BASF Indonesia and Prestasi Junior Indonesia join forces to inspire youth towards accelerating sustainable development
- 100 students from Greater Jakarta shared innovative ideas for sustainable development in the ‘Young Voices for a Sustainable Future – Innovation Challenge for a Just Transition’ initiative.
- Winning team receives funding of USD 2,500 to bring their idea to life.
Jakarta, September 15, 2023 – BASF Indonesia collaborated with Prestasi Junior Indonesia (PJI) to implement the “Young Voices for a Sustainable Future – Innovation Challenge for a Just Transition” competition. In its second year of implementation, this educational program aims to raise awareness among the younger generation about climate change and encourage them to create innovative solutions that can accelerate fair and sustainable development. As a result, 100 students from 20 high schools and vocational schools from the Greater Jakarta area came up with a variety of intriguing ideas, such as fabric fibers extracted from orange peel cellulose, single-use edible spoons made from sorghum, plant-based extracts to reduce carbon dioxide levels, and bioplastics produced from crab shell waste.
Christofer Arisandy, President Director of BASF Indonesia, stated, "Indonesia is transforming at a rapid pace towards achieving its Sustainable Development Goals. The future generation possesses the potential and enthusiasm to contribute towards shaping a greener, more equitable, and sustainable world. Through this program, BASF aims to facilitate them in transforming their aspirations into real actions that are valuable and feasible. We believe that with the knowledge and skills acquired through this program, the younger generation will grow into future leaders who prioritize sustainability."
Echoing Christofer’s statement, Robert Gardiner, Academic Advisor and Operational Counsel of Prestasi Junior Indonesia expressed, “The young generation is highly enthusiastic about actively participating and even taking a leading role in shaping and addressing global challenges like sustainability. The ‘Young Voices for a Sustainable Future’ program aims to amplify the voices and potential of young people, enabling them to play a role in sustainable development and tackle issues faced by local communities. Our partnership with BASF is an investment in creating a future with responsible young leaders and stronger communities.”
Out of 20 ideas, Team Cirrus from SMAN 8 Jakarta was declared the winner. The team secured a funding prize of USD 2,500 and six months of intensive guidance to bring their solution to life. The team of 5 students introduced “Citrus by Cirrus”, a fabric fiber derived from the cellulose extraction of orange peels. This concept harnesses the abundance of organic waste into a creative and economically valuable product. Beyond addressing environmental issues, this innovation is anticipated to contribute to local economic growth by empowering the communities.
Nathania Aurelia Nadine Rea, one of the members of Team Cirrus from SMAN 8 Jakarta said, “This program has given us the opportunity to connect with business professionals, academia, and experts, providing us with a wide range of insights and view points on climate change and sustainability. It has been a truly enlightening experience, opening our eyes to the fact that the world relies on the young generation to care and take action. We extend our gratitude to BASF and PJI for the incredible learning and recognition they have provided us.”
The ‘Young Voices for a Sustainable Future – Innovation Challenge for a Just Transition’ is part of BASF’s global societal engagement project and is being held across eight countries, including Indonesia, Uganda, Nigeria, Greece, Chile, Vietnam, Brazil, and Costa Rica, in partnership with Junior Achievement Worldwide (the parent organization of Prestasi Junior Indonesia). In this program, the younger generation participates in a series of learning experiences, including workshops, innovation challenges, mentorship, and global exchange. Throughout the program, BASF volunteers actively share their experiences and insights with the participants.
For more info, please contact:
Mala Ekayanti
Head of Corporate Affairs
BASF Indonesia
Jaya Panggabean
Communications Manager
Prestasi Junior Indonesia
About BASF Indonesia
BASF has been investing in Indonesia since 1976. Today, BASF solutions contribute to the success of its customers in Indonesia in nearly all industries, including agriculture, food, home & personal care, automotive, paints and coatings and chemicals. The head office of BASF in Indonesia is located in Jakarta, with productionsites in Cengkareng, Cimanggis and Merak – all of which are halal certified. In 2022, BASF posted sales of approximately €614 million to customers in Indonesia and employed 483 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF in Indonesia is available at www.basf.com/id.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €87.3 billion in 2022. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.
About Prestasi Junior Indonesia
Prestasi Junior Indonesia (PJI) is part of one of the world’s largest youth-serving NGOs, JA Worldwide, that focuses on preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship. We create pathways for employability, job creation, and financial success by delivering hands-on experiential learning in work readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship education. Reaching more than 500,000 young people since 2011, Prestasi Junior Indonesia is one of the few organizations possessing the scale, experience, and network to forge a brighter future for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, decision-makers, and managers in the country. Over the last five years Prestasi Junior Indonesia, and the JA network, have been recognized as one of the ten most impactful social-good organizations in the world (ranked 5th in 2023) by the Geneva-based thedotgood (formerly NGO Advisor).
For further information, please access:
Website: www.prestasijunior.org | Instagram: @prestasijunior | Facebook: www.facebook.com/prestasijuniorID
-BASF x PJI -Young Voices for a Sustainable Future.pdf/jcr:content.jpg "Preview Image")
