Indonesian Companies Deemed Increasingly Competitive in Global ESG Practices

The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), together with the Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards (GAPPS) and the Institute for Sustainability and Agility, held the ESG Governance Kadin-GAPPS International Awards at Menara Kadin Indonesia in South Jakarta on Thursday (25/6). The event honoured companies that have demonstrated genuine commitment and excellent practices in implementing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles within their business environments. Beyond recognition, the initiative served as a platform for learning, benchmarking, and strengthening ESG governance in Indonesia.

Kadin Indonesia Deputy Chair for Human Development, Culture, and Sustainable Development, Shinta W. Kamdani, stated that the awards were not merely ceremonial but part of an effort to encourage companies to understand ESG more deeply. ‘ESG is about how companies make decisions, manage risks and opportunities, create an impact for society, and build shared sustainable value for the business,’ Shinta said. She explained that this year’s awards featured two main categories: Governance of ESG and Project Management of ESG Initiatives. Strong ESG governance ensures sustainability is integrated into corporate strategy, leadership, risk management, and accountability, whilst effective project management ensures ESG initiatives are implemented effectively and produce measurable impact. Awards were given at three levels of achievement: Best ESG Governance Excellence, Achievement, and Commitment, reflecting the belief that sustainability is a journey requiring a commitment to continuous learning and growth.

Kadin Indonesia Deputy Chair for Business and Sustainable Governance, Elim Sritaba, said ESG implementation must become a key foundation for the business world, particularly for Kadin members, aligning with Kadin’s role in supporting the government’s national economic growth targets. Meanwhile, Chair of the Kadin Indonesia ESG Governance Standing Committee, Maria R. Nindita Radyati, highlighted that technological innovation was a notable finding in the ESG Governance category. She noted that several companies have utilised information technology to build ESG dashboards enabling real-time monitoring of sustainability performance. Finance Director of GAPPS, Tony M. Simmonds, expressed positive impressions of ESG practice developments in Indonesia, stating that Indonesian companies demonstrated a strong commitment to ESG and sustainability, adding that he believed Australia could learn much from Indonesian firms and how they run such initiatives.