Workshop - Impact Transparency From the Ground Up

On 25 January 2024, Indonesia Impact Alliance (IIA), in collaboration with the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG), convened a Capacity Building and Stakeholder Engagement Workshop titled “Impact Transparency From the Ground Up.”

Opening the workshop, Romy Cahyadi, Chair of IIA, underscored the growing importance of impact transparency amid rising interest in impact investing in Indonesia. As a newly established association, IIA seeks to increase capital allocation for impact by connecting local stakeholders with global best practices, including through its partnership with GSG.

Representing GSG, Fai Wechayachai outlined the organization’s mission to mobilize capital to address systemic challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. He emphasized that impact transparency is fundamental to effective impact investing, enabling informed decision-making, accountability, and credibility. The workshop forms part of GSG’s global engagement series to gather insights from emerging markets.

The first session, “Beyond Compliance: Managing Impact to Achieve the SDGs,” featured speakers from the UNDP Sustainable Finance Hub and UNDP Impact Fund, who highlighted the need to move beyond compliance toward intentional impact management aligned with the SDGs. With only a limited share of global SDG targets currently on track, discussions emphasized embedding impact into strategy, governance, and operations.

Breakout discussions surfaced practical experiences and challenges, including SDG alignment, impact measurement and management (IMM), data limitations, regulatory complexity, and the importance of collaboration to avoid unintended consequences, particularly at the grassroots level.

The second session, led by Santiago Sueiro (GSG), examined global developments in sustainability reporting, including emerging baseline standards and the role of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). Participants discussed readiness for increased disclosure requirements and the need for harmonization, incentives, and supportive national policies.

In the final session, Lany Harijanti (GRI Indonesia) shared regional insights on sustainability reporting trends in Asia, highlighting growing momentum toward mandatory disclosure and the importance of materiality analysis in capturing both financial and impact dimensions.

The workshop concluded with a shared recognition that impact transparency is not merely a reporting exercise, but a strategic tool to strengthen accountability, attract capital, and accelerate progress toward the SDGs. IIA and GSG reaffirmed their commitment to continued collaboration, knowledge sharing, and ecosystem development in Indonesia.