The transition to a low-carbon economy is often framed as a technical challenge. But as highlighted in the ESG Business Institute webinar, it is equally human—shaped by systems that were never designed to be inclusive, and by the women working to change them.

In this session, Angeline Calista, Co-founder and CEO of Sirsak, and Nadilla Sari Ratman, Regional Program Manager at Impact Hub Jakarta, shared both the realities of sustainability—and the realities of leading as women in this space.

Breaking Into Systems Not Designed for Women

For many women, leadership begins with resistance.

Angeline grew up in a patriarchal environment where women were not expected to pursue careers. Instead of accepting this, she pursued higher education, worked across public sector and policy, and eventually built a sustainability-focused company.

Nadilla reflected a similar pressure:

“As a woman, we tend to want to prove ourselves.”

This need to constantly prove capability continues to shape women’s leadership journeys—especially in sectors already resistant to change.

Bias Still Exists—Even in ESG

Despite working in impact-driven spaces, gender bias remains deeply embedded.

Angeline shared that investors questioned her commitment simply because she was getting married—highlighting assumptions that women must choose between leadership and personal life.

She was also asked whether her work was backed by male family members.

At a broader level, Nadilla emphasized that women’s voices are still often underrepresented in decision-making, with leadership structures and funding systems still dominated by men.

Leading in Male-Dominated Industries

Sectors like waste management and energy remain male-dominated.

Nadilla recalled leading in rooms filled almost entirely with men, where self-doubt became a real challenge. Yet, both speakers emphasized that women bring critical strengths:

•      Listening and empathy  

•      Multi-stakeholder thinking  

•      Inclusive leadership  

These qualities are essential in sustainability, where solutions must balance environmental, social, and economic realities.

The Reality of Sustainability Work

Beyond gender barriers, both speakers highlighted a deeper challenge:

Sustainability systems were never designed to work sustainably.

From waste management gaps to cost pressures, businesses still view sustainability as a “nice-to-have” rather than a priority.

Convincing companies to act remains difficult—especially when sustainability is seen as a cost, not a value driver.

This makes progress slow, complex, and often non-linear.

Driving Real Impact on the Ground

Despite these challenges, both leaders are already creating measurable impact.

Angeline’s company, Sirsak, is building Indonesia’s waste traceability infrastructure, connecting collection points, aggregators, and recyclers into a digital ecosystem that enables brands to track and manage post-consumer waste.  

Through its packaging recovery program, Sirsak has:

•      Expanded from 0 to hundreds of collection points within a year  

•      Partnered with corporate clients to recover packaging waste  

•      Secured pre-seed funding (~US$600K) to scale its system  

The company is also working to solve one of the hardest problems in sustainability— low-value plastic waste—while supporting informal waste workers and improving transparency across the value chain.  

Meanwhile, Nadilla leads regional programs at Impact Hub Asia Pacific, driving initiatives that support inclusive entrepreneurship and sustainability ecosystems.

Her work includes:

•      Leading BEAM (Building Entrepreneurial Access Models), supporting entrepreneurs—including women and persons with disabilities—across multiple countries  

•      Collaborating with global partners such as Cartier Women’s Initiative, Bayer Foundation, and Bank of America to fund and scale impact-driven ventures  

•      Managing programs that bridge climate action, gender inclusion, and circular economy solutions across Asia Pacific  

Together, their work demonstrates that sustainability is not just theory—it is being built, tested, and scaled in real-world systems.

Final Thought

Sustainability is a long and complex journey—and for women, the path is often layered with additional barriers.

Yet, these leaders show that progress is already happening.

From building national waste systems to enabling inclusive entrepreneurship across regions, their work proves that women are not just navigating challenges—they are reshaping industries and creating measurable impact.

“We have the superpower… to nurture, to lead, and to keep going.”

Want to dive deeper? Sign up as an ESG Business Institute Member to view the full recording of this webinar and gain access to more exclusive insights.