Indonesian’s Path to a Circular Future: Insights from the World Circular Economy Forum 2024 and Germany's Bilateral Environmental Cooperation

Embracing a circular economy offers Indonesia a pathway to sustainable development, balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship and social well-being. By adopting circular economy principles, Indonesia addresses its pressing waste management issues, create economic opportunities, and build a more resilient and sustainable future.

The World Circular Economy Forum 2024 (WCEF2024), celebrated in Brussels in April 2024, is a global collaboration platform that facilitates collaboration and learning among countries. The event provided a valuable opportunity for delegates worldwide, including the Indonesian government, to learn best practices from other countries about circular economy and share their progress and action plans on the issue.

This year, Indonesia has participated at the Forum with a delegation from Bappenas and KLHK. Priyanto Rohmattullah, Director of Environment at Bappenas, and Asri Hadiyanti Giastuti (technical associate) held a session on Strengthening National Climate Plans through Circular Action on 17 April 2024.

After the Forum, Pak Priyanto visited Bonn, where he met with the German Federal Ministry for Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). During this high-level meeting, BMUV and BMZ emphasized the importance of cooperation between Germany and Indonesia, highlighting the long-standing and successful relationship between the two countries in environmental cooperation. For Germany, Indonesia is a highly important and strategic partner, marked by significant economic growth and increasing efforts towards biodiversity and climate change.

BAPPENAS also expressed its appreciation for the German government's bilateral support, particularly in the climate and biodiversity sectors. The ongoing support for the Indonesian Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IBSAP) was deemed crucial, as this document will serve as a strategic guideline for both state and non-state actors and align with the agreed Biodiversity Management Index and the outcomes of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

Following these discussions, both BAPPENAS and the German government (BMUV and BMZ) agreed to strengthen their environmental cooperation in the future through technical and financial support. This cooperation aims to realize the Indonesian government’s action plan on environmental issues, including the new roadmap for circular economy policy. The Indonesia’s action plan will later synergize with other stakeholders including private sectors, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and development partners to implement sustainable waste management and achieve climate neutrality by 2060 or sooner.

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