The Palm Oil Scorecard methodology

WWF assessed companies on several aspects related to their commitments to, and use of, sustainable palm oil.
As with the 2009 Scorecard, we evaluated company performance based on publicly available data (including websites and corporate sustainability reports, as well as the annual reports required by the RSPO from its members) in relation to the four questions below:
DOWNLOAD THE 2011 PALM OIL SCORECARD (PDF)

Assessment questions

  1. Is the company a member of the RSPO and is annual reporting up to date? [2 POINTS]
  2. Does the company have a policy on sustainable palm oil, specifically a commitment to source 100% RSPO-certified palm oil by 2015 or earlier? [1 POINT]
  3. Is the company disclosing total volumes of palm oil used/bought?
    [1 POINT]
  4. Is the company using any certified sustainable palm oil or buying any Book and Claim certificates? What proportion of the company’s total palm oil use/sales are RSPO-certified palm oil in 2010-2011 (irrespective of which supply chain option the company is using)? And is the company disclosing volumes used? [5 POINTS]


The process

  1. Tentative scores (out of a possible total of 9) were compiled based on this preliminary assessment and these were sent to the companies, along with an explanation of the scoring process.
  2. Companies were then given the opportunity to provide WWF with further information pertaining to the questions, some of which was provided to WWF in confidence. 
  3. We tallied a final set of scores based on the additional information received. Each company was informed of its final score before the Scorecard was made public. 
WWF chose to score companies based on their importance either in terms of the total volume of palm oil they use, their role and influence in the supply chain or because of their relevance in national markets where WWF works.

Time window of assessment

The Scorecard is a snapshot of company performance with regards to palm oil use and sourcing. It is based on commitments and actions that companies had already taken before November 2011.

For those companies that have taken action on palm oil after the scoring window, their progress could not be reflected in this Scorecard.
/ ©: Sylvia Jane Yorath / WWF
Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis); Sabah (Borneo), Malaysia
© Sylvia Jane Yorath / WWF

Disclaimer

The scope of this assessment did not allow for independent verification of all the information provided by companies for the Scorecard.

While the Scorecard is largely informed by verifiable data and publicly available information, the final scoring is necessarily determined by unverified data provided by the company such as total volume of palm oil use, and WWF’s assessment of a company’s intentions and actions for sustainable palm oil.

WWF values transparency, and for some questions, points were only awarded if a company made public its commitments and actions.

In focus

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