Sweden is exploring possibilities of doing pro-environment business with Indonesia, visiting Trade Minister Ewa Bjorling said here on Tuesday.
The minister made the statement when opening a seminar themed “Green Growth for Indonesia : A Knowledge Sharing Seminar with Sweden” in Jakarta.
“During the past years, Indonesia has shown a strong commitment to implementing the concept of pro environmental development and tackle the impact of climate change. Sweden, which has implemented an advanced green development concept, believe that our products and knowledge can help Indonesia achieve its pro-environmental development goal,” Ewa said.
Minister Ewa who had brought with her a group of Swedish entrepreneurs from 25 companies in such sectors as engineering, telecommunication and energy, said the most important thing in tackling environmental issues was how to turn problems such as waste into opportunity by turning the waste into bio fuel.
Citing an example, she said green development, also known as Green Growth, pursued by the Swedish government had changed Stockholm from a polluted area into one of the cleanest towns in the world.
“In the concept of Green Growth, we are thinking of how to reduce carbon emission(s) while conducting pro-economy development,” she said.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said Indonesia was very aware of the environmental issue, citing that the government had launched pro-environment programs as one of the pillars of development in the country.
“Green growth is now in progress in Indonesia and we are very much interested in learning from Sweden, which has succeeded in implementing pro-environment principles in its development efforts,” the minister said.
Mari said during her discussion with Minister Bjorling, the latter said that the Swedish government was interested in cooperating with Indonesia in pro-environment sectors such as green technology, green infrastructure, urban living and green energy.
