The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) took a bold step forward in May hosting a CEO Breakfasting Meeting focused on Sustainability, entitled Creating Sustainable Business – A Practical IntroductionThe Head of Kadin Bapak Rosan P., who introduced the speakers, who were supposed to be headlined by Bapak Bambang Brojonegoro, Head of Bappenas who has been given the role as the national sustainability leader, but who was unfortunately called to an important meeting, hosted the meeting. His detailed presentations were made available to Kadin members and attendees.
After the formal introduction by BapakRosan, Ibu Suryani Motik, who has taken over responsibility for sustainability at Kadin National Headquarters, made her introduction and passed over to the moderator Bapak Siddartha Moersjid.
The speakers were carefully selected to give the participants specific viewpoints on sustainability and were very well received.
Ibu Nuni Sutyoko, Head of Corporate Sustainability at HSBC presented a detailed overview of how her bank addresses sustainability, both within its own operations and its financial management. HSBC’s long term thinking focuses on:
- Making money – while addressing social and environmental issues
- Saving money – by improving their operational environment efficiency
- Reducing risk – meeting local and international standards and regulatory requirements
- Building trust – by investing in communities where we operate and living our values
This allows them to build their business on three sustainability pillars: future skills, sustainable networks and entrepreneurship, and sustainable finance.
This was a very detailed view on how a leading financial institution approaches sustainability.
Next on was Bapak Firman Dharmawan who presented the Medco Energi ‘Roadmap to Sustainability’, which gave the whole background to the reason why we have to focus on sustainability and how Medco Energi approached it.
Their starting point was in the Vision, Mission and Values of the company which is where it has to be, followed through with Supply Chain Management to ensure all stakeholders are onboard and then ensuring that all transactions are transparent, before building their three pillars:
- Leadership by their employees
- Social and Environmental Development and
- Sustainable Livelihoods and Community Development
Medco Energi has aligned its sustainability initiatives directly with the UN’s SDG’s and Firman’s presentation clearly outlined their action plan so that all can see how it really can be done.
The third speaker was Alistair Speirs, Chairman of MVB Indonesia, a sustainability oriented organisation (and publisher of this magazine), who talked about company core values and how sustainability was not possible except by embedding the principles in the company’s values. To illustrate this he reviewed the ‘Johnson & Johnson Credo’ which he said was one the best, clearest, most detailed and most visionary set of values of any company even though it was written in 1943!
Last but not least was Ibu Maria Dian Nurani, who is Kadin’s own “in-house” sustainability expert and the author of the Kadin Book ‘MenujuBisnisBerkelanjutan’ (Towards Sustainable Business). Maria explained the contents of her book and how every company, small or large, can chart their own course to sustainability through their step-by-step guide.
After the speakers came a lively exchange in the Q&A session with questions coming thick and fast to challenge the speakers, who responded very positively.
It was overall a very encouraging beginning to the next stage of Indonesia’s road to sustainability.
*If you are interested to know more about the presentations or any aspect of sustainability, contact miranda@phoenix.co.id
