"RSPO votes to adopt major new standard", 27 November 2024

Global sustainability organisation the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has voted to adopt a major new standard aimed at balancing conservation goals with the practicalities of the palm oil industry.

RSPO members voted to adopt the 2024 RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) and Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard on 13 November during the 21st RSPO general assembly (GA21) in Bangkok, Thailand.

...

Key improvements of the 2024 RSPO Standards include: refining the approach to deforestation and environmental sustainability to ensure responsible land clearing; the introduction of human rights due diligence; strengthening smallholder inclusion; streamlining the audit process for members, certification bodies and accreditation bodies.

...

Although welcoming the new standard’s provisions to halt deforestation, prohibit planting on peat and better protection of workers’ and communities’ rights, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said a range of challenges remained for the RSPO.

...

In addition, criteria around legality had not been significantly strengthened, according to the EIA.

As plantations only needed to be legal at the time of certification, they could have previously operated illegally and then subsequently legalised themselves, the EIA said.

...

There are also still exceptions to the ‘no deforestation’ rule in the new P&C which will potentially allow some forests to be cleared, according to the EIA.

...