Obviously Sustainable Launches Its First Annual Report: A Landmark Moment for People-Centred Twin Transitions

At The Conduit in London, a space known for ideas that challenge convention and spark collective action, Obviously Sustainable marked a major milestone: the launch of our first Annual Report 2023–2024. The moment unfolded alongside a powerful conversation with the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI) on one of the defining questions of our era—how can Southeast Asia advance the green and digital transitions in a way that is fair, inclusive, and truly centred on people?

This dual celebration—a report launch and a regional dialogue—captured the essence of what Obviously Sustainable (OS) has set out to do since its founding: mobilise action, bridge policy and practice, and empower communities to shape their own sustainable futures.

A Year of Inception, Mission, and Momentum

The report, titled “The Inception. The Mission. The Journey Onwards.”, chronicles OS’s first full operational year. Born in October 2022—halfway through the SDGs timeline and in the wake of a pandemic that acted as both a “pause” and an “accelerator” for global systems—the organisation rooted itself in a simple but urgent mission: mobilising actions and advancing people-centred twin transitions—green and digital.

The Annual Report captures how this mission translated into practice: by working across governments, businesses, civil society, and communities to ensure that sustainability is not a distant ideal, but a lived and shared reality.

Insights from the Co-Founder & CEO: A Social Enterprise Built for Impact

In his opening note, Co-founder & CEO Rezha Bayu Oktavian Arief reflects on a year shaped by both challenge and possibility. He describes OS not as a conventional consultancy, but as an impact-driven social enterprise built to catalyse systems change through equity-grounded innovation, public–private collaboration, and evidence-based action.

“Our vision is to drive systemic transformation by empowering people and institutions to lead in a just, inclusive, and sustainable future.” (Annual Report, p. 3–4). This conviction guided every engagement, every study, and every partnership undertaken throughout 2023–2024.

What We Delivered: Transformative Actions Across Sectors

The Annual Report details four interconnected areas of action, each designed to unlock equitable and sustainable opportunities during this period of rapid transition.

Reimagining Public & Private Sector Roles

From a national study on Indonesia’s digital transformation law to a post-pandemic MSME landscape analysis, OS supported institutions in embedding long-term sustainability, innovation, and inclusion into their systems. These insights revealed, for example, that nearly two-thirds of Indonesia’s MSMEs remain digitally unintegrated, highlighting the urgency of bridging the digital divide (p. 6–7)

Investing in People: Women, Youth, and Emerging Workforce

OS led the Smart Change Female Founders Accelerator, supporting women entrepreneurs—who form 64% of Indonesia’s SMEs—and sending a women-founded AI mental health startup to the AsiaBerlin Summit (p. 10–11). The report also documents OS’s role in evaluating the 24-year legacy of the StuNed Scholarship Programme, revealing its powerful contributions to bilateral cooperation and future talent development (p. 11)

Navigating the Green Transition: Energy, Human Rights, and Just Transformation

From studies on just energy transitions with KAS to a baseline study on corporate human rights performance with AICHR Thailand, OS explored how the green transition can uplift—not marginalise—workers and vulnerable communities across ASEAN (p. 12–14).

Strengthening Livelihoods and Digital Inclusion

OS addressed the rise of illegal online lending (pinjol) by partnering with Fintopia to advocate for stronger digital financial literacy (p. 16). The team also engaged 1,519 businesses through the ASEAN Annual Business Survey and collaborated with Riot Games and Aksaramaya on digital safety, talent development, and positive tech adoption (p. 17) .

A Collective Reflection at The Conduit, London

The report launch event was framed by a regional conversation on sustainability in Southeast Asia. It brought together experts in climate, ocean governance, and digital transformation, underscoring the same values OS championed in its Annual Report: people first, collaboration always, and transitions that are just by design.

The dialogue captured why OS’s work matters. The twin transitions are not simply technological or environmental shifts—they are social transformations that demand empathy, equity, and inclusion.

Looking Ahead: The Journey Onwards

The Annual Report closes with a clear message: the work has only begun. As global and regional transitions accelerate, OS aims to deepen partnerships, scale evidence-based programmes, and continue centring communities in every solution.

This first Annual Report is more than a reflection—it is an invitation. An invitation to policymakers, businesses, youth, funders, and innovators to join a movement determined to reshape Southeast Asia’s future with integrity, creativity, and collective purpose.

Obviously Sustainable’s journey onwards is shared—and everyone has a role to play.