Young People Take Part in Addressing Environmental Issues through Low-Carbon Solutions

Illustration of sustainable and low-carbon lifestyles. (Freepik)

JAKARTA - Awareness of the importance of a sustainable lifestyle is now getting stronger, especially among young people. Issues of climate change, increased carbon emissions, to the challenges of energy and waste management make the younger generation start to see sustainability not just as an option, but a shared responsibility.

Young people are also encouraged not only to change daily habits, but also to play an active role in creating innovative solutions that can answer future environmental challenges.

The strategic role of the younger generation is reflected in various collaborative initiatives between industry and academia. One of them is through the Chandra Asri Limitless Innovation & Business Strategy (CALIBER) Challenge 2025 which was held again by PT Chandra Asri Pacific Tbk (Chandra Asri Group).

This competition is a platform for students from across Indonesia to formulate ideas and strategies in responding to industry challenges in a sustainable manner.

Entering its second year of implementation, this year's theme is "The Journey to a Zero-Carbon Building in the Era of Industry 4.0". The theme challenges participants to devise the best approach to realizing low-carbon buildings.

The enthusiasm of participants this year shows a significant increase. The number of applicants jumped by 252 percent compared to 2024, with a total of 363 groups from 81 universities throughout Indonesia.

This high participation reflects the increasing concern of students about the issue of sustainability and their desire to be directly involved in the process of change.

After going through a rigorous selection stage, including administrative verification and assessment of the idea proposal and strategy by the Chandra Asri Group team, the 10 best groups were selected to advance to the final round.

The finalists also had the opportunity to attend the final presentation and plant tour to the production facilities of Chandra Asri Group in Cilegon, Banten, which took place on December 10-11.

This activity is designed to provide a real picture of the operation of an integrated petrochemical complex and the challenges of transformation towards low-carbon technology.

Caliber 2025. (doc. Chandra Asri)

"This competition opens up a space for collaboration for students to develop teamwork, problem-solving, and analytical thinking skills that will be an important resource in the professional world," said Head of Corporate Communications Chandra Asri Group, Chrysanthi Tarigan, through CALIBER in his statement.

He also added that the case studies raised in CALIBER are designed to encourage the birth of relevant and applicable innovations, so that they can make a real contribution to the sustainability of the industry in the future.

In the final stage, all finalists presented data-based strategies, technology, and sustainability practices in front of a jury consisting of experienced practitioners from the Chandra Asri Group.

From the results of the thorough assessment, three best groups were determined, namely the ITS Consultant from the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) as the first place, followed by Casting Crowns and Thunderbolts from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).

In addition to the three main winners, this company also gave additional awards to the team with superior performance, namely Gasskeun from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) as the first Honorable Mention and Visioneer from the University of Indonesia (UI) as the second Honorable Mention.

The CALIBER Challenge 2025 is a strategic learning tool that allows students to deepen their understanding of the operational dynamics of the industry as well as the urgency of transformation towards the implementation of low-carbon technologies.