PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia (GoTo) has published GoTo Group's first sustainability report, highlighting three main commitments to a more sustainable approach to business.
Announced on June 3, the sustainability report includes all three companies under GoTo Group’s wing — Gojek, Tokopedia and GoTo Financial — and is the first sustainability report to be published since the union of Gojek and Tokopedia in 2021 and the historic listing of the company's shares on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) on April 11.
Titled Mendorong Kemajuan (Empowering Progress), the report includes data from January to December 2021, identifying the most pressing issues for the company, including climate action; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); packaging use and disposal; as well as governance structures and business ethics.
Overall, the report encompasses GoTo Group’s “Three Zeroes” commitment; Zero Emissions, Zero Waste and Zero Barriers. The company is committed to publishing a roadmap for the Three Zeroes commitment on the GoTo official website in the near future, aiming to dynamically update stakeholders on the company's environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) progress and performance in real-time.
GoTo Group CEO Andre Soelistyo said in a statement that the Three Zeroes target encouraged everyone at GoTo to decarbonize the company’s operations and wider ecosystem, build a fully circular platform and invest in the growth of employees and partners to become an inclusive company.
“We want to set the bar for driving progress for Indonesia and Southeast Asia, and be accountable to all of our stakeholders, including investors, partners, employees and regulators,” he said.
Sustainability at the forefront
GoTo Group’s Zero Emissions commitment aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2030 through the implementation of emissions reduction and carbon offset strategies. Meanwhile, GoTo Group’s Zero Waste commitment aims to reduce and ultimately eliminate pollution to the environment, including diverting as much waste as possible from landfills.
At the same time, the company’s sustainability commitments go beyond the environment. The Zero Barriers commitment aims to empower people by finding the right talent, developing the skills they need, accelerating financial growth and inclusion and fighting for diversity, equality and inclusion within the company and across its ecosystem.
According to GoTo president Patrick Cao, the company is committed to creating long-term value for its ecosystem.
“It is imperative that we incorporate best ESG practices into our governance structures and processes. To do this, we ensure GoTo's senior management is accountable for our ESG performance, ensure oversight from our board and set sustainability targets across our operating companies that align with global standards in ESG disclosure and reporting,” he said.
Patrick added that GoTo had also expanded its external advisory board to monitor the company’s efforts and provide suggestions and feedback on a regular basis.
“Ultimately, this ensures we are all moving in the same direction, and defines and measures progress consistently.”
A collective role for the greater good
While GoTo Group’s report showcases the company’s own commitments, customers can also take part in championing sustainability – with something as simple as a tap on the screen.
By activating the GoGreener Tree Collective feature on GoCar and GoRide trips, users can participate directly in absorbing the carbon footprint generated during their journey. They can calculate the carbon footprint they generate every day, which will then be converted to the number of trees that needs to be planted to absorb the carbon they produce. The feature charges an additional Rp 1,000 (less than 1 UC cent) for each GoRide trip and Rp 2,000 for GoCar trips.
Gojek partnered with artificial intelligence and internet of things start-up Jejak.in to calculate the carbon footprint of each trip and conservator Lindungi Hutan to plant and monitor the trees’ growth. To date, the initiative has planted approximately 5,000 trees across 13 locations throughout the country.
For a greener ride, the GoRide Electric service is currently available for trips in South Jakarta, while the recently launched GoTransit service makes it easy for users to combine public transportation with first-mile and last-mile transportation services on Gojek. In just three months, GoRide Electric has reached its target distance of 1 million kilometers.
Customers can also reduce plastic waste by leaving a note to not include disposable straws and cutlery in every GoFood order. At the same time, the company also encourages its users to be respectful and appreciative of its driver-partners, which include female drivers and drivers with disabilities.
GoTo Group sustainability head Tanah Sullivan said the sustainability report and the challenges faced in 2021 provided the company with even more motivation to act more urgently, leveraging its combined ecosystem to amplify GoTo’s overall impact and reach.
“At GoTo, we place the human side of our ecosystem at the heart of everything we do, which is in line with our sustainability strategy. Our goal is to always act in their best interests, ensure our business model continues to create a sustainable positive impact for people and the environment and hold ourselves accountable to global standards of sustainability best practice,” she concluded.
