Roll over the circles to see how the companies line up:
Company meets the criterion
Company only partially meets the criterion
Company fails to meet the criterion.

The companies in the Tiger Challenge are ranked according to the efforts they are making to ensure palm oil in their supply chains is tiger and forest friendly. To ensure they are not linked to forest destruction, companies must be able to answer these five questions with a yes:

  • Policy: Does the company have a No Deforestation Policy that is publicly available?
  • Traceability: Can the company trace the origin of its palm oil down to plantation level?
  • Timelines: Does the company have ambitious timelines in place and milestones by which No Deforestation will be achieved in its supply chains?
  • Transparency: Does the company report transparently and openly on its progress to No Deforestation?
  • Implementation: Has the company mapped its supply chain, engaged with suppliers, audited its operations, and given preferential treatment to responsible suppliers?

Greenpeace reached out to more than 250 consumer companies, all big users of palm oil, in 2013. The Tiger Challenge is based on the information we received from the companies that responded to us, as well as publicly available information.

Palm oil, an ingredient found in nearly half of our supermarket products, is the biggest cause of forest destruction in Indonesia. The Tiger Challenge reveals which global consumers of palm oil are working to ensure that their products are tiger and forest-friendly and which companies are exposing consumers to forest destruction. With as few as 400 Sumatran tigers left in Indonesia, the need for action is urgent.

Procter & Gamble committed to a no deforestation policy in April 2014 as a result of a public campaign by Greenpeace. P&G;'s new policy builds on the existing RSPO criteria and includes protection of peatland and HCS/HCV areas. Greenpeace will continue to engage with P&G; to ensure that this policy is implemented before 2020 and effective action is taken to deal with problematic suppliers. You can take action here.
Major brand names: Head & Shoulders, Gillette, Pampers

 

Colgate committed to an ambitious No Deforestation Policy, which aims to have traceability down to plantation by 2015. Colgate's policy goes beyond the RSPO's standards and commits the company to buy only from suppliers that can guarantee their palm oil is produced responsibly. Greenpeace will continue to engage with Colgate to ensure that this policy is implemented before 2020.
Major brand names: Colgate, Sanex, Palmolive soaps

 

Ferrero has one of the most progressive No Deforestation Policies in the sector and has set an ambitious timeline of 2015 for its implementation. It has committed to traceability for all of the palm oil it uses in its products and plans to report publicly on its progress every six months.
Major brand names: Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Kinder Chocolate

 
General Mills logo

General Mills has taken some initiative to map its supply chain and engage with its suppliers, but has made no public commitment to ensure full traceability for the palm oil and derivatives that it uses. Unless it does so, the company has no way of guaranteeing that its products are free from forest destruction.
Major brand names: Häagen-Dazs, Cheerios

 

Godrej is one of India’s largest consumer goods companies. It does not have a commitment to implement a No Deforestation Policy. Godrej is an RSPO member. It relies wholly on the RSPO to source whatever sustainable palm oil it buys, and does not have additional criteria to remove forest destruction from its products. Godrej cannot claim to know where its palm oil comes from.
Major brand names: Cinthol, Godrej (shaving cream), Genteel

 

Johnson & Johnson, a household name when it comes to baby products, is in the process of mapping its supply chain. However, it has not made any public commitment to implement a No Deforestation Policy or set an ambitious timeline to ensure that its products are free from forest destruction.
Major brand names: Clean & Clear, Neutrogena

 

Kao cosmetics is a brand based in Japan with a global presence. It does not have a commitment to a No Deforestation Policy. According to its 2013 procurement policy, Kao relies completely on RSPO to meets its sustainability criteria. This means the company cannot guarantee that its products are free from forest destruction.
Major brand names: Bioré, John Frieda, Molton Brown

 

Kellogg's, the maker of cereal and other food products, made a recent commitment to implement a No Deforestation Policy with full traceability by 2015. The announcement is the result of campaigning by various civil society organisations. If implemented fully, it will remove deforestation from Kellogg’s supply chains, with traceability down to plantation level.
Major brand names: Kellogg’s, Pringles, Froot Loops

 

Liby is a Chinese company selling a range of homecare, detergents and personal care products in China and internationally. Although a Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) member, it does not have a commitment to implement a No Deforestation Policy. Liby is not an RSPO member. In response to Greenpeace East Asia, Liby stated that it does not consider deforestation to be an environmental risk to its palm oil supply chain.
Major brand names: Liby, Chaowei, Lantian

 

L'Oréal committed to a No Deforestation Policy in early 2014 and aims to achieve 100% traceability by 2020. While the policy is progressive, the 2020 timeline is unambitious. L’Oréal will report the implementation of this policy in a transparent manner and we will continue to engage with the company to ensure that it implements its policy before 2020.
Major brand names: Maybelline, Garnier, Kiehl's

 

Mars In early 2014, Mars committed to a comprehensive No Deforestation policy including traceable palm oil for all their products and a clear preference for suppliers who can guarantee No Deforestation by 2015. This makes them one of the most progressive buyers of palm oil in the industry.
Major brand names: Snickers, Twix, Whiskas

 

Mondelēz International announced in late 2013 that it would ensure that the palm oil it buys does not lead to deforestation. But Mondelēz does not make clear how it will go beyond the RSPO to ensure no deforestation enters its supply chain. Its policy has an unambitious timeline of 2020. Greenpeace will continue to engage with Mondelēz to ensure it fully meets the Tiger Challenge.
Major brand names: Cadbury, Oreo, Côte d'Or

 

Nestlé became a leader in the industry by committing to a No Deforestation Policy, including 100% traceability, in 2010 following Greenpeace campaigning. Nestlé has started implementing its policy and has been reporting annually on its progress in a transparent manner.
Major brand names: Mövenpick, Kit Kat, Maggi

 

Nice, one of China’s top three detergent and toothpaste producers, does not have a commitment to implement a No Deforestation Policy. Nice is not an RSPO member. In response to Greenpeace East Asia, Nice stated that it does not consider deforestation to be an environmental risk to its palm oil supply chain.
Major brand names: Diao, Nice, Chaoneng

 

PepsiCo has no policy in place to ensure that its crisps are not playing a part in tiger habitat destruction. The company relies on the RSPO to fulfil its sustainability requirements, so it cannot guarantee that its products are free from forest destruction.
Major brand names: Pepsi, Lay’s, Doritos

 

Reckitt Benckiser has begun to engage with its suppliers to map out where its palm oil comes from. It currently relies on GreenPalm and the RSPO for its sustainability commitments. While the company acknowledges the importance of traceability, its timeline of 2020 is unambitious and its current policy cannot ensure that its products are free from forest destruction.
Major brand names: Clearasil, Vanish, Mr Sheen

 

Unilever committed to a No Deforestation Policy, along with transparent and public reporting of its implementation, in late 2013 and aims to achieve this goal by 2020. Unilever’s engagement with its suppliers is a progressive step, but it must not wait until 2020 to guarantee its products are free from forest destruction.
Major brand names: Dove, Pepsodent, Persil

 

Why these companies?

This first selection of consumer companies represents the leading end users of palm oil. They are household names with the power to help transform the palm oil industry. As our ranking reveals, while some are showing industry leadership, others have a long way to go before they can be considered forest and tiger friendly.

Many of these companies are relying on the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil’s (RSPO) certification scheme to meet what sustainability commitments they may have. However, RSPO standards fail to ban forest destruction and peatland conversion. If these brands are serious about removing forest destruction from their products, then they must go beyond the RSPO and make a public commitment to implement a No Deforestation Policy.

Most of these companies are also members of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) – a group of companies that has committed to no net deforestation by 2020. As this analysis shows, many CGF member companies have a long way to go to achieve this goal.


There are solutions

The palm oil industry is in rapid transformation. Palm oil does not need to be linked to forest destruction.

Big brands can lead the way in protecting Indonesia’s forests. Companies must follow the example of leaders such as Nestlé, which is already implementing its No Deforestation Policy, and L’Oréal, Unilever and Ferrero, which have recently announced progressive No Deforestation commitments.

On the ground, there is already a group of progressive producers – the Palm Oil Innovation Group – that is committed to responsible palm oil production.

Find out more here.

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