Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa\u2019aduddin Djamal has reaffirmed the city\nadministration\u2019s commitment to protecting the environment through\nwaste-management regulations aligned with Environmental, Social and\nGovernance (ESG) principles. Illiza said environmental management could\nnot rely solely on government programmes, but needed to be reinforced by\nregulations, budget allocations and changes in public behaviour.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople of faith should be clean, because cleanliness is also part of\nfaith. That is why we regulate this through a qanun, or local\nregulation. If we want to implement it in the community, it must be\nbacked by commitment in terms of funding and enforcement. It is not only\na qanun, but also a mayoral regulation,\u201d Illiza said at a panel\ndiscussion entitled \u201cFrom Waste to Value: Building Indonesia\u2019s Circular\nEconomy\u201d during the ESG NOW Leadership Forum & Awards 2026,\norganised by Republika in Jakarta on Monday (19 October 2026).<\/p>\n
Illiza said the Banda Aceh administration had regulated waste\nmanagement through a qanun, or local regulation, as a demonstration of\nthe local government\u2019s commitment. The rules had been reinforced by a\nmayoral regulation and appeals to the public.<\/p>\n
Banda Aceh has enacted City Qanun No.\u00a01 of 2017 on Waste Management,\nas well as rules on community-based waste management through Waste\nCollecting Points (WCPs). Illiza said implementation of the regulations\naddressed not only environmental concerns, but also the social and\ngovernance dimensions central to ESG.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we are bound by state regulations\u2014in this case, local\ngovernment rules\u2014they are actually derived from central government\nlegislation, including the law on waste. This is then applied at local\nlevel through a qanun. It is a form of commitment by the local\ngovernment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Illiza stressed that regulation must be accompanied by efforts to\nchange how people view waste. The Banda Aceh administration is\nencouraging waste reduction at source in collaboration with communities,\nwomen\u2019s groups, universities and residents at gampong, or village,\nlevel.<\/p>\n
One approach involves WCPs and waste banks. Organic waste is turned\ninto compost and used to grow food, while non-organic waste such as\nplastic and bottle caps is collected for recycling. Illiza said the\napproach not only reduces the volume of waste, but also creates economic\nbenefits for the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we talk about waste, we are talking about how we can value and\nrespect what is in front of us. The behaviour of the community is still\na problem,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Illiza said Banda Aceh was a small city covering 61 square\nkilometres, with 271,000 residents across 90 villages and a budget of\nRp1.4 trillion. She said the city administration was committed to\nreducing waste at source.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn major holidays it reaches 270 tonnes; per month it reaches 250\ntonnes a day. Of the 250 to 260 tonnes, 70 tonnes are organic waste,\nwhile non-organic waste accounts for 30 per cent,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The administration is also working with various parties, including\nuniversities, to promote reuse, reduction and recycling in Banda Aceh.\nIlliza added that applying circular-economy principles was one way for\nthe city to transform waste from an environmental problem into a source\nof economic value.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are also bringing the circular economy to life. Waste can be\nattractive to collect and recycle, and to turn into fertiliser,\u201d she\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Illiza said community groups could earn income from waste collected\nthrough waste banks, while women\u2019s groups were developing food and other\nvalue-added products from organic waste. She said waste management at\nsource, the circular economy, community involvement and local\nregulations formed a set of policies intended to build awareness of the\nneed to save the planet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we are building now is awareness of the need to save the planet\nand protect future generations,\u201d Illiza said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/banda-acehs-esg-commitment-offers-inspiration-for-the-country-1792486296", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }