Cross-border Partnerships and Projects in the Works for KADIN Sustainability Council
05 Jan 2023
The KADIN Indonesia Switzerland-Liechtenstein Bilateral Committee's sustainability council aims to cultivate partnerships and promote sustainability-focused initiatives between the two countries. This council brings together stakeholders from both countries in an effort to enhance cross-border collaboration and leverage the existing organizations in Indonesia and Switzerland to augment sustainability projects.
The council has identified four sectors as priorities: natural ingredients, textiles, infrastructure, and vocation.
Natural Ingredients
The natural ingredients sector of the sustainability council is specifically focused on promoting the use and export of cocoa, spices, essential oils, and coffee as sustainable ingredients. This sector aims to support and bolster the national and regional economy, as well as nurture entrepreneurship and competence of Indonesian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the export industry.
To achieve this, the council has several plans in place. These include connecting Indonesian reliable suppliers of cocoa, spices, essential oils, and coffee to buyers in Switzerland through collaboration with selected organizations, and boosting market access for these reliable suppliers through their participation in commodity exhibitions. The council also plans to provide support and assistance to these suppliers during these exhibitions, including assistance with documentation and communication with different parties.
Alongside these efforts, the council aims to enable SMEs involved in the production and export of the natural ingredients to access capacity building and entrepreneurship development programs through collaboration with selected organizations.
In addition, the council plans to support the development of entrepreneurship and competence of these SMEs in the export industry, with a focus on cocoa, spices, essential oils, and coffee. Through these initiatives, the natural ingredients sector of the sustainability council hopes to support and develop the national and regional economy, as well as promote the use and export of sustainable ingredients.
Textiles
The textiles sector of the sustainability council is focused on exploring the ecosystem of circularity in vocation and education, with an emphasis on the use of biodegradable fiber material, organic colorants, and waste in the fashion industry. The council seeks to promote the adoption of these sustainable materials and techniques in order to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Additionally, the council plans to support the utilization of biodegradable fiber material and organic colorants as a means of opening business access and supporting local communities, even in remote areas.
The transformation of the traditional linear economy into a circular economy requires a systems-level change and a new value creation mind-set both pre and post production. As part of this effort, the council plans to seek support from Swiss counterparts to review the circular textile ecosystem and work on pre and post production processes as part of sustainability initiatives. This includes exploring the use of biodegradable fiber material such as hemp, bamboo, lyocell, ramie, jute, organic linen, and cotton, as well as the use of organic colorants derived from natural plant fibers. The council also plans to support the utilization of waste materials in the fashion industry, including pre-consumer, post-consumer, and industrial textile waste.
With these plans, the council believes that these efforts will help to open business access and support local communities, even in remote areas, as part of the transition to a more sustainable future.
Infrastructure
The infrastructure sector of the sustainability council aims to encourage the use of renewable energy sources and sustainable building materials, as well as support the development of green infrastructure projects. The council plans to promote the use of these sustainable technologies and materials in order to reduce the environmental impact of infrastructure projects and support the transition to a more sustainable future. This will involve collaborating with relevant organizations and partners to promote the use of renewable energy sources and sustainable building materials, as well as supporting the development of green infrastructure projects.
Vocation
The vocation sector of the sustainability council is focused on promoting sustainable vocational training programs and supporting the development of green vocational education centers. The council aims to provide education and training opportunities that promote sustainability and support the transition to a more sustainable future. To achieve this, the council plans to collaborate with relevant organizations and partners to support the development of sustainable vocational training programs and green vocational education centers.
One key focus of the vocation sector is the promotion of vocational-industrial partnerships. This includes leveraging the momentum of the KADIN Vokasi program and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen the implementation of dual vocational education and training systems. The council also aims to support the economic and business upgrade of KADIN through HR upgrading and industrial collaboration, aligning all relevant HR upgrading programs such as the Indonesia-Europe Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IE-CEPA), the Young Professional Exchange program, and the internship program.
In addition to these efforts, the council plans to share best practices in vocational training and education based on the successful Swiss model of skill development, which has been in place for over 50 years. By aligning with these best practices, the council hopes to upgrade and strengthen vocational training and education programs in Indonesia, promoting sustainability and supporting the transition to a more sustainable future.
Overall, the sustainability council within the KADIN Indonesia Switzerland-Liechtenstein Bilateral Committee is committed to promoting sustainability and fostering collaboration between the two countries. By focusing on the four priority sectors of natural ingredients, textiles, infrastructure, and vocation, the council hopes to encourage the adoption of more sustainable practices and technologies, and to support the transition to a more sustainable future. The council intends to meet with counterparts in Switzerland in January 2023 to present its project proposal and seek mutual partnerships. The council members meet regularly to provide updates on the intended projects and to align with the overall strategy.