Sustainability Reporting in Indonesia
March 2021
Since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been adopted in 2015, companies have increasingly realized the importance of a business that respects sustainability aspects. Goal number 6 of 17 SDGs (ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns) urges companies to adopt sustainable practices and to include sustainability information in their reporting cycle.
In Indonesia, the concept of a sustainable business is one whose business performance harmonizes with the priority of Environmental, Social and Governance aspects (ESG aspects) that have been adopted by companies. The application of sustainable business and ESG are also increasingly encouraged by the Indonesia Financial Service Authority (OJK) Regulation No. 51/ POJK.03/2017 concerning the Application of Sustainable Finance that requires financial services institutions, issuers and publicly listed companies to apply sustainable finance and prepare a Sustainability Report (as attached). Based on POJK No. 51/POJK.03/2017 and the additional provisions of the OJK Letter No S-264 / D.04 / 2020 dated November 4, 2020, publicly listed companies are required to prepare a Sustainability Report starting in 2021 (period January 1 - December 31, 2021) and are required to submit this report no later than April 30, 2022.
Sustainability or ESG reporting is no longer a nice add-on to financial reporting. In successful and forward-thinking companies, the two go hand in hand. Thus, there is a huge trend on not only public listed companies, but many non-listed companies have also seen the increasing awareness of these ESG criteria. Credible information on ESG progresses from corporations (which can be shown through a comprehensive ESG-report) will showcase lower financial risk fort the company and thus leads to more stable and higher long-term returns for investors. However, the majority of companies do not know where to start this process and oftentimes the sustainability reports that are produced lack credible information. In other words, external help is needed.
In November 2020, Foundation for International Human Rights Reporting Standards (FIHRRST) launched the results of a Sustainability Report Study in 2019 of all publicly listed companies in Indonesia, to encourage reporting on sustainability aspects by all publicly listed companies in Indonesia as mandated by the OJK Regulation No. 51 /POJK.03/ 2017 and the Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI Standards) which cover reporting on economic (including taxation), environmental and social aspects. The launch of the results of such study was attended by OJK, Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI), Bappenas, UNDP and publicly listed companies in Indonesia, and the study report can be downloaded from the following link (https://www.fihrrst.org/peluncuran-studi-laporan-keberlanjutan-tahun-2019-perusahaan-publik-di-indonesia-1.html#
FIHRRST is a foundation established by a group of influential human rights activists at the national and international levels, which include Marzuki Darusman, Makarim Wibisono, and Marzuki Usman. The focus of FIHRRST activities consists of the preparation of sustainability reports, study of sustainability reports and business, as well as human rights. FIHRRST plays a major role in assisting the Indonesian government and companies in terms of mainstreaming the issue of business and human rights, as well as sustainability in Indonesia.
In this occasion, Moores Rowland would like to invite your company shall you and your company is moving towards the issues of sustainability, national as well as global business, and human rights issues that will greatly increase the company's understanding in dealing with regulatory developments and requirements on such issues. We will guide you through with our expertise in ESG and human rights.
Contact:
Baudouin Coomans (baudouin.coomans@moores-rowland.com)
contact-Jakarta@moores-rowland.com or contact-Bali@moores-rowland.com.