Assessing Green Business in Indonesia

Many companies are branding their products or institutions as green companies or those that have been producing green products. However, they have not substantially touched the essence of green business. This view was delivered by the Director of SEAMEO BIOTROP Dr Bambang Purwantara while giving a speech at the opening of the "Seminar on Natural Resource Use Optimization through Green Business", at IPB International Convention Center (IICC) Bogor, Thursday (5/7).

"To be classified into a green business, a company has to be able to show that all processes performed in the company can be considered sustainable and environmentally friendly. This includes the use of organic materials, reduced emissions and responsibility in protecting the environment. However in practice in Indonesia, the correct principles are applied by only a handful of businesses," explains Dr. Bambang. The activity that was organized by SEAMEO BIOTROP and the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) IPB was attended by policy makers, practitioners, academicians and community.

Policy makers who attended were from the Ministry of Environment, National Development Planning Agency, Ministry of Industry, and Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration. They became the speakers in a seminar session entitled "The Concept of Green Business and Rules Concerning the Utilization of Natural Resources Through Green Business," moderated by Prof. Dr. Bambang Pramudya, Head of LPPM.

Deputy Assistant for the Field of Community Role Improvement, Ministry of Environment, Drs Widodo W Sambodo, emphasized that environmentally-friendly business should understand the three pillars of sustainable development, namely planet, business and people. It also must comply with the existing laws, and implement the three pillars of sustainable development with a vision, mission and strategies and as well as implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in field of environment.

Meanwhile the effort already made by the Ministry of Industry in support of green business is giving rewards to companies that are rated in the category of green industry. (Mtd)