True Corporation Plc is the first telecom firm in Asia to launch a green financing programme, allowing its suppliers to access funding as part of its commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
This recent initiative with its partners incentivises suppliers to meet future sustainability compliance requirements, enhances their sales opportunities and accelerates the development of a green ecosystem in Thailand.
True developed the programme because suppliers are crucial driving forces in reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the entire supply chain as Thailand aims to meet its sustainability goals, said Naetchanok Wipatasinlapin, head of sustainability at the company.
True committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050.
True has roughly 2,000 suppliers and more than 100 have passed an environmental, social and governance standards assessment, she said.
“We found 50 of our top-tier suppliers are interested in the green financing programme,” said Ms Naetchanok.
According to a supplier survey, the top three drivers for sustainability compliance are financing, regulatory requirements and tax incentives.
Notably, financial support accounts for 50% of the motivation, highlighting its critical role in enabling suppliers to meet sustainability standards.
To address these needs, True collaborated with Pantavanij and TMBThanachart (ttb) to launch the “Green Financing Program” for the first time in Asia, she said.
This initiative aims to facilitate green financing for partners, enabling them to implement environmental and clean energy projects, as well as gain access to special loans linked to jointly defined sustainability outcomes.
“This model will not only enhance our partners’ capabilities to stay ahead of the green business transition and meet the needs of environmentally conscious consumers, but also aligns with investors’ focus on decarbonisation,” said Ms Naetchanok.
Embracing sustainability ensures regulatory compliance and helps businesses reduce long-term operational costs through energy efficiency, she said. The stance also positions enterprises to better serve environmentally conscious customers, said Ms Naetchanok.
Among True suppliers, those in the core network and infrastructure supply and service category account for 36%, and this group is the first target for green loans, she said.
Yaonicha Homesethie, head of commercial credit product management at ttb, said the bank partnered with True for financing options such as green and blue loans for long-term support of clean energy, energy efficiency, sustainable resource management and green buildings.
Another option is sustainability-linked loans, a special financing linked to a company’s sustainability performance. Meanwhile, solar engineering-procurement-construction comprehensive financing solutions offer end-to-end finance for solar energy projects.
In addition, hire-purchase financial leases are available for electric vehicles.
“We offer special interest rates under these collaborations,” Ms Yaonicha said.
Nisakorn Wanglee, deputy director of Pantavanij, said the company provides e-procurement systems to Charoen Pokphand Group and other businesses, with 300 large corporate buyers and 35,00 sellers representing a total purchasing volume of 200 billion baht and more than 3 million purchase orders.
“Our data can serve as a valuable resource for banks to assess and provide financing, helping them reduce risk exposure while supporting sustainable supply chains,” said Mr Nisakorn.
Sigve Brekke, group chief executive of True, said at the True Supplier Forum 2025 there are three necessary components for long-term business survival: company actions must benefit the country, the people and the company itself. He said True has two targets in the supply chain: zero accidents and zero emissions.
“The zero emission target is more important than bringing down the cost,” said Mr Brekke. “We can stand out in other industries by providing a template.”