Indonesia

Denmark and Indonesia cooperate on Circular Economy and Waste Management. It is the objective of the Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) partnership to foster a green and sustainable economy through circular economy thereby utilization of scares resources and reducing negative impacts on the environment, livelihoods, economy and public health.

Strategic Sector Cooperation

The SSC partnership was initiated in 2018 and involves central and local authorities in Denmark and Indonesia as well as cooperation with civil society organisations, universities and private sector.

Indonesian households produce more than 65 million tons of waste every year. With population and economic growth, this is estimated to increase with 2-4 % annually. About half of the waste is collected and brought to landfills, while the remaining ends up in nature, in waterways or in the sea.

Waste represents an economic opportunity for innovative business. Through circular economy waste should no longer be end of consumption but the beginning as all materials retain potential as a resource for something new.

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency (DEPA) partners with the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) and the Embassy of Denmark in Jakarta to collaborate on Indonesia’s transition towards a more circular and green economy. The SSP partnership has an implementation period of 2018- 2022 and is financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and DEPA and with activities within the following:

• Policy dialogue on green and sustainable transition and development
• Strategic advice on regulatory framework and sector change
• Technical advice on selected topics related to circular economy and waste management
• Training, education and applied research
• Dissemination of lessons learned and best practices
• Enhancement of commercial opportunities in the sector

The Danish Minister of Environment, Lea Wermelin, and the Indonesian Minister of Planning, Bambang Brojonegoro, inaugurating a national study on circular economy potentials of the Indonesian economy. Photo: Jan Møller Hansen 2020.

The SSC partnership between Denmark and Indonesia focuses on the following thematic areas:

• Circular Economy and Green Transition
• Extended Producer Responsibility
• General and Organic Waste Management and Treatment
• Waste Banks and Recycling Facilities
• Waste Data Collection and Data Management

DEPA and the Embassy of Denmark collaborate with KLHK as the lead partner, local authorities in five cities (Depok, Jambi, Malang, Bukkittingi and Banda Aceh), international partners, sector associations, universities and private companies in Indonesia, Denmark and other countries. The cooperation with cities includes advice and exchange of best practices within municipality waste planning, organization, services and operations, financing, waste energy recovery and other issues of relevance for the Indonesian local authorities at provincial and municipality levels.

Steering Committee meeting with the Ministry of Environment and Forests of Indonesia. Jakarta 2019.

Visit to Odense Waste Utility. 2019.

Discussion of strategies, tools and means of communicating with the public and schools in Denmark. Vestforbrænding, Denmark. 2019.

Furthermore, the SSC partnership includes the add-on project Sustainable Island Initiative (SII), which is implemented in collaboration with the Danish Energy Agency and local authorities on the islands of Lombok and Batam/Riau. For more information on the SII, please see here.