"New standard for ethical palm oil faces backlash before it’s even issued", 6 November 2024

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This revised standard, expected to pass at the annual general assembly of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) on Nov. 13 in Bangkok, would be the first update since 2018...

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Critics warn that this approach may pave the way for more palm oil expansion into forests, as the RSPO definition prioritizes the carbon value of forests over their broader ecological role, potentially allowing companies to convert certain forest areas that would have been protected under the HCSA toolkit.

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The 2024 standard defines HCS forests as “forests with above and below ground carbon stores, where the sequestered carbon losses as a result of land use change are greater than the potential gains in carbon stock within the new development area (including set-aside and non-planted areas) over the period of one planting cycle.”

This definition considers only the carbon value of forests, ignoring their broader ecological values to biodiversity, water regulation, and cultural significance for Indigenous and local communities, [Gemma] Tillack said.

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RSPO chief D’Cruz denied this. “This adjustment to the definition does not weaken the standard,” he said. “Instead, it aims to balance technical rigor with the specific requirements of RSPO growers or those preparing for certification while maintaining alignment with broader sustainability goals.”

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... Marcus Colchester, a senior policy adviser at the human rights group Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) [said] ... [t]he most glaring point was the complete removal of the requirement for RSPO members to obtain the free, prior, informed consent (FPIC) of existing land users before establishing their plantations....

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D’Cruz denied that changes had been made to weaken the standard, including the removal of FPIC requirements....

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