BTN Prepares To Support Financing 150,000 Low-Emissions Houses

JAKARTA - In order to support the Government's commitment to accelerate the number of supplyable, healthy and environmentally friendly houses, PT Bank Tabungan Negara (Persero) Tbk (BTN) spurs the availability of Low Emissions Houses. In 2029, BTN is targeting to finance 150,000 Low-Emissions Houses.

The head of the Presidential Housing Task Force for Prabowo Subianto, Hashim S. Djojohadikusumo, said that his party fully supports BTN's initiative in encouraging the construction of Low Emissions Houses. This movement, he continued, is in line with the efforts of the new government to build 1 million houses in urban areas and 2 million houses in villages throughout Indonesia every year.

Building Low Emissions Houses will increase the supply of livable and quality homes, as well as provide a better environment for future generations. This initiative will also encourage green economy to be more affordable, as demand for environmentally friendly components will increase," said Hashim at the launch of the Pilot Project for Low Emissions Homes at Mutiara Gading City Housing, Bekasi, Thursday, August 29.

On the same occasion, President Director of BTN Nixon LP Napitupulu said that the houses and activities in them are one of the largest emitters of carbon emissions, including from energy use, construction, to maintenance and maintenance. To create a better environment for future generations, continued Nixon, BTN took the initiative to spur the availability of Low Emission Houses.

According to Nixon, this step is also a form of BTN's commitment to answer the challenges of climate change and encourage a sustainable national housing ecosystem.

This year there are 1,000 Low Emissions Houses that use a minimum of 10 percent of environmentally friendly materials. Gradually, there will be 150,000 houses with 30 percent of the portion of eco-friendly materials in 2029, "explained Nixon.

In the pilot project, BTN uses environmentally friendly materials in the form of floor decking which contains 3.6 kilograms (kg) of plastic waste. This project will also use a paving block containing 2 kg of plastic waste per 1 square meter.

Nixon detailed that the gradual target until 2029, will contribute to the reduction of more than 1.7 million kilograms of plastic waste. In addition, carbon emissions will also be reduced by 2.42 tons of CO2. This impact, he added, is equivalent to planting 110,000 trees and 323 hectares of emission absorption.

In addition to using environmentally friendly building materials, BTN also mobilizes developers of the Low Emission Home category to ensure several standards. These include being efficient in energy use, water, waste management, to reducing pollution.

For energy efficiency, environmentally friendly houses are required to have a lot of ventilation, high ceilings, and window ratios to walls reaching 15%-30%. These standards are set so that there is good air circulation. Water efficiency is carried out through the use of small debit taps, good sanitation processing, has infiltration wells, to the use of clean water from Regional Drinking Water Companies (PDAM).

For waste processing, low-emissioned houses are required to have a Pilah trash can. Meanwhile, to reduce pollution, developers are asked to plant 1 carbon emission absorber plant per house. In addition, pollution reduction is also carried out using a minimum of 10 percent of environmentally friendly materials on walls and floors, to have a green open space of 10 percent of the total residential area.

"We believe that decent, healthy and environmentally friendly housing will improve the quality of life for humans living in it," said Nixon.

Meanwhile, since 1976, BTN has distributed 5.2 million housing loans (KPR), both through subsidy, non-subsidized financing, and sharia housing financing. In order to fully support the One Million Houses Program since 2015, BTN has distributed 1.9 million KPR units or equivalent to Rp403.5 trillion.

Head of the United Nations (UN) Representative Office in Indonesia Gita Sabharwal appreciated BTN's commitment to implementing the principle of sustainability through Low Emissions Homes. BTN's innovative steps, said Gita, not only increase the affordability of environmentally friendly homes, but can also increase the standard of living for low- and middle-income people, while reducing emissions.

Gita also assessed that the real commitment made by BTN was an inspiration and role model for the banking sector in Indonesia in accelerating the application of the principle of Sustainable Development Goals.

"We are open to collaborating with BTN to the next level for a better future, because life is not just about today," said Gita.