Satrio Dwi Prakoso - SEP Case Story

Satrio Prakoso is an accredited professional in the green building and sustainability field. He is the Director and Principal Consultant of Sustainahaus, a sustainability consulting firm in Asia. Based in Jakarta, Indonesia, Satrio helps clients achieve green building certifications such as LEED, EDGE, WELL, Greenship, etc, as well as manage and improve ESG programs for organizations, such as Sustainability reporting and assurance, GHG accounting, GRESB, and net-zero strategy. In this interview, he shares why he pursued his Sustainability Excellence Professional (SEP) credential and tips for those starting out in the field.


What brought you to this moment in your career where the Sustainability Excellence Professional (SEP) credential made sense for you?


My journey into the world of sustainability began during my academic pursuits, where I earned my bachelor's and master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus on New and Renewable Energy. Yet, this narrative began in 2015, a time when the world's thirst for sustainability expertise in Indonesia was in its nascent stage. 


My story took a pivotal turn during my tenure at a Construction Management firm, where I was responsible for the MEP works in a LEED Platinum building in Jakarta's CBD. This experience ignited my passion for green building and sustainable practices. The plot thickened as I transitioned to a real estate asset management company that invests in sustainable real estate projects across Asia. Under the visionary leadership of the Green Building Steering Committee, the sustainability team (including me) steered the ship towards unprecedented success, making the firm a leader in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scores in GRESB and attaining multiple green building certifications.


As the demand for sustainability reverberated louder within Indonesia, I heeded the call by founding Sustainahaus in 2020. This consulting firm was conceived to deliver expert counsel in green building and sustainability. I recognize that this mission demanded more than just fervor; it needed comprehensive knowledge, unwavering adherence to best practices, and a strategic vision to navigate the intricate landscape of sustainability programs for our clients.


In my relentless quest for excellence in sustainability, I worked with the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) on a multitude of green building certification projects. They manage diverse sustainability certification programs, including the Sustainability Excellence certification. My journey led me to earn the Sustainability Excellence Associate (SEA) certification in 2020 and, more recently, the distinguished Sustainability Excellence Professional (SEP) certification in 2023.


How are you putting the knowledge, skills and ability demonstrated in the SEP to work in your career (or work) today?


The SEP certification acts as the bridge connecting the intricate puzzle of sustainability frameworks to the real-world implementation within corporate sustainability initiatives. It's crucial to have a trusty guide in your pocket, showing you how to navigate the labyrinth of stakeholder concerns and power dynamics, and how they impact the programs we steer. The stakes are high, as a failure to identify key stakeholders and grasp their needs can spell doom for even the most well-planned programs.


SEP provides me with the Plan-Evaluate-Implement-Adjust framework, a simple yet effective methodology for navigating sustainability programs. I utilize it as my compass, steering the client in setting clear goals, devising solid strategies and tactics, partnering up with all stakeholders in a seamless implementation, spotting and tackling challenges, and continuously honing the client's sustainability game. With this framework in hand, we've been able to effectively guide the clients toward their sustainability goals, serving as their trusted advisors on this critical journey. 


For those starting out in the sustainability field, what advice do you have for them?


Sustainability is an ongoing journey for organizations. Some trailblazers have been spearheading initiatives that far exceed the bare minimum, setting the bar high. Meanwhile, others are just embarking on the journey, realizing the potential for enhancing their bottom line through sustainable practices. The same holds true for sustainability practitioners.


For those who are just beginning to follow this path, continuous learning is the linchpin. Leveraging resources like SEA and SEP is extremely important to have a body of knowledge at your disposal. Yet, don't stop there. Learn from the seasoned pros and the communities in the field. Look for mentors who can guide you through the intricacies of sustainability. Join vibrant communities, like the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP), to be part of a collective force that propels your career in sustainability to new heights. In the world of sustainability, running alongside experts and a supportive community is like having a turbocharger for cars. Full throttle!


Read perspectives from the ISSP blog

By Jacqueline Kerr, PHD May 27, 2026
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By Nitesh Dullabh April 28, 2026
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By By Amy Hall, MSc, Education Lead, TripleWin Advisory March 23, 2026
March 23, 2026 I spend a lot of time thinking about how we teach sustainability. Not just the what , but the how and why . At TripleWin Advisory , a woman-founded, -owned, and -led sustainability consultancy and registered public benefit company, we believe real progress on circularity requires more than good intentions. It requires practitioners who are genuinely equipped to act. That conviction is what led us to develop two courses now available through ISSP: Cultivate and Mitigate . Both courses have since been adopted by universities and are reaching sustainability students across the country. Knowing what went into building them makes me want to share the story behind each one. Mitigate: Built From Practice, Not Textbooks Mitigate was created from hands-on work with partners tackling one of the most pressing issues in sustainability: food waste. Reducing food waste is consistently ranked among the highest-impact solutions to climate change, and yet it remains one of the most underfunded and under-addressed areas in the field. TripleWin Advisory has worked with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment (PCFWC) , a public-private partnership whose frameworks were ultimately adopted at the national level. Those assets, that research, and those hard-won insights form the backbone of Mitigate. When we talk about food waste reduction strategies in this course, we're drawing on frameworks that have been tested and refined in real supply chains and policy environments. For learners who want to do this work professionally, that grounding matters. The University of Wisconsin has integrated Mitigate into their undergraduate and graduate sustainability programs, which speaks to what the course offers academically: rigorous, applied content that bridges the classroom and the field.
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