Blogs: Environment

“As a leading agribusiness sustainability is ultimately at the heart of our business. It’s not a choice, it is a business imperative. To be able to continue to grow oil palms in the various rural communities we work in across Indonesia we must take care of the environment as well as have healthy positive relationships with the communities in which we operate.”- Franky Widjaja, Chairman and CEO of Golden Agri-Resources.

Indeed, 2017 has been a great year in our sustainability journey. While there were challenges along the way, we have achieved positive results and will continue to strive for new and better sustainability initiatives that can benefit the industry. Check out our top five achievements in 2017 below:

1. 2017 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices
   

   Recognized for its corporate sustainability leadership in palm oil industry, Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), was included in the 2017 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) (Asia-Pacific). This was the first time we were included since DJSI’s launch in 1999. GAR was the only Southeast Asian palm oil company to be included in the Food, Beverage and Tobacco sector in Asia-Pacific, and was also one of only five Singapore-listed companies in the index. Read  more here.

2. Sustainable Business Awards Indonesia 2017
   

   GAR/SMART was recognised at the Sustainable Business Awards Indonesia 2017 in the “Land Use, Biodiversity and Environment” category for the second year in a row. We won for our Desa Makmur Peduli Api programme, which has been successful in empowering local communities, preventing fires and improving food security for 8 villages in West Kalimantan and 9 villages in Jambi. Find out more about the winners here.

3. Best Green CEO 2017 (Plantation Category) – Daud Dharsono
   

   Daud Dharsono, President Director of SMART was awarded Best Green CEO 2017 (Plantation Category) in Warta Ekonomi’s “Social Business Innovation and Green CEO 2017” Awards. The winners were chosen based on the companies’ sustainable practices in line with social and environmental responsibilities. Get to know more about the award here.

4.  The launch of breakthrough planting materials Eka 1 and Eka 2
   

   In May 2017, we announced the breakthrough of high-yielding oil palm planting materials named Eka 1 and Eka 2. Through an advanced biotechnology programme, these materials were developed in the company’s research centres, SMART Research Institute (SMARTRI) and SMART Biotechnology Centre. Registered in Indonesia’s Catalogue of Seeds and approved by the Directorate General of Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, the seeds will increase yields to the highest levels in the industry, without increasing land under cultivation. Learn more about Eka 1 and Eka 2 here.

5. Inauguration of Sinar Mas Cepsa’s 1^st palm oil-based oleochemicals plant in Indonesia

   Sinar Mas Cepsa, a wholly-owned joint venture between GAR and Cepsa, a leading integrated energy company and world leader in the production of linear alkylbenzene, inaugurated its first oleochemical plant in Dumai, Indonesia. The EUR 300 million plant produces fatty alcohols from sustainably-sourced palm kernel oil, a key ingredient in the manufacture of everyday products such as household cleaning goods and personal care products. For further information, read here.