ZSL report finds palm oil companies’ commitments lacking

November 11, 2018 |

In the United Kingdom, the world’s largest survey of palm oil producers and traders to date finds a lack of assurance in tackling forest loss. Published by the Zoological Society of London, the report assessed 70 of the world’s most significant palm oil producers and traders.

The survey found that although 49 of the 70 companies have committed to some sort of zero-deforestation pledge, many of their targets lack scope and on-the-ground verification – limiting their effectiveness in addressing deforestation and leaving significant areas of tropical forests at risk of destruction to produce palm oil.

Companies define deforestation in different ways, with more than half of those with zero-deforestation commitments not applying these commitments to all types of forests (such as intact or secondary forests). Furthermore, only 26 companies expect all their suppliers to also match their commitments, and just 24 provide any evidence of how they monitor forest cover across their supply chain to ensure that no deforestation is taking place. This means companies can “meet” their zero-deforestation commitments while still contributing to forest loss on the ground. 2017 was the second worst year on record for tropical tree cover loss – seeing 15.8 million hectares disappear.

Category: Fuels

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