B20 2022 Indonesia calls on CEOs to advance innovative, sustainable and collaborative growth

As Indonesia has taken over the G20 Presidency from Italy since 1st December 2021, key preparations to host G20 Summit later in mid-November 2022 are underway. Business leaders and CEOs across Europe and the UK may engage the G20 Presidency through B20 Indonesia. Here is a quick download on B20 and what to expect from last week’s Inception Meeting.

Why this year might be The Year of Asian Tigers and the Year of Southeast Asia?

Last year - the world turned to the UK and Italy for key global events, namely the G7, COP26 and Global Investment Summit in the UK as well as G20, B20, pre-COP26 in Italy.

This year - the Southeast Asia region will get plenty of global spotlights later in November due to the upcoming back-to-back high profile summits all in the region as follows;

• ASEAN Summit in Cambodia
• B20 Summit and G20 Leaders Summit in Bali, Indonesia
• And APEC Summit in Thailand

(of course it's the year of the water tiger - according to the lunar calendar celebrated this week starting from the 1st of Feb)

Global business community particularly interested in B20 Indonesia and its Summit. According to B20 Chairwoman and CEO of Sintesa Group, Shinta Kamdani during B20 Inception Meeting - B20 Indonesia welcomes 2,000 members, 37% of them are female executives and CEOs. About half from Europe, UK and US headquartered firms. Over 15 CEOs and Chairman level from Europe, UK and US are co-chairing B20 Taskforces/Action Councils.

What is B20? And its role in global recovery…

The Business 20 (B20) is the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community. The B20 aims to deliver concrete actionable policy recommendations on priorities by each rotating presidency to spur economic growth and development - with an average of 1,000 delegates from the G20 countries, including top executives from the leading MNCs.

B20 2022 will be presided by Indonesia, with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) as the appointed organization to organize the B20. Key leadership figures include

• Shinta Kamdani – B20 Chairwoman and CEO of Sintesa Group – who will drive the overall prep and road to B20 Summit.
• Arsjad Rasjid – Executive Chairman of KADIN and CEO of Indika Energy – who joins B20 Advisory Board.
• Anindya Bakrie – Chairman of Supervisory Board at KADIN and CEO of Bakrie & Brothers who will heavily involved at B20 International Advocacy Caucus (IAC).

B20 IAC is the most senior grouping, full with global thought leaders and figures including sir Tony Blair (Executive Chairman of Tony Blair Institute for Global Change) ; Mike Bloomberg (Founder of Bloomberg LP and UN’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions); Lord Bilimoria from Confederation British Industry (CBI) and other.

GIPA is pleased to join as a Network Partner to support B20 Chairwoman and B20 Leaders in bringing in the best global thought leaders onto this year’s B20 IAC, looking forward to a great and productive 2022.

What to expect from B20 Indonesia? Delivering 3 global priorities through 7 taskforces…

Global business community got a glimpse on what B20 Indonesia will bring this year through B20 Indonesia Inception Meeting last week (Thurs, 27th January 2022).

Global economy is seeing a very weak recovery and uneven across the board, with the right enablers we can recover stronger than before. Under the theme "Advancing innovative, inclusive and collaborative growth", B20 Indonesia puts forward 3 priorities throughout 2022:

a)      Embracing a collaborative recovery and growth;

b)      Boosting an innovative global economy; and

c) Forging a sustainable future.

These priorities will be delivered through 7 taskforces and action council:

1.      B20 Taskforce on Trade & Investment

2.      B20 Taskforce on Energy, Sustainability & Climate

3.      B20 Taskforce on Digitalization

4.      B20 Taskforce on Finance & Infrastructure

5.      B20 Taskforce on Future of Work & Education

6.      B20 Taskforce on Integrity & Compliance

7.      B20 Women in Business Action Council

During the B20 Inception Meeting – President of Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi) will use G20 Presidency to invite the B20 Community and networks to shape global public-private partnerships to turbocharge a more inclusive and sustainable economy recovery & growth. President Jokowi emphasised G20’s 3 key areas of focus under the ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’ G20 umbrella so that no one is left behind:

• Global Health Reforms
• Net Zero Energy Transition
• Digital Transformation                  

Indonesia is well positioned to bring the net-zero baton from Glasgow to Bali. B20 Indonesia may continue to raise ambitions & hold business leaders accountable at the back of the COP26 in Glasgow, UK and the COP27 in Egypt.

Looking ahead…

I will try to provide some in-depth reflections on each priorities over the coming weeks. Please stay tune. There are also ways for UK & European companies to get involved in the lead up as well as B20 Summit where it will culminate! Please do get in touch.

Regards

Steven Marcelino, Chairman of Global Indonesia Professionals Association (GIPA) and Managing Partner at Equatorise.

Note:

(1)   ASEAN refers to Association of Southeast Asia Nations

(2)   APEC refers to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, an intergovernmental forum for 21 member economies in the pacific rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region