Realizing A Sustainable Economy, Bank Mandiri Conservation Of Fields Covering An Area Of 500 Hectares

Photo: Doc. Bank Mandiri

JAKARTA - Bank Mandiri continues to encourage a green economy approach to capture potential business developments in the future, as a form of consistency in preserving the environment.

This step is also in line with the global trend of sustainable economic policy.

One form of Indonesia's commitment, namely COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, Indonesia increases its commitment to adapting climate change through Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (ENDC) to reduce emissions by 31.89 percent unconditionally, and 43.2 percent with international support by 2030.

In line with the increase in commitment, Bank Mandiri Director of Institutional Relations Rohan Hafas said that to coincide with the Indonesian Tree Planting Day, Bank Mandiri began carrying out land conservation activities that utilized the concept of Nature-Based Solution (NBS) and supported by the Pentahelix collaboration approach by involving local stakeholders.

Furthermore, Rohan said, Bank Mandiri carried out the initial conservation of the NBS concept in Bedono Village, Sayung District, Demak, Central Java, as well as three other locations which in the future will be gradually expanded to various points in Indonesia to reach 500 hectares (Ha).

"The program carried out by Bank Mandiri is in line with the company's sustainability commitment to become Indonesia's Sustainability Champion for Better Future, where one of the targets is to achieve operational Net Zero Emission (NZE) by 2030," Rohan said in a written statement, Monday, November 28.

The initial project, which is located in Bedono Village (Demak), Pati Ayam Village (Kudus), Kedung Malang Village (Jepara) and Mulyorejo Village (Pekalongan) is to increase beach security and forest support for hundreds of people vulnerable to being affected.

"This project will avoid further flooding and erosion on the coast, including cultivation ponds. Without this project, coastal erosion will continue and the northern coastal land will continue to disappear," said Rohan.

Rohan explained that sustainable revitalization was also introduced with the best innovative and practice methods in which Bank Mandiri involved the pentahelix collaboration, namely the Local Government, the Environment Agency, Farmers Group, and Environmental academics or practitioners.

Bank Mandiri, continued Rohan, also encourages the empowerment of the creative economy of local residents, including providing financing to increase inclusive economic growth and community independence.

"Through this program, we will also develop ecotourism villages and inclusive economic growth through the distribution of People's Business Credit (KUR) to Petambak Kerang, the expiation of transport trucks, boat rentals, marine fishermen, boat rental owners to grocery stores," he said.

This step, continued Rohan, was also accompanied by efforts to digitize transactions in the regions through the installation of the QR Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) at a number of stalls in conservation locations.

Involve Gadjah Mada University

At this early stage, said Rohan, Bank Mandiri collaborated with Gadjah Mada University to monitor for the next few years and replant the cultivation of mangrove seeds that failed to grow, both in gabions or those that were bridged to be planted on the ground with aagrant boosters from bamboo.

Furthermore, Rohan said, this program was also registered with the National Registration System in order to obtain the Indonesia Certified Emission Reduction (ICER).

"In order to empower ecotourism villages, in this area we invest photo spots that are instagramable and encourage the empowerment of the creative economy of local residents based on Mangrove products such as Mangrove chips, Mangrove coffee, Dodol and Mangrove sirop. We will also collaborate with this community to get training and digital marketing of Bank Mandiri BUMN Houses," concluded Rohan.

Rohan also explained that the Nature-Based Solution initiative towards 500 Ha is a strategic initiative to achieve Sustainability Target contained in the Sustainable Operation pillar Sustainable Plan for Sustainable Finance.

In addition, this initiative is also a real action for Mandirian Ber-NYALI (Mandirian Real Movement for the Environment) in order to support Indonesia's commitment to COP 27 and Bali Compact G20 2022.