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2023 has been a pivotal year for Indonesia, demonstrating leadership in the ASEAN Chairman-ship and preparing for a significant presence at COP28 to highlight the nation’s green credentials in business. At COP28 in Dubai this December, President Joko Widodo underscored the financial challenges in achieving carbon neutrality, pointing out that Indonesia «needs more than US$1 trillion investment…by 2060.» Indonesia is keen to partner with countries like the UAE to realise these goals. During November’s signing of an MOU in meteorology and geophysics with the UAE, Indonesian Ambassador to the UAE, Husin Bagis, offered that a «new area of cooperation between Indonesia and the UAE has been unlocked,» further stating that he hoped both countries «can exchange experiences and experts in the fields of climatology and geophysics.»
Further emphasizing global collaboration, Erick Thohir, Minister of State- Owned Enterprises and Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Ad-Interim, recently discussed Indonesia’s partnership with Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo in forest conservation, hailing «a step forward in establishing good relations» between the countries. He further stated that sustainable forest management is one of Indonesia’s main areas of focus, noting that deforestation in the county is down by 75 percent – «the lowest figure since 1990.»
Since her appointment in 2020, Unilever Indonesia President Director Ira Noviarti has sought to lead change that unlocks the potential of the Indonesian economy, including empowerment and gender equity.
At the helm of Unilever Indonesia is Ira Noviarti, where she leads a team of 4,000-plus employees. Unilever Indonesia is one of Indonesia’s leading Fast Moving Consumer Goods companies, leading in 13 out of 15 consumer categories and ranked in the top ten biggest market capitalization in the Indonesian Stock Exchange. Established in 1933, the company now operates 8 factories that produce 43 brands in over 1,000 SKUs, among others including Pepsodent, Lifebuoy, Wall’s, Royco soup stock and Bango soy sauce, which are all halal certified.
Having once led the company’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Board, Noviarti was instrumental in instituting key initiatives and success measurements to deliver positive change. This included achieving equal male-female representation at the Board as well as senior management levels. A desire to extend this impact to a broader stage then saw her chair the Women in Business Action Council (WiBAC) as part of Indonesia’s B20 Presidency in 2022, spending a year working with global business leaders to set the council’s agenda, and architecting the policies and action recommendations which will be carried forward by future B20s, and in the council’s legacy platform, One Global Women Empowerment (OGWE).
Noviarti’s passion is in alignment with Unilever’s policy of placing its ESG commitments at the heart of its business strategy, and its stated global ambition to «make sustainable living commonplace» through pillars that include improving people’s health, confidence and wellbeing, and contributing to a fairer and more inclusive world. «Companies play a crucial role in being empathic and ensuring their workplaces are safe spaces for women,» Noviarti explains.
