The achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires synergy and collaborative actions among different development actors, both state and non-state actors. Private companies, large and small can bring unique strengths in achieving SDGs because they have capacity, resources, cutting-edge technologies, and a wide reach that are essential for the SDGs success.

The IBCSD collects best practices from the IBCSD member companies to share their contribution in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Indonesia. In summary, more than 40 stories from IBCSD members are now being compiled and soon will be published.    

Leading in sustainable business requires companies to navigate the increasingly complex links between economic, environmental and social spheres. In APRIL, the company wants to develop leaders who are able to tackle the sustainability challenges of tomorrow.

The applications for the APRIL Sustainability Professional Development Programme 2019 is currently open. Over the course of the 18-month programme, candidates will have the unique opportunity to take on sustainability-related roles across APRIL’s operations, understanding sustainability as it relates to the company in various scopes through three distinct rotations.

Interested applicants can find out more about the program in https://www.aprilasia.com/en/sustainability-professional-development-programme  

As Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, Ph.D, Expert Staff for Synergy of Economic Affairs and Financing, Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) said, “global trend shows that only sustainable business is competitive at global market. By participating in SDGs achievement, companies will also get benefit to prepare themselves to compete at global level.” This comment is stated in the dialogue session with the member companies of IBCSD Working Group on SDGs on 23 May 2019 in Jakarta.

To showcase the companies’ concrete initiatives relating to SDGs, IBCSD is also documenting the member companies’ best practices in implementing the sustainable development goals. The IBCSD, as discussed in the dialogue session, will also collaborate with BAPPENAS and other partners, such as GRI in coordinating the member companies to participate in the development of next SDGs National Action Plan.

Under the partnership agreement, IBCSD and IMA will work together in conducting advocacy on the Guideline for Biodiversity Protection in Mining Area. The guideline has been developed through the collaboration between IBCSD and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) through  Burung Indonesia as the CEPF regional implementation team. The Guideline has been collaboratively developed through various stages by engaging relevant stakeholders from both state and non-state actors. The consultation process of the guideline prior to the implementation is critically important to ensure ownership and support from all relevant stakeholders to thrive together. In this partnership, IMA confirms its position to support sustainable mining maintaining balance between biodiversity conservation and business sustainability aspects.

One of IBCSD’s member group, Asian Pulp and Paper, recently partnered with Discovery Science Channel to do a feature in Tomorrow’s World Today to showcase how APP incorporates sustainable practices within its entire operation and its impact on the global business.

The video takes us through APP’s operations from the nurseries and plantations to the pulp and paper making process while also showcasing APP’s successful community programs. The episode also highlights APP’s fully sustainable solution to plastic waste with APP’s FooPak packaging. This feature will be able to prominently highlight the efforts of APP and how the company have bench marked themselves against global standards and performance indicators across all aspects of APP’s business and push the company to exceed these goals.

As the refreshment to children’s rights and business principles, resource person from UNICEF, Ms. Lukita Setiyarso, provided detailed elaboration on the ten CRB principles and facilitated the discussion. Participants were also invited to share their experience from their respective business practices. All IBCSD member companies already implement the ten CRB principles through various activities bringing direct and indirect impacts for children. On the former, for example, are through day car service, safety and nutritious food, education program, such scholarship, entrepreneurship training, education facilities, etc. On the latter, some companies allow flexible working hours to employees so that they have quality time for their children.