Posted on June, 03 2015

Amsterdam – As European companies that buy, use and trade palm oil gather in Amsterdam for the 3rd European conference of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) on June 3, WWF announced plans to issue its next international Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard in 2016.  
 
As it did in 2009, 2011 and 2013, WWF will shed light on the progress of retailers and consumer goods manufacturers on their own commitments and use of certified sustainable palm oil.  Many brands set 2015 as the year they would achieve 100% sustainable sourcing of palm oil and the next scorecard will be the opportunity to judge them on whether they achieved their own targets or not.
 
“2015 is a crucial year for the palm oil industry and WWF will take the opportunity to report on the real actions companies took in 2015 rather than only on what they promise to do,” said Adam Harrison, WWF’s lead on palm oil.  “We will also be looking at international companies that have not yet made commitments in order to bring more transparency to the industry at large and to let consumers know which of their favourite brands are taking the necessary steps to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains.”
 
In the past few years, more and more international brands have made commitments to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains. Commitments are welcome – but action is more important.  The RSPO standard requires producers to protect valuable forests as well as abide by a comprehensive set of wider social and environmental safeguards.  The RSPO is also built on a system of independent third-party verification of those producers and also of the supply chain of palm products down to the end users.  Together that means buying 100% CSPO from RSPO member growers that are themselves 100% certified is the easiest and most credible way for companies big or small to turn their deforestation commitments into reality and to help transform the global industry. 
 
“Transformation is not just about building demand for CSPO it’s also about not leaving space for unacceptable palm oil anywhere in the supply chain,” added Harrison. “That is why our next scorecard will also focus on how quickly manufacturers and retailers are moving away from a reliance on Book & Claim certificates and towards using Segregated CSPO.    In markets like Europe where the supply of CSPO is adequate and there are enough suppliers able to meet that demand brands need to source all of their palm oil from known sources of CSPO that are kept separate from uncertified palm oil.”
 
For companies that want to support innovations and who want to show that they are sourcing from the best performers in the industry, the Palm Oil Innovations Group (POIG) is a complimentary initiative endorsed by WWF.  
 
In the lead up to WWFs next international Palm Oil Buyers’ Scorecard, WWF national offices in Germany and the Netherlands will also publish national scorecards focused on the companies based in those countries that buy and use palm oil.
 
 
Contact: Carrie Svingen (csvingen@wwf.panda.org or +49 151 188 54 833)
 


About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with more than 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries.  WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
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