True Corporation promotes World Car Free Day on September 22nd, 2024, with the theme “Change Transportation, Change the World” to help reduce global warming. The massive release of greenhouse gases is a “primary cause” of severe global warming. According to World Bank data, the transportation sector ranks among the top three for carbon dioxide emissions, contributing 76% of global greenhouse gases, with a lifespan in the atmosphere of 300 to 1,000 years. In 2023, transportation in Thailand accounted for about 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions, with personal cars emitting 325 – 245 grams of CO2 per person per kilometer – ten times more than public transport.
True employees ‘submit a car leave request’ to help reduce carbon.
In 2023, employees commuting at True ranked among the top five categories with the highest proportion of indirect greenhouse gas emissions for the company (GHG Scope 3), amounting to 5,300 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. This is equivalent to releasing 5,300 large balloons into the atmosphere. To put it another way, it would take 85 mature trees to absorb 1 ton of carbon dioxide. This means we would need to plant 405,500 mature trees to absorb all the carbon from employee commuting over the past year.
To create a more livable world, True Corporation launched “True Car Free Day” Change Your Travel, Change the World, on the occasion of World Car Free Day on September 22nd, 2024 by encouraging employees nationwide to shift their commuting habits to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using public transport, cycling, or walking. One day without personal cars can equate to planting 170 trees, totaling 40,800 trees if maintained year-round.
On True Car Free Day, 1,065 True employees commuting in Bangkok and its outskirts participated in the initiative, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 627 grams of CO2 equivalent. Imagine if we didn’t stop at just one day, but continued to increase our efforts – how much more could we collectively reduce global warming?
It’s possible, even if challenging! Let’s look at the impressive statistics from True Car Free Day
When employees leave their cars at home, their commuting experiences change. An internal survey showed only 28% reached the office with a single mode of transport, while 72% used multiple methods including minibus, boat, motorcycle, bus, BTS skytrain, MRT subway and walking. The most extensive journeys involved 60 kilometers one way and 120 kilometers round trip and up to seven different transport modes. This reflects the need for urban development to encourage public transport usage, a vital government policy for achieving car-free cities.
Change to achieve common Goal
True Corporation aims to reduce employee transportation emissions from 5,300 to 4,800 tons of CO2 equivalent by 2024. True Car Free Day represents a collective effort toward reducing indirect greenhouse gas emissions (GHG Scope 3) by 25% by 2030, supporting the ultimate goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050.
