
2) Office of Industrial Economics (OIE) published the articles about I-EA-T implementation on eco-industrial town development.
3) Management System Certification Institute (Thailand) (MASCI) educated on Eco-industrial town development that is important to national economy and industrial development.
4) Researchers from Thammasat University and King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok studied the harmonization of Eco-industrial town development and sustainable development on eco- industrial town development guidelines from I-EA-T and DIW.
b. If not yet transferred/adapted to other contexts, please describe the potential for transferability. (200 words maximum)
N/A
Question 8
a. What specific resources (i.e. financial, human or others) were used to implement the initiative? (100 words maximum)
The followings were used as development resources.
1) Human : I-EA-T’s employee, industrial estate developer, entrepreneur from industrial estate area.
2) Financial from I-EA-T headquarter and I-EA-T branch office at each industrial estate. In case of those industrial estate is a Joint-Management Industrial Estate between I-EA-T and private sector, it will be co-financing between I-EA-T and private sector who is industrial estate developer.
b. Please explain what makes the initiative sustainable over time, in financial and institutional terms. (100 words maximum)
Eco Industrial Town Development is determined to be performance indicator which develops local economy by using Creating Shared Value (CSV) concept and supports cooperation from all sectors to live through interdependence.
Question 9
a. Was the initiative formally evaluated either internally or externally?
Yes
b. Please describe how it was evaluated and by whom? (100 words maximum)
Eco Industrial Town Development was evaluated on performance indicator by State Enterprise Policy Office (SEPO) and I-EA-T board which assigned amount of Eco Industrial Town and to be one of major performance indicators. Moreover, Eco Industrial Town Development was evaluated on social recognition.
c. Please describe the indicators and tools used. (100 words maximum)
I-EA-T’s eco-industrial town was divided in to 3 levels : Eco-Champion, Eco-Excellence and Eco-World Class. The amount of eco-industrial town for each level was determined to be performance indicators which to be increased annually. I-EA-T contracted outsource for survey of social recognition on I-EA-T’s Eco-industrial town development.
d. What were the main findings of the evaluation (e.g. adequacy of resources mobilized for the initiative, quality of implementation and challenges faced, main outcomes, sustainability of the initiative, impacts) and how this information is being used to inform the initiative’s implementation. (200 words maximum)
Industrial Estates were recognized from local communities and I-EA-T operation obtained reliability from locals. I-EA-T continuously has paid attention to Eco Industrial Town Development in order to keep steady level of social recognition. Due to annual performance indicators, I-EA-T continuously has evaluated Eco Industrial Town performance, plus Eco-efficiency assessment which concerns both economy and environment.
Question 10
Please describe how the initiative strives to work in an integrated manner within its institutional landscape – for example, how does the initiative work horizontally and/or vertically across different levels of government? (200 words maximum)
In order to bring out requirement and brainstorm, all stakeholders including I-EA-T, industrial estate developers, entrepreneurs, relevant government agencies and local communities were collaborated to Eco Team, Eco Committee and Eco Green Network in each industrial estate area.
External evaluation committee and certification committee are formed. They consist of experts from various external government sectors such as Department of Industrial Works (DIW), Department of Industrial Promotion (DIP), Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO) and The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).
Question 11
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development puts emphasis on collaboration, engagement, partnerships, and inclusion. Please describe which stakeholders were engaged in designing, implementing and evaluating the initiative and how this engagement took place. (200 words maximum)
Stakeholders were engaged by Stakeholder meeting for each Eco Industrial Estates which consisted of I-EA-T, industrial estate developers (in case of joint Industrial Estates), entrepreneurs, relevant government agencies and local community. It was arranged for brainstorming, acknowledgment of requirement and coordination to set up properly Eco-industrial estate development for each area.
Question 12
Please describe the key lessons learned, and how your organization plans to improve the initiative. (200 words maximum)
Eco-industrial town Development Project brings about social recognition, increasing of local employment and community enterprise. Therefore, I-EA-T learned to develop on all concerned factors, not only industrial economic growth. In the future, I-EA-T plans to improve potential of Eco-industrial town development by using Social Return on Investment (SROI) assessment.