PR Newswire
29 Nov 2022, 10:19 GMT+10
![]() |
RSPO 2022 Impact Report charts continued sustainability efforts by the palm oil industry towards mitigating climate change, improving smallholder livelihoods and ending exploitation of workers, among other important themes on positive impacts.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Nov. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global stakeholders from the palm oil industry gathered for the RSPO Annual Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT2022), the first physical meeting to take place since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Centred around the theme, "Scaling up the Sustainable Palm Oil Value Chain Through Collective Action", RT2022 attracted nearly a thousand participants to discuss solutions to critical labour issues, increasing smallholder inclusion, the value of certification and further advancements to mitigate climate change impacts.
During his inaugural Roundtable speech, new CEO, Joseph D'Cruz, launched the 2022 Impact Report, highlighting RSPO members' impressive progress across a broad range of sustainability indicators. "Sustainability is a journey, and together with my team and all of our members, RSPO will continue to blaze the trail for the palm sector," said D'Cruz. "We will demonstrate how palm oil production and use can be an important contributor to net zero commitments; to highlight the role sustainable palm production plays in providing decent, dignified lives and prosperity for millions of rural families across the developing world; and to show how well-managed, regenerative oil palm plantations can be a crucial contributor to species conservation and biodiversity".
The Impact Report revealed several key achievements over the last nearly two decades since RSPO's foundation, including the increase of global certified area from 125,000 hectares in three countries in 2008 to 4.5 million hectares spread across 21 countries, of which 301,020 hectares have been conserved and protected through RSPO certification. An estimated half a million workers in estates and mills around the world are now represented under the RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) through certification. Greenhouse gas emissions that have been prevented since 2015 are equivalent to nearly 400,000 cars driven annually. Additionally, a smallholder group of around 5000 farmers in Sierra Leone became the first Independent Smallholder Group to achieve certification in Africa, one of the emerging frontiers of palm oil production. Affirming the role of RSPO, D'Cruz assured, "Sustainable palm oil is undoubtedly the best way to meet the world's vegetable oil needs today and in the future."
Anne Rosenbarger and DatoCarl Bek-Nielsen, Co-Chairs of the RSPO Board of Governors, together called for a unified response to maximise the sector's potential to sustainably transform the palm oil value chain, echoing D'Cruz, "At a time when the global community is demanding real and viable solutions to save our increasingly warming planet, RSPO has shown that it plays an active role in harnessing the positive impacts of sustainable palm oil production, leading to sustainable development. Our efforts and transformation drive must continue, as change is a necessity for all of us. While sustainability is a shared responsibility, it requires individual change - if we are to cross the finish line together and make an impact, we are duty bound to take on a greater level of ownership and accept that there is always room for improvement."
Members also reflected that RSPO must summon greater interest from priority consumer markets such as China, India, Malaysia and Indonesia to choose sustainable palm oil and join the collective initiative for RSPO to have a transformative impact on the global supply and demand for sustainable palm oil.
Get a daily dose of Asia Pacific Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Asia Pacific Star.
More InformationDHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama turned 90 on July 6, celebrated by thousands of followers in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala,...
HONG KONG: China has fired back at the European Union in an escalating trade dispute by imposing new restrictions on medical device...
Phnom Penh [Cambodia], July 12 (ANI): Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita reaffirmed the 'strong and enduring...
The arbitration has in fact become an anchor around the Filipino people's neck, weighing the nation down economically, said Herman...
New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday stated that every India is elated with this recognition...
New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has underlined India's increasing involvement in the Indo-Pacific...
REDMOND, Washington: Artificial intelligence is transforming Microsoft's bottom line. The company saved over US$500 million last year...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...
BASTROP, Texas: In a surprising turn at Elon Musk's X platform, CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she is stepping down, just months after...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will return to Goldman Sachs in an advisory role, the Wall Street...
LONDON, U.K.: Physically backed gold exchange-traded funds recorded their most significant semi-annual inflow since the first half...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...