The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is an international sustainability organisation that was
established in 2004 in response to the urgent call to reduce the negative environmental and
social impacts of conventional palm oil production. Today, the RSPO Standards are
distinguished as one of the highest and strictest certification standards for agriculture as well as
the leading standard for palm oil and palm kernel oil in the food and oleochemical sectors.

RSPO’s membership and geographic coverage has expanded significantly over two decades
since its foundation. Between 2009 and 2021, the number of countries with plantations
certified against the RSPO Standards rose from 4 to 21. In 2022, the first plantations in Peru,
São Tomé and Príncipe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo were certified according to the
RSPO Principles and Criteria. This growth mirrors the rise of certified sustainable palm oil
production (CSPO) – from 1.2 million metric tonnes (MT) in 2009, the current actual production
of CSPO 2022 stands at 14.3 million MT, representing about 20% of global palm oil production.

“RSPO is composed of over 5,500 members from all sectors of the palm oil value chain who are
committed to achieving our vision of transforming markets to make sustainable palm oil the
norm. Looking at the historical evolution of certified sustainable palm oil, the growth has been
encouraging,” said Inke Van Der Sluijs, Market Transformation Director.

“Despite our progress over two decades, we cannot simply increase the number of certified
growers producing sustainable palm oil without ensuring market uptake in CSPO. Our ability to
transform markets is equally reliant on supply and demand. Therefore, the expectation is for all
members to share the responsibility in not only advancing sustainable palm oil but adopting
sustainable practices throughout their business,” added Van Der Sluijs.

A Shared Responsibility

In 2019, the RSPO launched the Shared Responsibility framework, which counts on the
commitment and investment of members to do their part in the sustainability journey.

A key component of the Shared Responsibility requirements is driving the uptake of sustainable
palm oil to match supply with demand. To achieve this, supply chain actors must comply with
annual CSPO percentage point uptake targets.

In just two years since launching the framework, RSPO has seen an improved performance in
terms of the percentage of members meeting their CSPO uptake targets. In 2021, 72% of
retailer members and 59% of CGMs met their CSPO uptake targets, while results of P&T were
mixed with 41% having met their targets.

Sustainability Leadership

Yet, Shared Responsibility is more than advancing sustainable palm oil production. The
requirements help members demonstrate sustainability in other areas of their business,
including ethical practices, upholding human rights, facilitating smallholder inclusion and
climate action.

The Shared Responsibility requirements, grouped under thematic areas (see figure below), act
as a roadmap for RSPO members to lead their sectors’ sustainability transformation through a
shared vision.

At the recent annual RSPO Roundtable Conference, six companies and organisations were
awarded the Shared Responsibility for Market Transformation Award which celebrates the
work of RSPO members in championing Shared Responsibility.

The winners of the RSPO Excellence Awards were: Wilmar International (Processors and
Traders), McCormick & Company (Consumer Goods Manufacturers), Citi (Banks and Investors),
McDonald’s (Retailers), Fauna & Flora International (Environmental NGOs) and International
Committee of the Red Cross – ICRC (Social NGOs).

“The winners have demonstrated commitment to implement the Shared Responsibility
requirements which are linked to behaving ethically and transparently, respecting human
rights, smallholder inclusion and climate change. Supply chain members Wilmar International,
McCormick & Company and McDonalds, have also reported an increased uptake of RSPO
certified sustainable palm oil,” said Van Der Sluijs.

Shared Responsibility Scorecard

Members for whom the Shared Responsibility framework apply report their performance
annually to the RSPO.

The RSPO Secretariat is developing a new SR Scorecard webpage, which will publicly display
RSPO members’ overall performance based on their reported commitments to implement the
SR requirements. Overall performance scores of members are an indication where they are in
their sustainability journey as defined by the SR framework.

The power of the collective

Shared Responsibility is a framework that harnesses the power of the collective – it emphasises
the importance of collaboration among all actors involved in the palm oil sector in pursuit of
sustainable business practices. It recognises that every member of the value chain has a
significant role to play in the sustainability agenda. This spirit of cooperation allows
stakeholders to learn from each other and apply best practices, empowering them to create
positive changes in policies that benefit not only the palm oil sector, but also the environment
and society as a whole.

For more information about RSPO and how you can be involved, visit the RSPO website.