Kadin Confident Indonesian Companies Becoming More Globally Competitive Through ESG
We want more Indonesian companies to be able to compete not only at the national level but also on the global stage.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) believes that Indonesian companies are becoming increasingly competitive globally as the application of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles strengthens within business governance.
This conviction emerged during the ESG Governance Kadin-GAPly International Awards held at the Menara Kadin Indonesia, Jakarta, on Thursday.
Shinta Kamdani, Vice Chairperson Coordinator for Human Development, Culture, and Sustainable Development of Kadin Indonesia, stated that the awards, organised alongside the Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards (GAPPS) and the Institute for Sustainability and Agility, serve as a form of appreciation for companies demonstrating commitment and best practices in ESG implementation.
In addition to being an awards ceremony, the event also serves as a platform for learning, benchmarking, and strengthening ESG governance in Indonesia.
“ESG is about how companies make decisions, manage risks and opportunities, create impacts for society, and build sustainable shared value for business,” said Shinta.
According to her, this year’s awards feature two main categories: Governance of ESG and Project Management of ESG Initiatives.
Strong ESG governance is considered essential to ensure that sustainability aspects are integrated into corporate strategy, leadership, risk management, and accountability.
On the other hand, good project management is required so that various ESG initiatives can be implemented effectively and produce measurable impacts.
Shinta explained that the awards are presented across three levels of achievement: Best ESG Governance Excellence, Achievement, and Commitment.
This structure reflects that sustainability is an ongoing process that requires a commitment to continuous learning and development.
“We hope more companies will participate in the coming years. The more companies involved, the stronger Indonesia’s ESG ecosystem will become. We want more Indonesian companies to be able to compete not only nationally but also on the global stage,” she added.
In line with this, Elim Sritaba, Vice Chairperson for Business and Sustainable Governance of Kadin Indonesia, emphasised that the implementation of ESG must become one of the primary foundations of the business world, particularly for Kadin members.
This step is considered aligned with efforts to support the national economic growth targets set by the government.
Maria R. Nindita, Chairperson of the Kadin Indonesia ESG Governance Standing Committee and Chairperson of the ESG Governance Kadin–GAPPS International Awards Committee, revealed that technological innovation was one of the interesting findings in the ESG Governance category.
According to Maria, several companies have utilised information technology to build ESG dashboards that allow for real-time monitoring of sustainability performance.
Meanwhile, the Finance Director of GAPPS, Tony M. Simmonds, assessed that the development of ESG practices in Indonesia shows significant progress. Based on the judging process, Indonesian companies were found to have a strong commitment to sustainability.
“What we found during the judging process is that Indonesian companies are very focused on ESG and sustainability. I even think Australia could learn a lot from Indonesian companies and the way they execute various initiatives,” he added.