Three Merdeka Group Companies Receive Awards at the 2026 Investortrust ESG Awards
For Merdeka Group, implementing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles is not only part of responsible mining practices but also aligns with its efforts to ensure long-term business resilience. The social and environmental impacts of mining activities can affect a company’s risks, performance, and prospects. As investors pay increasing attention to sustainability issues, credible and transparent disclosures are becoming increasingly important in building trust and strengthening business resilience.
The importance of the relationship between ESG and business performance was a key theme of the 2026 Investortrust ESG Awards. Held in Jakarta on October 29, 2026, the event carried the theme “Trust Through Transparency: Investor-Grade ESG for a Resilient Indonesia.” Three Merdeka Group companies received awards: Merdeka Copper Gold (IDX: MDKA) received the Platinum Star Award in the Big Cap category. In the same category, Merdeka Battery Materials (MBMA) and Merdeka Gold Resources (IDX: EMAS) each received a Gold Star Award.
The awards recognize companies considered successful in integrating ESG practices into their business operations while demonstrating sound financial performance. The assessment covers ESG risk management, the quality of disclosures, and financial and market performance. The three awards were received by Boyke Abidin, President Director of Merdeka Gold Resources, and Bahtiar Manurung, ESG & Climate Change Manager at Merdeka Copper Gold. In his remarks, Boyke said that Merdeka Group continues to strive to comply with applicable regulations while adopting practices that go beyond minimum requirements (beyond compliance) through ESG risk management, stronger governance, and transparent disclosures to stakeholders.
The 2026 Investortrust ESG Awards was initiated by Investortrust.id, an independent portal providing business and economic news and data, with a focus on business, finance, investment, and capital markets. The judging panel was chaired by Prof. Roy Sembel, Professor at IPMI International Business School, and comprised Amir Abadi Jusuf, Chairman of RSM Indonesia; Hanafi Sofyan Guciano, Director of the Center for Sustainability at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia; and Primus Dorimulu, CEO of Investortrust.
One of the key objectives of the 2026 Investortrust ESG Awards is to encourage companies to prepare for the implementation of Indonesia’s Sustainability Disclosure Standards (PSPK) 1 and 2, which will take effect on January 1, 2027. These standards are based on the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S1 and S2, international standards for disclosing sustainability-related financial information and climate-related information. IFRS S1 sets out requirements for disclosing sustainability-related risks and opportunities that could affect a company’s prospects, while IFRS S2 specifically addresses climate-related disclosures. This means companies are expected to go beyond explaining the impacts of their activities on the environment and communities to also disclose how these issues could affect their operations, costs, financial position, and business continuity.
For example, water availability issues around mining areas need to be considered not only in terms of their impacts on local communities but also their potential to disrupt operations or increase management costs. Transparent disclosure of these connections enables investors to identify risks earlier and understand how companies are managing them.
The awards received by the three Merdeka Group companies reflect their achievements in ESG risk management and disclosure transparency. These practices provide an important foundation for addressing increasingly integrated sustainability reporting requirements that link sustainability issues with business risks and prospects.
Main Photo: Boyke Abidin, President Director of Merdeka Gold Resources, delivers his speech.
