APRIL Group, a sustainable pulp and paper producer based in Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau Province, also has a women’s empowerment program, one of which is by establishing the Andalan Batik House where APRIL empowers more than 70 housewives to increase their income through batik. APRIL has also encouraged one village one commodity (OVOC) activities since 2014 by providing sustainable agricultural training for communities around its operational areas, including female farmers.

“At APRIL, women’s participation is carried out at all levels within our internal and supply chain. We also encourage various community programs that can improve people’s lives in a sustainable manner in line with the goals of sustainable development goals,” said Anita Bernardus, Deputy Director of Corporate Communications for APRIL Group.

This private sector initiative shows that efforts to promote gender equality and empower women are showing improvement over the years. However, there are still real challenges that must be faced together by the government, business sector and society. From the report on the achievement of SDG 5 regarding gender equality in Indonesia in 2019, it was noted that 18.3% of women who were / were married experienced physical and / or sexual violence from their partners during their lifetime. In fact, 4.9% experienced it in the last 12 months. This violence against women occurred both in urban areas (36.3%) and also in rural areas with a relatively smaller percentage (29.8%).

The Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused distortions in almost all sectors of life, has also had a double negative impact on women. The integrated service center for the empowerment of women and children (P2TP2A) and Komnas Perempuan recorded an increase in cases of violence against women by 75 percent since the COVID-19 pandemic. Cases of violence against women occurred both in the personal sphere (75.4%), the community domain (24.4%) and the state domain (0.08%).

The increase in cases of violence against women during the difficult times of the Covid-19 pandemic still reveals there is vulnerability to our achievements on gender equality and women’s empowerment. We need to educate ourselves constantly to ensure gender equality and empowerment women are deeply rooted in our mindsets, actions and culture.

“For young women, the most important thing is we liberate our mind. Never feel confined because we feel like women. So the first is to free our minds on our limitations as women, “said Susi Pudjiastuti, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Republic of Indonesia 2014-2019.

Susi added, “It’s true that our physical strength is not as strong as them (men), but liberate our mind that our thoughts, our ability to work, our professionalism certainly can. So first of all, free our minds from all the limitations for women. “

Apart from Susi Pudjiastuti and two speakers from the private sector, there were also Ayu Kartika Dewi, Special Staff for the President for Social Affairs who is also the Managing Director of the Indika Foundation; and Risya Kori, UNFPA Gender Specialist and Ignasius Praptorahardjo, UNFPA Researcher.

This webinar is the first webinar in a series of webseries held by IBCSD with the main theme SDGs. Next, IBCSD will still hold a webinar on the theme SDGs and Youth, followed by the theme Education. A number of well-known speakers have been prepared to fill in this webinar series. This series of webinars was also marked with the #DEMIBUMI photography contest which was held on the @IBCSD_official Instagram account, with a total prize of millions of rupiah.

Of all sectors, industry has the largest energy demand followed by the transportation, household, commercial sector and others. Changing conventional energy systems to renewable energy certainly requires investment. If the use of new and renewable energy is accelerated, the investment that must be spent will no longer be a problem, especially since the cost of renewable energy is now lower. “The reduced cost of renewable energy has created new opportunities for its use, including in the commercial and industrial sectors. As the demand for clean energy continues to increase in developing countries, the industrial sector has taken the lead in committing to using clean energy in its operations, ”said Shinta Kamdani, President of the Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development (IBCSD). One of IBCSD member companies that have become thought leaders in the use of renewable energy is Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia, one of the largest bottling companies and distributors of non-alcoholic ready drinks in Indonesia. Just like Amatil, SUN Energy also continues to innovate in providing affordable technology for renewable energy. This discussion regarding the use of renewable energy is part of the Green Lifestyle Program campaign carried out by the IBCSD. IBCSD as a business association that focuses on sustainable issues deliberately provides a platform for the industrial sector to be able to take collaborative action to support the principles of sustainable consumption and production.

Rewatch the webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn2sg4FaTF8&t=20s

“”BACKGROUND

The Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) is a global multi stakeholder platform focused on reducing commodity driven deforestation. Hosted by the World Economic Forum, the TFA works with over 160 public, private and civil society actors to catalyze high-impact partnerships to address the inherent tensions that exist to grow production while protecting the forests – public and private, producer and market, global and local, people and the forest frontier.  The TFA operates regional platforms in Latin America, West and Central Africa, China and Southeast Asia. The work under this consultancy will be performed in collaboration with the Southeast Asia platform.  

SERVICES PROVIDED

The consultant will work closely with TFA Southeast Asia Team and its members and partners (Government of Indonesia, business sectors and civil societies) and will undertake the following tasks:

• Consult with TFA SA in the process of developing the concept note and draft of proposal.  
• Develop proposals that indicated an overview of the study includes: background, methodological framework, objectives, indicative timelines & deliverable and budget.
• Participate in the meetings/dialogue that TFA convened with its stakeholders to identify topics/issues to be covered for business case/policy briefs
• Review existing documents covering studies, reports, regulations, rules and other documents, related to respected theme: responsible business, indigenous communities, green investments, smallholders, policy and governance systems in Indonesia and Malaysia.
• Write a report on the review of the implementation of two decades of fiscal decentralization in Indonesia, including providing concrete policy recommendations on improving fiscal decentralization and local government finance in Indonesia
• Present the findings from the business cases/policy briefs to the stakeholders should that be requested by the TFA Southeast Asia team.

DELIVERABLES

• Identifying one thematic area of interest and provide TFA SA with : 1) Draft of Terms of Reference (ToR)— outlining: context/background, objective, methodology, scope of works, timeline and deliverables —- and 2) Draft proposal of work plan.
• Draft of business case/policy briefs and other required documents
• Final business cases/policy briefs and other required documents
• All deliverables must be prepared in reporting format that must be agreed by TFA SA team.

REQUIREMENTS

• Extensive working experience and knowledge in the issues  of responsible business, green investment, policy and governance, communication, indigenous community, smallholders and communication and youth engagement.
• Strong background in Public policy in Indonesia and have extensive experiences working with Government of Indonesia with Coordinating Ministry and Technical Ministry. 
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities
• Fluency in English and Bahasa Indonesia both written and oral. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree from nationally/internationally recognized university in Public Administration, Public Policy, Development Studies, Political Science, Economics, Governance or Social Science field. 
• At least 10 years’ experience of working in the sectors of green investment, supply chain systems and actively engage with private sectors (brands, growers, traders) and community’s engagements (in indigenous communities, youth engagement, smallholders).
• At least 10 years’ experience of undertaking policy studies and write business cases on the issues highlighted in the areas of responsible business, green investment, policy and governance, indigenous community, communication & galvanizing youth and smallholders.
• Prior work experience with Government of Indonesia in the national level, particularly with Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF), National Development Planning Agency, Coordinating Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Agriculture.
• Work experience in development agency and research institution.

LEVEL OF EFFORT

The level of effort is total of 7,5 months (no travel required) with estimated 4 days in a month. 

Please kindly submit your application by October 31 2020 to the email below: [email protected]

IBCSD president Shinta Kamdani said that economic recovery attempts should be inseparable from sustainability development, especially if climate change still looms. “With crisis comes opportunity. We must use this momentum to revive the economy while prioritizing the SDGs. This would, of course, require a collective action between all parties particularly the private sector,” she said.

The private sector is considered to be a vital engine for economic growth and job creation. Businesses also possess the technology, innovation and investment to address the socio-economic and environmental issues.

Recently, IBCSD has carried out a survey to gauge its members’ preparedness in integrating SDGs into their operations as new normal dawns. Results indicate that 91 percent of the respondents consider that the urgency to implement SDGs heightens due the pandemic. 83 percent have also reviewed the already-integrated SDG scope in their business plan to further accelerate its progress.

“Setting priorities on which SDGs are relevant to the business is key. Companies should focus on the selected core goals that directly align with their operations while acting as a catalyst for other SDGs,” IBCSD chairman Sihol Aritonang said.

For instance, pulp and paper producer APRIL Group in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) have selected three core and four catalytic goals on their SDG framework. Being a resource-based company, these core goals are mainly environment-focused. Additionally, APRIL Group also attempts to empower local economies against pandemic-induced poverty.

The group’s Riau-based subsidiary RAPP has launched a “One Village, One Commodity” program to help locals specialize in one product such as honey or pineapple. The company will facilitate these products to gain entry into the market and hence create sustainability for the villagers, Sihol said.

The RAPP president director added that the company also relies on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for their provision of services and goods. “Local economic development should be done sustainably either by involving these locals in the value chain or by facilitating market connectivity,” Sihol said.

The 2020s is a decade of action with a multi-stakeholder approach for SDGs. Businesses should adapt to the new normal while still contributing to the 2030 agenda, he said. – JNS, Jakarta Globe

Source:https://jakartaglobe.id/business/businesses-should-advance-sustainably-toward-new-normal-ibcsd

Human and business activities are very influential. We can see this at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic when the PSBB policy was implemented, where in Indonesia we had experienced a reduction in carbon emission levels due to reduced community activities outside the home. But unfortunately, this is only temporary. When people and businesses bounce back to their activities, the level of carbon emissions returns to what it was before. Meanwhile, the Indonesian government through the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“From climate change mitigation efforts, the government is committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 29% compared to Business As Usual or BAU with its own resources, and can reach 41% compared to BAU with international assistance in 2030,” said the Director General of Climate Change Control, Ruandha Agung Sugardiman.

Ruandha also added that the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions rests on 5 sectors, namely: the energy sector, the waste sector, the industrial sector, the agricultural sector and the forestry sector. Of these five sectors, the forestry and energy sectors are projected to be the largest contributors to the reduction of greenhouse gases in Indonesia. It is hoped that by 2050, Indonesia will be able to realize its long-term vision of “net zero emission and climate resilience”.

In order to support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and targeted low-carbon development, the government has integrated climate change and disasters into development planning at both the national and regional levels. In fact, the 2020-2024 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) document which was established through Presidential Regulation number 18 of 2020 reflects the government’s great concern on the issue of climate change. This can be seen from one of its chapters which specifically discusses the environment, disaster resilience and climate change.

Even so, the government cannot work alone. Its main business sector, can play a big role in helping achieve this plan. IBCSD itself with a network at the global level, is encouraging its member companies to jointly provide a statement as a joint voice of the private sector to protect, restore and use natural resources in a sustainable manner. IBCSD member companies also have programs for the environment, which are integrated with their respective businesses.

“APRIL Group, in 2013 built Riau Ecosystem Restoration (RER), an ecosystem restoration program that aims to protect, restore and conserve peatland forests in Riau Province, Indonesia. This program is part of APRIL’s commitment to conserving production forests. This program has resulted in no hotspots or fires occurring inside the RER concession in 2018, “said Sihol.

In line with APRIL, as told by Abu Ashar, Director of Environment & Energy, PT Vale Indonesia, the mining company he works for is also building a road map to creating clean energy before 2030. As part of Vale Global Company’s commitment to carbon neutral by 2050, PT Vale Indonesia is committed to reducing greenhouse gass emissions by 33%.

Together with Abu Ashar, present as a speaker, Ir. Medrilzam, M.Prof.Econ, Ph.D, Director of Environment, Ministry of National Development Planning / BAPPENAS; Nyoman Iswarayoga, Director of External Affairs, APRIL Group and Marcel Silvius, Indonesia Country Representative, from the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Indonesia.

          On this occasion, Marcel Silvius emphasized the importance of planning for post-pandemic green growth. “Today, more than ever, it is imperative for Indonesia to consider the benefits of green economic development and sustainable, inclusive and resilient economic growth,” he said. Marcel Silvius also provides an example of investing in renewable energy which will provide at least twice as many jobs, and of higher quality, than investment in fossil fuels. Likewise, investment in pro-nature solutions, such as community-based sustainable agroforestry, which can revitalize degraded rural areas, such as Indonesia’s peatlands, and help achieve Indonesia’s commitments to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

“Through our close collaboration with Bappenas and KLHK and other government partners at the national and provincial levels, GGGI continues to support the Government of Indonesia in realizing a pathway for restoring green growth and low carbon development,” added Marcel Silvius, explaining GGGI’s commitment to support the Government of Indonesia.

Apart from the four speakers, Prof. Dr. Emil Salim, former Minister of Population and Environment and former Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council also attended this webinar. Acting as a responder, Emil Salim agrees with the urgency for low carbon development in Indonesia. This was also conveyed by another respondent, Gita Syahrani, Executive Director of Lingkar Termu Kabupaten Lestari.

This webinar, supported by APRIL, PT Vale Indonesia, GGGI and L’Oreal Indonesia, is the last in a series of webinars held by IBCSD since last June. In total, there have been four webinars that have been held covering the three pillars of the SDGs, both in the economic, social, and environmental pillars. All webinar reruns can be watched again via the IBCSD YouTube account.

Webserie 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhtMB0lKAiI&feature=youtu.be

In the IBCSD webseries for economic pillars that focus on MSMEs, and entitled “SMEs and Ways to Economic Recovery”, Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki in his keynote speech represented by special staff of the Minister for Creative Economy, Fiki Satari, stated that there were 123.46 trillion funds prepared for SMEs in the National Economic Recovery (PEN) program. As of July 30, 2020, 22.57% of these funds or Rp 27.86 trillion had been absorbed.

The important role of SMEs in the national economy reflects the important role of SMEs in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Indonesia. MSMEs can be at the forefront of achieving the economic pillars of the SDGs by creating jobs, creating decent working conditions, business innovation, adapting and mitigating negative economic, social and environmental impacts on business operations for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Collective action from various sectors is urgently needed to support the revival of MSMEs which have been badly hit by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this case, the business sector can be a motor for economic growth and job opening. The business sector has the ability to find solutions through technology, innovation and investment. The business sector can also play a role in addressing negative environmental and social impacts through the value chains and supply chains of their business operations. Until now, the business sector has also taken part in developing SMEs for the achievement of SDGs.

“For example, one of our members, the APRIL Group, empowers local communities to improve community welfare through training in sustainable and modern agricultural skills for village farmers in the One Village One Commodity (OVOC) program”, said Sihol Aritonang, Chairman of IBCSD. It is known, APRIL Group works with village communities to select suitable products to specialize in their area, then provides training on modern agricultural methods.

Other example, PT HM Sampoerna Tbk has built a 27 hectare entrepreneurship training center called the ‘Sampoerna Entrepreneurship Training Center’ (SETC) located in Pandaan, East Java. SETC is open to the general public as well as SME’s actors and provides support in the form of free training, access to markets and the use of technology. Since its establishment in 2007, SETC has trained more than 65,000 people and has been visited by more than 110,000 people. Other than thet, PT L’Oreal Indonesia also helps the fostered salons to get back into business in the midst of this new normal.

Present as a speaker at this webinar, Ir. Ahmad Dading Gunadi, MA, Director of Small, Medium Enterprises and Cooperatives, BAPPENAS; Melanie Masriel, Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Director, PT L’Oréal; and Arga Prihatmoko, Manager of Regional Engagement & Sustainability, PT HM Sampoerna. In addition, MSME actors were also presented as responders.

Watch the recorded webinar here: Youtube.com/WEBSERIE 2: SMEs and Ways to Economic Recovery

The report highlights the need for a fundamental transformation across three socio-economic systems, which represent over a third of the global economy and provide up to two-thirds of all jobs. These systems are: food, land and ocean use; infrastructure and the built environment; and extractives and energy. Together they drive the threats which endanger almost 80% of the total threatened and near-threatened species. These systems, therefore, have a significant opportunity and responsibility to reverse nature loss. But they also have tremendous upside benefits to gain by embracing this transformation now.

The Future of Nature and Business sets out how 15 transitions across the three systems can form the blueprint of action for nature-positive transitions which could generate up to US$10.1 trillion in annual business value and create 395 million jobs by 2030.

The report has been prepared in collaboration with AlphaBeta. Its findings inform the working priorities of the Champions for Nature, a community of leaders disrupting business-as-usual to lead the way to a nature-positive global economy, as well as a Policy Companion report which sets out how governments can ensure nature is integrated into economies as part of a Great Reset, in a way that delivers high-quality jobs and new sources of economic value, while preserving the natural capital needed for public health and societal resilience.

Download the report

Source: https://www.weforum.org/reports/new-nature-economy-report-ii-the-future-of-nature-and-business*

Watch the taped webinar here:

1. EWINDO Securing Seed Supply & Industry Alignment

EWINDO convincing Indonesia Seed Industry Associations to submit a letter to Indonesia National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), to propose un-hampered logistics for food and agriculture inputs. Supported by the local and central government, with the issuance of a letter from the Bupati of Purwakarta as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, EWINDO will carry out business processes effectively and safely following the Covid-19 security guideline.

2. EWINDO’s Social Capital Initiatives

EWINDO initiate a fund-raising committee and collect employee donation and company contribution. Donations collected are used to make 2000 PPE for medical personnel in Purwakarta and another EWINDO’s working area, including making and distributing 10,000 masks for employees and related colleagues, as well as farmers in the field, and providing groceries for the surrounding community. To remain employee health condition, Management take an action by providing masker and multivitamins for the employees and their families. 

 In order to grow and produce short-lived vegetables to be distributed to the community EWINDO distributed 1000 seed pouch to Sekolah Alam Foundation throughout Indonesia. Additional action beside Covid-19 prevention, in collaboration with the local government and health office, EWINDO also carried out Dengue Fever prevention since the cases increased around Purwakarta office

With program “Panah Merah Peduli Aku dan Kamu” EWINDO continues to disseminate and educate the prevention of Covid-19, not only to internal employees, but also to the surrounding community and of course to the farmers. In order to support Covid-19 prevention, EWINDO distributed 200,000 free masks in our seed boxes.

3. EWINDO Conduct Self-Assessment for Employee

EWINDO conducts self-assessment for employees after the long holiday of Eid Fitri and listed people who travel out of town and do activities in the crowd or public facilities. As follow up of self-assessment, some employees required undergo rapid tests, they are employees who are at risk of exposure to Covid-19, either because they are traveling from the red area of Covid-19 transmission as well as they experience being in a crowd. This rapid test is used as an initial screening for employees to make sure they are entering the company area in a healthy condition. Up to now 30 employees undergo rapid test with Non-Reactive result, means they are healthy and safe to work

Read PT Ewindo report on Covid-19 action here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CL7DNolTa4UbGcK7CwG61EweQXRaDjW5/view?usp=sharing