"Indonesia has various potentials and rich natural resources to develop green and sustainable trade, which is expected to reduce climate change impact and give economic added value for the community," he informed at the "Strategic Issues Forum on Trading Toward Sustainability" here on Thursday.
One of the efforts that reflect the government's commitment is the downstreaming of mineral products, for example, nickel, which is an important raw material for making electric vehicle products.
"Globally, Indonesia's rank as an exporter rose drastically from 8th in 2021 to 1st in 2022, surpassing countries that were previously the biggest nickel product exporters, such as Canada, Russia, and the United States," he highlighted.
Kasan said that the achievement is ground for optimism for Indonesia.
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Expanding downstreaming efforts for nickel to other primary commodities has been deemed necessary to realize sustainable trade so that Indonesia's goal of becoming a developed country can be achieved.
"The Ministry of Trade is committed to continuously encouraging trade policies that play a role in ensuring sustainable trade is realized in Indonesia," he said.
The World Bank has recommended that Indonesia bolster trade policies that are directed toward green transformation.
At the forum on Thursday, World Bank country director for Indonesia and Timor Leste, Satu Kahkonen, said that Indonesia has made progress in using trade for its green transformation.
She noted that the carbon intensity of Indonesia's trade has declined significantly since 2005.
"However, Indonesia's green competitiveness is now stagnating and exports of green goods technologies and services have not kept up with the demand; this calls for action," she added.
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Translator: Imamatul Silfia, Raka Adji
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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