Progress continues
These continued efforts by RSPO grower members mean that , in a single year from June 2018 to July 2019 , by avoiding land clearance and any new planting on peat , and by sequestering conservation areas in new development , 1.4 million tonnes of
CO 2 were saved . This is the equivalent to removing almost 300,000 passenger vehicles from the road . Furthermore , demonstrating the commitment to protect and support the rights of local and indigenous communities , the RSPO is the first certification standard to have a human rights defenders hotline . Via this , complaints can be lodged , in confidence , with the RSPO complaints panel on activities undertaken by , on behalf of , or in connection with , activities of an RSPO member , which may result in risks to people ’ s safety and / or security . Although some think using other vegetable oils is a practical move , it would actually create similar - if not even larger - environmental and social problems in different production areas , with several grave repercussions for land , society and industry . Replacing palm oil with other types of vegetable oil , such as sunflower , coconut or rapeseed oil , would mean that more land would be converted into agricultural land . Moreover , in producing countries , millions of farmers and their families work in the palm oil sector . Palm oil plays an important role in reducing poverty in these areas . In Indonesia and Malaysia , a total of 4.5 million people earn their living from palm oil production . In addition , replacing palm with other types of oil is not always feasible , due to palm oil ’ s unique texture and quality . If Europe moves away from palm oil , there will be less incentive for producing countries to use sustainable practices and instead focus will shift to exporting unsustainable palm oil to less demanding markets , such as India and China , or consumed locally . Therefore , the best solution for manufacturers and consumers is to only buy products containing RSPOcertified sustainable palm oil ( CSPO ).
Outlook
‘ Business as usual ’ is no longer a viable approach if the chemical industry is to remain relevant . For real transformation to take place , markets need to become more inclusive , as well as more competitive , innovative , transparent and resilient . To drive these changes , the RSPO and its stakeholders must in turn increase readiness to proactively respond to emerging challenges as the business landscape continually evolves . Without increasing awareness , pressure and demand for sustainable palm oil in developed countries , the likely outcome is more unsustainable palm oil . Members of the RSPO are required to promote and use sustainable palm oil . Oil palm growers have a mandatory time bound plan to bring all their plantations to full compliance with the P & C and in the spirit of shared responsibility , downstream actors are required to increase their consumption of sustainable versus conventional palm oil every year . For this reason , the RSPO calls on all the whole speciality chemical industry and stakeholders to commit to 100 % CSPO and to use the RSPO trademark on products as a simple way to provide assurance to consumers that the palm oil in the product they are buying is from sustainable sources . •
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JAN / FEB 2021 57