Minister Suharso Calls Circular Economy a Strategy for Achieving a Green Economy

Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas Suharso Monoarfa called the circular economy one of the strategies in realizing a green economy. This was conveyed by the Minister, when delivering a speech at the Green Economy Expo 2024 which carried the theme Advancing Technology, Innovation and Circularity, Wednesday (03/07/2024).

According to him, implementing a circular economy can encourage the implementation of the 9R principles, namely refuse, rethink, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle and recover. These nine principles mean rejecting, rethinking, reducing, reusing, repairing, renovating, remaking, changing function and recycling.

The Minister added that the circular economy in Indonesia will be implemented in 5 priority sectors, namely the food, electronics, plastic packaging, construction and textile sectors.

According to him, implementing a circular economy in 5 priority sectors will provide a number of benefits. First, increase GDP to IDR 638 trillion. Second, create 4.4 million green jobs.

Third, reduce waste generation by up to 52% in 2030 compared to using a business as usual approach. Fourth, reduce 126 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

In particular, the Minister also highlighted other benefits of implementing a circular economy in the food sector. According to him, this also functions to control food loss and food waste. According to him, this strategy can reduce the amount of waste generation and prevent the risk of economic losses of up to IDR 551 trillion per year.

“Utilizing leftover food that is still fit for consumption can meet the energy needs of 62% of the total energy-deficient population,” said the Minister.

“Managing food loss and waste also contributed to reducing emissions by up to 1,702.9 Mt CO2-ek or 7.3% of Indonesia’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2019,” he added.

The Minister hopes that the Green Economy Expo will be a melting pot for green innovation, where ideas meet, solutions emerge, and partnerships develop.

As additional information, the Green Economy Expo 2024 event which carries the theme Advancing Technology, Innovation and Circularity, is supported by PT Pertamina (Persero), UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), USAID-SINAR, GIZ-ClimB, European Union (EU), Embassy of Denmark, PT Yokogawa Indonesia, UNDP-Biofin, GIZ-SOLUSI, GGGI Indonesia, Global Alliance for Improve Nutrition, and UN-PAGE.

Source: Bappenas