By: Ciptanti Putri

There was something different in the Jakarta car free day (CFD) area last Sunday (1/3). People were seen crowding a stage that stood in front of the UOB Bank Building on Jalan MH. Thamrin. Music groups took turns entertaining the audience with upbeat songs that enlivened the atmosphere. In between the musicians' performances, the master of ceremonies chatted casually on various topics on environmental issues and green lifestyle. Aditya Aryatama, Digital and Online Coordinator WWF-Indonesia, was the guest speaker and explained the Earth Hour 2015 campaign that will soon be held in March as well as WWF-Indonesia's various efforts that can be supported by the community. There were also speakers from the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS Foundation) who shared information about the orangutan conservation situation in Kalimantan.

The morning event, titled Green Stage, was a series of BCA's 58th anniversary activities. As a publicly listed company with social responsibility for environmental issues, BCA has long supported WWF-Indonesia's conservation efforts. "We want to socialize the message of an environmentally friendly lifestyle. In a broader scope, it is also about caring for forests as the home of animals and a source of livelihood for the surrounding communities," said Inge Setiawati, Corporate Secretary Bank Central Asia Tbk. Inge continued, the CFD area was chosen because urban communities need to always be reminded about environmental issues. "People in urban areas are used to living consumptively, wasting energy, and using everything that is disposable. They need to be made aware of green lifestyles, especially among young people."

BCA's dedication to Indonesia's natural environment is also manifested in mangrove planting in 9 (nine) critical land areas, including Aceh, Lampung, Jakarta, West Java, Jogjakarta, Surabaya, Banyuwangi, Bali, and West Kalimantan. The planting under the NEWtrees Program, which will be conducted from March to April, illustrates BCA's 12 regional offices (four of which are located in the Jakarta area). For the Jakarta area, the planting ceremony will be held at Pantai Indah Kapuk on March 18, 2015.

"In addition to mangrove planting and social actions of low-cost eye treatment and glasses distribution in a number of marginalized areas in Jakarta, we are also holding a short film competition on environmental themes. The participants are young people. We will select the winner at the end of March," said Dwi, BCA Public Relations Officer. The competition is aimed at young people to express their concern for the environment through a video with a maximum duration of 3 minutes.

WWF-Indonesia also opened a booth filled with face painting, 3R workshop, and green-lifestyle photo stage. The public had been lining up since morning, and afterward received a pin with a panda logo as proof of participation. The 'Green Stage' ended with a performance by music group Nidji who also shared various information and tips on green lifestyle.