A Partnership-driven Approach in Bangladesh and Indonesia

About

In late July, P4G Global Director Ian de Cruz and Engagement Manager Daniel Mejia will meet with business and government leaders in Bangladesh in Indonesia to discuss the opportunity for public-private partnerships to deliver on these countries’ respective green growth agendas and contribute to growth and leadership on national and international scales.

For both countries, the effects of climate change are beginning to appear suddenly and with great force. According to a 2018 report by the Journal on Nature and Climate Change, almost 200,000 reluctant farmers in Bangladesh may be forced to migrate due to coastal flooding. In Indonesia, where 50-60 million people depend directly on the landscape for their livelihoods, tropical forests and peatlands continue to remain under threat of logging and agricultural expansion. This is critical not only for the local populations, but also for carbon storage – integral to the world’s efforts to combat climate change.

Both countries, signatories of the Paris Agreement, have committed their course to ambitious growth and development plans: with Bangladesh specially focused on the power, transport and industry sectors, and Indonesia on land use, waste management and energy. While these commitments are important steps forward in terms of climate change mitigation and adaptation, they also instigate societal shifts towards more inclusive systems that will improve the health, well-being, economic stability and overall empowerment of everyday citizens. The ability to successfully incorporate this spectrum of potential in partnership-driven solutions is the core motivator behind P4G's collaboration with these countries. 

“Our meetings with leaders in Bangladesh and Indonesia will be essential to further understanding how P4G can connect decision-makers across sectors to underscore and support an internationally-recognized approach to green, inclusive growth,” said de Cruz. “We see great potential in the projects and ideas we've encountered through P4G partnership applications and look forward to learning about the ways in which the P4G network can further expand to and work with our connections to accelerate sustainable and forward-thinking solutions.”

Already, the Indonesia Food Loss and Waste Action Partnership, a 2018 P4G Start-Up project, is aimed at  cutting food loss and waste in country by 50% by 2030. Additionally, several applicants to P4G’s 2019 Partnership fund pose solutions for focus sectors in both countries, respectively. In August and September 2019, P4G will announce its start-up and scale-up selections – continuing to forge ahead on a partnership-driven approach to green growth worldwide.