JAKARTA - PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk or BNI has confirmed its position as a pioneer of sustainable finance by launching a special ESG Advisory Playbook for the oil palm plantation sector. This initiative makes BNI the first bank in Indonesia to provide comprehensive guidance to assist debtors in conducting a directed, measurable, and global transition.
This strategic step responds to the increasing international demands for the sustainable practice of the palm oil industry, including the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) regulation which has a direct impact on the supply chain of Indonesian palm oil. The launch of the playbook was carried out in the series of BNI ESG & Sustainability Transition (BEST) Event 2025 with the theme 'Driving Sustainability in Palm Oil Sector with BNI' at the BNI Pejompongan Tower, Wednesday, September 19.
The event was also attended by the board of directors of BNI, including the President Director of Putrama Wahju Setyawan, Deputy President Director of Alexandra Askandar, Director of Risk Management David Pirzada, Director of Corporate Banking Agung Prabowo, and Director of Commercial Banking Muhammad Iqbal. In addition, SEVP Bun Hendra (SEVP Credit Risk) and Pancaran Effendi (SEVP Wholesale Solution & Value Chain) were also present, which emphasized management support for the sustainability transition agenda in the national strategic sector.
Deputy President Director of BNI Alexandra Askandar emphasized that this playbook is a strategic assistance tool for palm oil industry players to strengthen their sustainability practices in the midst of the dynamics of global regulations.
"This advisory playbook is a guide for business actors to initiate and improve transitional efforts according to the company's strategy and capability, so that the transition process can be carried out more systematically and directed," said Alexandra.
Alexandra added that the launch of this playbook continued the success of the 2024 BEST Event, which previously focused on implementing Indonesia's Sustainable Financial Taxonomy (TKBI) for energy sector debtors. This year, BNI expanded its coverage of assistance to the palm oil sector as a strategic sector with a large contribution to the national economy.
"As the first bank in Indonesia to have an advisory playbook, this confirms BNI's commitment to continue to be debtor partners and supports Indonesia's transition process towards the NDC 2060 target or sooner," he explained.
The preparation of the playbook was carried out through Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on October 30, 2025, involving various parties, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Ministry of Agriculture, GAPKI, and PT Perkebunan Nusantara IV (PTPN IV). Input from stakeholders becomes an important foundation so that the playbook is applicative, relevant, and able to answer the real challenges of the palm oil industry in the field.
At the launch event, Vice President of Green Energy Business Development of PT Perkebunan Nusantara IV Reina Haronima Tampubolon and Director of Sustainability and The Role of Strategic Interestholders of PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources & Techonology Tbk Agus Purnomo, also shared experiences regarding the implementation of the ESG transition roadmap as well as challenges in the implementation process.
Chairman of the Palm Oil Palm and Palma Tourism Cultivation Group of the Ministry of Agriculture, Togu Rudianto Saragih, also explained the policy direction to accelerate the sustainability transition in the palm oil sector, while the Executive Director of the Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs Association (GAPKI) Mukti Sardjono emphasized the importance of cross-business collaboration.
SEE ALSO:
Alexandra further said that the launch of this playbook was not just a form of temporary support, but part of a long-term commitment to debtors in dealing with changes in the global industrial landscape.
"We hope this advisory playbook can be a practical guide for business actors to design and strengthen transitional efforts that are in line with the company's strategies and capabilities, so that every business actor has access to relevant and solution assistance in the face of the dynamics of the sustainability transition," said Alexandra.
With the presence of ESG Advisory Playbook for the palm oil sector, BNI has further confirmed its role as an active financial institution to encourage the transformation of sustainability in national strategic sectors. This step is also a real contribution in supporting the achievement of Indonesia's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) towards the net-zero emission target 2060 or sooner, as well as strengthening the competitiveness of Indonesia's palm oil industry in the global market.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
