T

he Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) says it wants greater support from the government to develop pro-environmental “green” business practices in Indonesia.

Kadin vice chairwoman for the environment and climate change Shinta Widjaja Kamdani said in Jakarta on Tuesday that no concrete action had been taken to support green business programs despite discussions within the government.

Shinta said the situation had been exacerbated by government regulations that often hindered corporate plans to set up green business models, despite greater awareness among business stakeholders on the importance of green business.

“I feel bad for companies that are ready and willing to invest in green business but aren’t able to do so because of regulations,” Shinta said during a conference on green business on Tuesday.

One thing that the government could do was to give incentives to companies to contribute to sustainable development, said Sinta, who is also the president of Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development (IBCSD), which aims to boost eco-friendly business practices.

“There is also a need for better coordination, not only between the government and the private sector, but also within government bodies themselves,” she told The Jakarta Post, adding that the IBCSD had set up a working group to bridge the gap between the private sector and the government.

Meanwhile, PricewaterhouseCoopers Indonesia technical advisor on sustainability and climate change Rob Evans urged executives to take the initiative to adopt green business models.

“We shouldn’t be waiting for the government to help us because that wouldn’t be a good business model,” he said.

“We should be setting the direction and asking the government to follow us,” he said at the conference titled “International Conservation in cooperation with Prasetiya Mulya business school, the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) and Medco Energi International”.

Sita said that such direction has been set up by IBCSD in the form of a business plan called “Indonesia Vision 2050”, which contains a framework for issues that needed to be addressed by executives to develop a sustainable economy.

Indonesia Vision 2050’s goal is to minimize waste, increase low-carbon access in remote areas, develop energy-efficient infrastructure, increase food security and make the green economy into a major contributor to Indonesia’s gross domestic product (GDP).

The road map, set into motion earlier this year, involves participation from the private sector and will be communicated constantly to the government, according to Shinta. (han)