"It should become a business strategy to win the competition," LHK Deputy Minister Alue Dohong said on the sidelines of the 2024 Social and Environmental Innovation Award (ENSIA) in Nusa Dua, Badung district, Bali, on Wednesday (July 31).
He expressed the hope that corporations will no longer consider managing the environment and society as a side task, but as their main strategy in responding to national and global competition.
Thus, he said, companies could also directly contribute to helping the government cut carbon emissions through environmental and social innovations.
Efforts to reduce emissions include saving energy, using energy that reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and transitioning to new renewable energy.
"This means that if the TJSL program is carried out properly in environmental management and emission management, there will be a significant reduction in emissions," Dohong said.
To ensure sustainable environmental and social programs, the LHK ministry issued Ministerial Regulation Number 75 of 2019 concerning the Road Map for Waste Reduction by Producers.
The government rewards companies for their active participation in environmental and social sustainability through the PROPER awards.
In the PROPER assessment of 3,694 companies in 2023, the ministry recorded 1,193 eco-innovations with savings of Rp158.53 trillion (around US$9.7 billion), an increase of 23.6 percent compared to 2022.
The innovations came from energy efficiency of 554.8 million gigajoules (GJ), and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 229.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
Then, a reduction of 15.8 million tons in conventional emissions, a reduction of 55.4 million tons in B3 waste, and recycling (3R) of 34.8 million tons of non-B3 waste.
They also include water efficiency of 437.32 million cubic meters, a reduction in water pollution load of 6.02 million tons, and efforts to protect biodiversity on an area of 308 thousand hectares.
Environmental management efforts have contributed to community development, with Rp1.56 trillion (around US$95.8 million) allocated for community empowerment programs in 2023.
In addition, in 2023, there were 20,052 activities geared toward sustainable development goals (SDGs) with a total disbursement of Rp57.28 trillion (around US$3.5 billion).
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Translator: Dewa Ketut Sudiarta Wiguna, Cindy Frishanti Octavi
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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