Da Nang - PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI), through its subsidiary, Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), continues to prove its commitment to community development and environmental conservation. This commitment is established through the international recognition obtained at the 15th Global CSR & ESG Summit & Awards 2023 (29/8) for two of PHM's flagship CSR programs, namely the Mahakam Endemic Pesut Conservation Program (Pusut Comics) and the Waste to Energy for Community Program ( Wasteco). Both programs got the highest Platinum award at the event, which was held in Da Nang City, Vietnam.

Entitled "Driving Transformational Change Beyond Greenwashing," The 15th Global CSR & ESG Summit & Awards 2023 emphasizes assessing contributions to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Annual Global CSR Awards is an international event at the Asia Pacific level, held annually to give awards to companies that have carried out CSR in a sustainable manner and achieved measurable outcomes with a selective assessment system.

Pesut Comics is a conservation program for the Mahakam Pesut, which currently has critically endangered status, and only 85 individuals remain. Komik Pesut integrates conservation with community empowerment through a community-based tourism sector. Located in Pela Village, Kota Bangun District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency, the Company collaborates with Pokdarwis Bekayuh Baumbai Bekultur as the manager of Pela Tourism Village, the Rare Aquatic Species of Indonesia Conservation Foundation (RASI), as well as other related stakeholders.

The Pesut comic invites fishermen to reduce the use of fishing gear that disturbs the Mahakam dolphin habitat. PHM has also developed the pinger Acoustic innovation in fishing boats/nets. The acoustic pinger emits a sonar whose frequency can be heard by the dolphins so that the dolphins will not get close to the fishermen's nets. This acoustic pinger is an innovation of modification of sound resonance used in seismic processes. This innovation succeeded in reducing 66% of the dolphins that became entangled so that no more dolphins became entangled in fishing nets.

PHI Senior Manager Relations, Farah Dewi, received the award directly and said that this award is a form of international recognition for the Company's CSR Program, which contributes to supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Pela Tourism Village encourages the local economy and mobilizes more than 500 people by managing homestays and developing MSMEs and tourist attractions. Conservation education has also turned community hunters into Pesut Rangers, who actively protect the existence of the Mahakam Pesut. "Every month, more than 200 domestic and foreign tourists visit Pela Village," added Farah.

Meanwhile, the Wasteco Program is part of Pertamina's Independent Energy Village (DEB) initiative, which supports national energy transition efforts through the use of new & renewable energy sources (EBT) from methane gas produced by domestic/organic waste at the Manggar TPAS. The Wasteco program integrates the Company's core competency in the form of expertise in gas capture and distribution techniques, which are implemented into community empowerment programs. This effort was developed by PHM together with the Balikpapan City Environmental Service.

"Until August 2023, Wasteco gas distribution has been distributed to more than 350 household connections with a methane gas supply reaching 594,000 m3/year. One thousand two hundred fifty people, including 28 MSMEs, felt the direct benefits of using methane gas as a domestic energy source. "Wasteco also contributed to reducing potential carbon emissions by 288,449 tonnes CO2eq/year," said Farah.

Wasteco's innovation has been replicated in several regions. One is Taro Village, Gianyar Regency, Bali, for using the Pokdarwis business. In June 2023, Wasteco also received a patent from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia for Wasteco, a methane gas optimization equipment using technology.

In a separate place, the General Manager of PHM, Setyo Sapto Edi, welcomed the awards received by PHM through its excellent programs. "This award is a challenge for us to continue to innovate and spread sustainable benefits to society and the environment through developing community empowerment programs and environmental conservation. "These programs are part of the implementation of managing the Company's ESG aspects, which contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals/SDGs," said Edi.

By integrating conservation and tourism, Komik Pesut is in line with Sustainable Development Goals/SDGs goal 8, decent work and economic growth, and goal 14, ocean ecosystems. Meanwhile, the Wasteco program encourages the achievement of goal 7, clean and affordable energy, and goal 13, handling climate change.

PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM) is a PHI subsidiary that carries out upstream oil and gas operations and business by ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) principles in the Mahakam Working Area in East Kalimantan. PHM and Subsidiaries and other PHI affiliates carry out innovative Social and Environmental Responsibility programs in Economy, Education, Health, Environment, Infrastructure, and Disaster Response to support sustainable community empowerment and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PHI is headquartered in Jakarta. Further information about PHI is available at https://phi.pertamina.com.