Green mussel shells and seeds are released back into Jakarta Bay to clean the sea. — Shutterstock via KG Media (Photo for illustration purpose only)
AMID the rising ESG momentum in South-East Asia, one trend is starting to stand out: It’s no longer enough for companies to only have emission targets and sustainability reports.
Investors, regulators and the public now expect real solutions—how waste is processed, energy is saved and ecosystems are restored.
Indonesia, with its complex combination of environmental problems and a large market, has begun to produce interesting examples.
Four of these come from vastly different sectors: building materials, marine tourism, textiles and the automotive conglomerate.
Roofing from plastic waste
At the downstream end of the plastic waste problem, PT Impack Pratama Industri Tbk and Marubeni Corporation have chosen a waste-to-value approach.
Through their subsidiary PT Sirkular Karya Indonesia (SKI), the two companies produce roofing materials that are made entirely from plastic waste.
Marubeni secures the supply of plastic waste from industries and collectors, while Impack transforms it into value-added products. Amid an uncertain economic climate, this eco-friendly roofing line is positioned as one of the company’s growth pillars, contributing to its revenue target of around 4.2 trillion rupiah (RM1bil) in 2025. For the Asean market, there are two key lessons.
The business model is scalable: Cities across the region are similarly overwhelmed by plastic waste and require affordable, durable building materials.
The ESG value is clear: The companies not only “reduce their footprint” but also create a new economic chain for the informal sector of waste collectors.
This approach addresses two crises at once: plastic pollution and the need for affordable housing materials.
Jakarta’s natural sea filters
In the northern coast of Jakarta, a nature-based solution can be found in the waters of Ancol. Instead of relying solely on expensive technology to clean the sea, Ancol Taman Impian has assigned a “special task” to green mussels (Perna viridis).
Through its restoration programme, thousands of kilogrammes of green mussel shells and seeds have been released back into Jakarta Bay. These mussels naturally filter particles and pollutants from seawater, functioning as living “biofilters” for the contaminated waters.
The programme goes beyond ecological restoration. Ancol engages hundreds of volunteers, youth communities and local residents through planting activities, education and its “Cool Without Plastic” campaign.
For the Asean region, this is a concrete example of sustainable aquaculture:
> Cultivating native species to restore water quality
> Combining ecological and educational functions
> Offering potential to be adapted in other polluted bays across South-East Asian coastal cities.
At a time when grey infrastructure (dikes, pumps, treatment plants) incurs huge costs, a green approach like the green mussels can be an affordable complement with far-reaching educational impact.
Profit up, electricity down
The global textile sector is known for being energy-intensive. In Indonesia, PT Ever Shine Tex Tbk (Esti) in Tangerang demonstrates how energy efficiency can directly change a company’s financial fate.
According to a report by Kontan, Esti succeeded in cutting its electricity consumption by about 30% after revamping its energy supply strategy. Among others, it decommissioned its inefficient internal gas turbine, optimised grid electricity use and introduced process efficiency improvements.
The impact is striking. Net profit in 2023 reached around US$1.3mil (RM5.4mil), soaring more than 1,800% compared to roughly US$66,000 (RM272,600) in 2022.
Key takeaways for Asean industries:
Energy efficiency is a business strategy, not just an environmental obligation.
Factories in developing countries often have significant room for improvement, ranging from old machinery to operating patterns and maintenance practices.
For investors, Esti’s story shows that “saving energy = rising valuation” is not an empty slogan. In low-margin industries like textiles, a 30% saving in electricity can be the difference between sinking and surviving.
Nature-based solutions enter the market
At the upstream end of climate policy, PT Astra International Tbk, an automotive conglomerate, is taking a different step. The company has registered three green projects with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s National Registry System for Climate Change Control (SRN PPI) in preparation for trading on the Indonesia Carbon Exchange (IDXCarbon).
What’s noteworthy is that these projects focus on nature-based solutions, including social forestry schemes, reforest degraded land and strengthen the carbon-absorbing function of ecosystems. Astra is not only pursuing the volume of emission reduction but also a “layered effect”—increased farmer income, improved land cover and strengthened local economy.
In the Asean context, this step is important because of the following reasons:
It shows how large corporations can become suppliers of high-quality carbon units, not just offset buyers.
It links nature-based projects with formal carbon market mechanisms, enabling a long-term revenue stream for local communities.
It serves as a model of integration between the national system (SRN PPI) and the market (IDXCarbon), which other countries can replicate.
As SRN PPI strengthens its transparency standards with clearer visualisation of climate action and carbon unit data, projects like Astra’s help build a carbon market that is more credible and inclusive.
