From Short Course Learning to Climate Leadership at PLN
Fanny Abdul Aziz is Vice President of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) at Indonesia’s State Electricity Company (PLN), where he has worked for more than 15 years. In 2022, following PLN’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2060, he was appointed Manager of Climate Change and tasked with strengthening the company’s ESG performance, improving its sustainability disclosures, and supporting access to financing for the energy transition. Fanny’s Australia Awards experience began with the Short Course on Climate Finance at Griffith University and later continued through the Nusantara Scholarship, enabling him to pursue a Master of Business Innovation at Monash University Indonesia while remaining in his career.
Short course outcomes
The Short Course provided Fanny with practical knowledge that was immediately relevant to his responsibilities at PLN. He was introduced to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework, which helps organisations explain how climate-related risks and opportunities affect business performance and financial decision-making. Fanny applied this learning directly to PLN’s reporting processes, helping the company introduce more comprehensive climate-related disclosures in 2023. The approach improved the way PLN communicated with investors and supported the company’s efforts to access sustainable finance.
The Short Course also created a valuable professional network across government, business, and the climate policy community. Fanny connected with decision-makers and technical experts working on climate change, including people from the Ministry of National Development Planning and the Ministry of Environment. These relationships made it easier for him to access relevant climate data and exchange ideas on policy and reporting. The strength of this network led to a PLN-specific initiative: Fanny proposed that PLN collaborate with AAI through the 2024 Climate Finance Short Course, in which all participants were PLN employees.
Pursuing a Masters will furthering his career
Before the Nusantara Scholarship was introduced, Fanny had postponed postgraduate study because he was concerned about choosing between academic development and continuing his career. The Nusantara Scholarship allowed him to study for a Master of Business Innovation at Monash University Indonesia while remaining employed at PLN. This combination of study and work was particularly valuable because he could immediately test academic ideas against real organisational challenges.
As part of his scholarships, in 2024, Fanny participated in the Australia Leadership Program in Melbourne. The program strengthened his understanding of leadership, organisational management, and diversity. It encouraged him to consider how inclusive leadership can support better decision-making in large and complex institutions.
“During the leadership program at Monash’s Australian campus, I gained valuable insights into leadership and management, particularly Australia’s approach to embracing diversity,” he explained.
The experience complemented his academic study and helped him grow into a broader strategic leadership role at PLN. Fanny has since applied this combined learning to improve PLN’s climate and sustainability reporting. In PLN’s 2025 Annual Report, published in early 2026, he introduced a dedicated section showing revenue generated from renewable energy across the company’s power-generation assets. Previously, this information was not clearly presented in the main financial statements, making it difficult for stakeholders to identify and track. The revised approach strengthened the connection between financial reporting, renewable energy performance, and sustainability outcomes, and was subsequently recognised by the Indonesian Institute of Accountants as a benchmark for sustainability-related financial disclosure.
