Jakarta, Indonesia – APRIL Group’s ongoing commitments to sustainable business, transparency and the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were recognised at the Sustainable Business Awards (SBAs) Indonesia where it received several awards and was declared Overall Winner.

The company, a leading producer of fibre, pulp and paper with plantations and manufacturing operations in Riau Sumatra, Indonesia, received awards for Best in Strategy and Sustainability Management, Best Stakeholder Engagement and Materiality, Best in UN SDGs, as well as a special award for its contribution to UN SDG 4 - Quality Education.

At a ceremony at the Westin Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia last Friday, Lucita Jasmin, Director of Sustainability and External Affairs, APRIL Group and Ibrahim Hasan, President Commissioner, PT. Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper, the operating arm of APRIL Group, accepted the awards from the Minister of National Development Planning, His Excellency Dr. (HC) Ir. H. Suharso Monoarfa.

“The awards acknowledge the progress APRIL has made in implementing its sustainability commitments over the past five years,” said Ms. Jasmin. “They serve to encourage us to build on this momentum and continue our progress as we move on to the next level of commitments for 2030 which we will announce soon. We know we need to continue championing the SDGs in Indonesia and also respond to the need for more positive impact on climate and nature.”

“We’re fully committed to sustainable forest management as part of our production-protection model, where economic and social development is integrated with environmental protection, in line with the goals of the Indonesian Government and the SDGs. This model recognises that development and sustainability are two sides of the same coin in Indonesia,” said Triana Krisandini, Assistant Director, Sustainability, APRIL Group.

Shinta Kamdani, President, Indonesia Business Council Sustainable Development, said: “The reality is that our country’s sustainability goals will not be achieved without the ongoing input and leadership of private companies, because they have the resources, specialized skills, cutting edge technologies and innovations. This is why welcome initiatives such as the SBAs, which highlights the different ways in which private sector companies are implementing sustainability into their operations”.

The best strategy and sustainability management award acknowledges businesses for their approach and strategy for addressing sustainability issues. APRIL continues to be focused on the implementation of its Sustainable Forest Management Policy 2.0 commitments, while also embedding its approach across the company’s supply chain.

The best stakeholder engagement and materiality award recognized APRIL’s progress in building and maintaining frameworks and policies for engaging with the company’s stakeholders, from suppliers and employees through to customers and regulators.

The SDGs award was a result of APRIL’s in-depth assessment of its priority SDGS and the baseline social and economic impact on the areas where it operates, carried out in cooperation with PwC and UNDP Indonesia, using the Goals as a framework.

“The value of this initiative is that it allows us to connect our strategies and contributions to global and national priorities in Indonesia, while translating this to action and benefits on the ground at the community or village level,” said Ms. Krisandini.