DANA, Ant International launch Ocean Buddy digital sustainability initiative for marine conservation

DANA and Ant International last week launched the Ocean Buddy mini program that aims to translate everyday activities of DANA e-wallet users into offline conservation projects, raising awareness and driving public participation in marine conservation efforts.

The Ocean Buddy mini program, which is inspired by Ant Forest, leverages gamification incentives and lively visuals to encourage user engagement via a cumulative-score ranking and an Impact Coins system that can be translated to efforts such as the protection of whale shark habitats. Ocean Buddy’s educational content is also verified by Konservasi Indonesia.

The initiative was unveiled last week at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi. 

“Through the Ocean Buddy initiative, we want to prove that technological innovation is not only an engine for economic growth; it is also a powerful gateway to popular participation in protecting our marine and land ecosystems, to a sustainable as well as prosperous future for generations to come,” said Vince Iswara, CEO of DANA Indonesia.

Ant International’s Chief Sustainability Officer Leiming Chen said that the company was “thrilled to support industry leaders like DANA to achieve sustainability and growth goals for the world’s diverse communities.”

“Through co-building innovative solutions and learning from each other, together we will be able to build a greener and more prosperous future from local to global,” Chen said.

The Ocean Buddy project is also the latest collaborative project under Programme Sirius, Ant International’s flagship programme where 13 global e-wallet leaders, including DANA, join hands to make sustainability inclusive and accessible through digital innovation.  

It comes as technology firms worldwide are placing greater emphasis on sustainability – in 2019, Philippines mobile wallet GCash – also inspired by Ant Forest – launched GForest that encouraged users to adopt low-carbon habits and contribute to reforestation efforts.

“Konservasi Indonesia supports DANA through the Ocean Buddy program by sharing scientific knowledge while encouraging people to realize that simple actions can make a real contribution,” said Tinton Galih Yudhianto, Director of Partnership and Communications at Konservasi Indonesia.

Ant International launched its new Sustainability Framework in June 2025, with a focus on collaborative sustainability, inclusion and trust initiatives across its payment and fintech business pillars. In 2024, Programme Sirius launched AquaViva at COP29, a global programme focused on scaling marine conservation through open collaboration.     

The partners plan to continue expanding Ocean Buddy’s coverage and partnership circle, and evolve new features to drive nationwide conservation advocacy and action.