Bunyu Island, North Kalimantan – PT Pertamina EP (PEP) Bunyu Field reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable development by holding the Bunyu Environment Youth Gathering (BEYG) 2025 at SMK Negeri 1 Bunyu, North Kalimantan, on May 15, 2025. A total of 50 students actively participated in this program, which was designed to instill early awareness and understanding of environmental issues.

Carrying the theme “Waste Management and Mangrove Conservation, including Mangrove Seedling Techniques,” BEYG 2025 focused on strengthening the younger generation's role in protecting coastal ecosystems and promoting responsible environmental management practices. This theme was chosen in response to the importance of cross-stakeholder collaboration in addressing environmental challenges in the Company’s operational areas.

The PEP Bunyu Field team officially opened the event, demonstrating the Company’s support for youth capacity-building in the environmental field. The opening session featured Nurhadi Muslim, PEP Bunyu Field's environment officer, who delivered a session on practical and contextual waste management. His presentation covered waste classification, environmental impacts, decomposition timeframes, and sustainable management approaches, including the importance of avoiding waste burning and reducing waste at the source.

The BEYG program is part of the company’s sustainability strategy to transfer PEP Bunyu’s core competencies to the community, particularly students who will be future leaders. This initiative also reflects the Company’s consistent support for environmental conservation in its operational areas, especially on Bunyu Island. “Through BEYG 2025, we encourage students to be environmental change agents—from simple actions like waste sorting to active participation in mangrove conservation. We believe sustainable environmental transformation requires real contributions from the younger generation,” said Nurhadi Muslim.

Principal of SMK Negeri 1 Bunyu, Kokom Komariyah, expressed her appreciation for the program. According to her, BEYG 2025 supports the implementation of P5 (Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project/Projek Penguatan Profil Pelajar Pancasila) in the Merdeka Curriculum launched by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. “Students gain environmental knowledge and are encouraged to think critically and take real action. This aligns well with the character values in P5. Thank you to PT Pertamina EP Bunyu Field for this outstanding collaboration,” she said.

The next session featured speakers from PEP Bunyu Field’s mangrove conservation technical team, Suprapto and M. Tigo Gunawan. Their presentation emphasized the urgency of preserving mangrove ecosystems as a key element in maintaining coastal stability. Mangroves help reduce the risk of abrasion and provide habitats for marine biodiversity, but they also play a significant role in climate change mitigation through their high carbon absorption capacity.

As part of an applied educational approach, participants were introduced to the various mangrove species found on Bunyu Island and equipped with technical knowledge of mangrove seedling procedures. This activity was designed to foster practical awareness and active student involvement in sustainable conservation efforts.

The enthusiasm of the participants was evident during the interactive discussion session. For instance, Rina, a Grade 11 student, asked a question about practical steps that could be taken to start mangrove planting at school and how to encourage community involvement. Other students raised insightful questions about waste management and mangrove conservation, ranging from applicable school practices to real-world challenges in preserving the mangrove ecosystem on Bunyu Island. The open and engaging atmosphere, supported by responsive speakers, fostered a constructive and educational dialogue space.

The students’ enthusiasm also shone during a fun and dynamic quiz session, where they responded quickly and accurately—demonstrating strong comprehension of the material. This session served as a learning evaluation tool and an enjoyable and participatory way to reinforce understanding of environmental issues.

With a spirit of collaboration and education, PEP Bunyu Field hopes this activity will spark a broader environmental movement on Bunyu Island—starting from schools and expanding to the wider community.

PT Pertamina EP (PEP) Bunyu Field operates under Subholding Upstream Regional 3, led by PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI), which conducts upstream oil and gas operations adhering to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. In collaboration with SKK Migas, PEP Bunyu Field and PHI's subsidiaries and affiliates implement innovative CSR programs in areas such as the economy, education, health, environment, infrastructure, and disaster response. These initiatives support sustainable community empowerment and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PHI is headquartered in Jakarta. For more information, visit https://phi.pertamina.com.