Enviro News Asia, Denpasar — Businesses must go beyond basic environmental compliance by developing innovations that protect ecosystems, strengthen social benefits and support sustainable development, Environment Minister and Head of the Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) Moh Jumhur Hidayat said.
Jumhur made the statement while attending the 2026 Environmental and Social Innovation Awards (ENSIA) in Denpasar, Bali, on September 10. He said business-led innovation can strengthen environmental compliance while contributing to ecosystem restoration.
According to Jumhur, environmental compliance requires a combination of approaches, ranging from moral awareness and social responsibility to legal enforcement.
“Environmental protection must not be viewed as an obstacle to development,” Jumhur said. Economic activities and development, he added, should advance alongside efforts to protect and restore the environment.
KLH/BPLH is promoting a development approach that links economic growth with environmental protection. Jumhur said ENSIA demonstrates how companies can continue developing their businesses while simultaneously restoring and protecting ecosystems.
He also highlighted the global triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and environmental degradation. Addressing these challenges requires business innovation that considers both environmental and social impacts rather than focusing solely on economic growth.
Jumhur outlined four principles that should guide such innovation: creating green jobs, strengthening social preparation and integration, promoting a zero-accident safety culture, and advancing the Ecological Repentance Movement, or Gerakan Tobat Ekologis.
The minister said ENSIA supports KLH/BPLH’s push for a “beyond compliance” approach, in which companies voluntarily exceed minimum environmental obligations through measurable innovations and concrete actions.
Business contributions to environmental recovery can take various forms, including waste management, ecosystem rehabilitation, resource efficiency, clean-energy transition and green-economy development.
PT SUCOFINDO President Director Sandry Pasambuna said ENSIA provides a platform for businesses to exchange innovations and share best practices in sustainability.
“ENSIA gives companies an opportunity to demonstrate their innovation commitments and achievements to stakeholders. Participants also gain recognition for their initiatives while having a platform to share best practices and expand sustainability networks,” Sandry said.
The 2026 ENSIA attracted 253 companies, which submitted 954 innovation projects and involved 48 local heroes. The increased participation reflects growing business interest in innovations that generate environmental and social benefits.
KLH/BPLH said continued cooperation among government, businesses and communities would be essential to ensuring that economic development also delivers environmental protection and restoration for future generations. (*)
