Thai born expat Thassannee Wanick was the Honorary Consul-General of Thailand to Brazil. She worked with the UN, founded the Green Building Council in Brazil and spoke at Obama’s Green Inaugural Ball.
A WHEREVER reader, based in Portugal, she tells us about her life’s work making the world a better place.
How did you become an advocate for the environment? Any career highlights along the way?
As the Honorary Consul-General of Thailand to Brazil, a position bestowed by His Majesty the King, I was responsible for all diplomatic work as well as promoting cultural affairs and business between the two countries.
During a sabbatical, I went back to school for a Masters in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, USA. I became a professor of Sustainable Economics at the Monterrey Institute of Technology, Mexico. I was also a guest lecturer at the prestigious Wharton Business School.
“Climate change is currently the most important and most urgent priority.” I have been a speaker at various government and business events, including the first Wharton-UN Global Compact International Conference, UN Habitat, International Biofuels Conference, and the World Bank/ IFC’s launch of the Sustainability Index of the Brazilian Stock Exchange. In 2007, I founded the Green Building Council Brazil and served as its first Chairman as well as serving on the board of the World GBC, transforming the global construction industry towards sustainability. In 2009, I launched the Geo-Engineering Campaign, One Degree Less – White Roofs to Cool the Planet. The initiative was supported by the California Secretary of Energy and Nobel Prize-winning scientists. According to them, each 100 m² of roofs painted white is equivalent to removing 10 tons of carbon from our atmosphere.
One very special highlight of my experiences and a great honour was being invited to a small, private formal dinner and a presentation given by HRH the Prince of Wales at St James’ Palace, London. His Majesty is a visionary with practical and effective ideas on conservation and sustainability. Planting trees, for example, is very effective: there is no man-made device today as effective as photosynthesis to remove carbon dioxide from the air. We had a very positive and extensive discussion on how to build a better, more sustainable world for all. I was also awarded the Royal Honour of “Commander of the Most Noble Order of the Crown,” by His Majesty the King of Thailand in 2019.
Have you always been “green”?
Growing up in beautiful Thailand, I spent time in nature and its stunning coral reefs. However, it was in England, during my A-levels, that I joined the WWF and organized my very first ‘Save the whales’ campaign. I am not “100% Green” – no one can be. What I can do is try to live sustainably, teach, and leave my ‘good footprint’ on every country I go to.
What is your top eco-priority?
Climate change is currently the most important and most urgent priority. I chose to work with the construction industry because it is one of the top three culprits impacting our climate. GBC Brazil partners with all major universities, teaching architecture and engineering students and professionals 40 how to build and reduce carbon emissions by as much as 35%. We have to focus not only on the building and running costs but also on user health. A study with 21,000 students in the U.S. found that students in classrooms with natural light improved their performance on math and reading tests by up to 26%. And COVID highlighted the need for good ventilation, while using white paint and white cool roof materials instead of dark ones is also key.
Before our campaign in Brazil, most stadiums, buildings, and factory roofs were black. Factories that switched to white roofs reported that interior temperatures dropped as much as 20-30 degrees Celsius in summer. Workers are happier, more comfortable, and this increased productivity. What do you think needs to be done at this stage? Is it too late? What can we all do as individuals? It is definitely not too late. It completely baffles me to see the amount of plastic rubbish left after concerts, political rallies, even environmental events. Wind and rain carry them into the drains, clog pipes, and cause floods and plastics end in rivers and our oceans! Taking our own trash home to recycle can really help our cities and the oceans. It couldn’t be simpler.
Are governments, businesses, and the hospitality sector really working towards saving the planet?
Smart businesses are working hard towards sustainability because it is profitable for them to be ‘Green’. Hotels and resorts are the most vulnerable, especially if they are built on pristine coastal locations. Often they remove mangroves forests to create artificial beaches. One I worked with in Krabi, Thailand replanted sea grasses and mangroves with guests. When the 2004 tsunami hit, hotels unprotected by mangroves were devastated, and lives lost. The hotel in Krabi I worked with suffered no injuries and only minor damage. According to the World Risk Index, mangroves save the world US$80 billion a year in losses from floods. They are also nurseries for fish and other marine life on which we depend.
Is there hope?
After 20+ years in business, I want to be an agent of hope for the children and that is “I believe that man-made problems can be solved by us if we are willing to do so.” why I wrote my first children’s picture book on sustainability, “Sam the Eco Robot & The Ghost Nets.” It received three international awards as the 2023 best children’s book on the environment. Through my book, I hope to help our our children, who will become business leaders, policymakers, senators, even our future Presidents and Prime Ministers, on how to deal with environmental challenges. It is imperative that they understand what sustainability means in practice.
Why choose Portugal?
I’ve been an Expat all my life and travelled to over 50 countries. I lived in eight8; including many years in England, USA, and Brazil. When it came time to retire, we researched for three years and concluded that for us, Portugal is the best place to be!
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