“In developing countries, business accounts for 60% of GDP and 90% of jobs, so the kind of change envisaged by the SDGs can only be achieved with the input of the private sector,” declared Haoliang Xu, UN Assistant Secretary-General & Director for Asia-Pacific, UNDP; setting an important context for the Responsible Business Forum on Sustainable Development 2016 held in Singapore from Nov 22-24 at the Marina Bay Sands.

 The event, also known as RBF 2016, brought together government leaders, business executives and NGO groups to discuss the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), examine real word case studies and gather perspectives from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. The forum aimed to help companies better understand the UN SDGs and the opportunities they have in supporting governments to achieve them. Representing APRIL was Lucita Jasmin, Director for Sustainability and External Affairs.

 During the panel discussion on the topic of Strengthening Implementation and Revitalising Partnerships for Sustainable Development, Jasmin said, “When you say you are adopting the landscape approach it means you are actually balancing the many values or imperatives that are in the landscape.

“It is about not just thinking about your plantations but also the conservation values that need to be protected, the degraded areas that need to be restored, and the rest of the communities that still have their socio-economic aspirations that we need to enable.

 “It actually requires a rethinking of the long-term strategy of the company because even with the need to halt deforestation and to halt biodiversity loss, we should still be able to pursue business growth and the way we are doing that is by decoupling business growth from further resource impact.”

 Founded in 1973 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Sukanto Tanoto, APRIL is today one of the largest, most technologically advanced and efficient makers of pulp and paper products in the world. APRIL products are PEFC certified, ensuring that all products are sourced from sustainably managed plantations. APRIL’s business vision is centred on the belief that responsible development can build a better future for Indonesia, helping local people to break the poverty cycle and improve their lives.

Check out APRIL’s sustainability policy at http://www.aprilasia.com/en/sustainability