KPMG sets CSR example in Thailand with Care & Share day

KPMG employees in Thailand have come together to give back to the community in the company’s Care & Share day. The audit, tax and advisory services firm places community service at the centre of its corporate social responsibility strategy. 

The Care & Share day 2018 had 14 volunteer activities wherein over 1,000 KPMG Thailand employees devoted their time. The activities were organised in partnership with the Thai non-profit VolunteerSpirit Network, which arranged the activities with local foundations around the country. Each one of the activities focused on a localised issue with the aim of improving health or education, promoting sustainability and fostering social inclusion.

The volunteers worked on projects that utilised their skills and exposed them to social and environmental issues. For example, one of the teams spent the day advising youth leaders on managing waste problems wisely and sustainably in Samut Songkhram, southwest of Bangkok. Another team consulted with local community leaders on sustainable tourism plans in the same region.

Other programs throughout the day let employees connect with different members of the community. There were activities which included bonding with, and entertaining the elderly, hosting lunch for over 500 girls at a girls home and engaging in sporting activities at a local boys home. The day also had some more hands-on endeavours, wherein volunteers planted mangroves in Bangkaew Village and others cleaned the Bang Krachao peninsula’s ecosystem of waste. One team spent the day sewing bra inserts for breast cancer patients whilst another renovated a dog shelter.

Beyond the 6,000 hours which the firm put into the endeavour, KPMG Thailand also donated money and supplies to the 14 local development projects. In addition, the firm also set up a Charity Market which ran from the 2nd to the 5th of April and showcased charities and non-profit organisations. The market provided a free space for attendees to sell products and connect with other like-minded organisations within the company’s headquarter in Bangkok.

KPMG’s corporate social responsibility

KPMG has been at the forefront of using CSR to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The firm believes that the private sector has the leverage to bring players together from all sectors to pursue the common vision laid out in the SDGs and address environmental and socio-economic challenges globally. By being ahead of the game, the firm can collaborate and create opportunities from applying innovation and creativity to solve development challenges.

A KPMG report titled ‘The Road Ahead’ shows that the SDGs are influencing both N100 and G250 companies with how they conduct CSR initiatives. In less than three years since they went global, the SDGs have resonated strongly globally with companies in the private sector. KPMG has followed this development externally and has implemented strong CSR foundations internally as well. The company leads by example with efforts globally to end poverty, develop sustainably and create a life of dignity and opportunity for all.

“At all levels, from global to local, attention is being focused on sustainable development. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) announced at the UN General Assembly have been brought into action since September 2015,” said Winid Silamongkol, Chief Executive Officer, KPMG in Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.

“As a business organisation, we believe that it is our responsibility to help tackle these agenda, starting from environmental challenges, reducing inequality, enhancing quality education and promoting good health and well-being. We initiated KPMG Care & Share Day as a platform for our staff to volunteer their time and expertise to help and provide support to our local communities,” he continued.