Singapore, Monday – The world’s largest palm oil trader, Wilmar International, has published a detailed action plan to map and monitor all of its suppliers. If implemented, this would put the palm oil giant, which supplies 40% of the world’s palm oil, one step closer to finally eliminating deforestation from its supply chain and would have a major impact on the rest of the industry.
“Wilmar supplies palm oil to most of the world’s major food and cosmetics brands. So today’s announcement is a potential breakthrough. If Wilmar keeps its word, by the end of 2019 it will be using satellites to monitor all of its palm oil suppliers, making it almost impossible for them to get away with forest destruction. Greenpeace will be watching closely to make sure Wilmar delivers,” said Kiki Taufik, Global Head of Indonesian Forests Campaign, Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
The move follows an intensive global campaign by Greenpeace that aimed to end deforestation for palm oil across the supply chain of the biggest household brands and palm oil buyers in the world. Over 1.3 million people signed a Greenpeace petition calling for an end to deforestation for palm oil.
In the past three months, activists occupied Wilmar’s refinery in Indonesia and twice boarded a tanker ship carrying Wilmar’s palm oil products. Greenpeace Italy blockaded the factory of one of its major customers, Mondelez (owner of Oreo, Cadbury and Ritz). Activists across the world also brought scenes of forest destruction to Mondelez HQs around the world.
Greenpeace is now pausing its campaign to give Wilmar space to put this plan into action.
Forest destruction for commodity production is fuelling a climate and extinction crisis. Scientists warn that keeping global warming below a 1.5ºC rise means ending deforestation and restoring forests. Brands and traders promised to clean up their supply chains by 2020. [1] However, with less than 400 days to go companies are still failing across the board, in part because traders and their customers failed to gather the maps of their suppliers’ plantations needed to monitor what happens on the ground.
Wilmar’s new action plan is designed to address that gap: it commits Wilmar to map its suppliers’ entire landbank by the end of 2019, including concessions from which it does not yet source, and to use high-resolution satellite monitoring to check for deforestation. Companies caught clearing rainforest are to be immediately suspended.
Wilmar’s announcement puts pressure on the rest of the sector, including other major commodities traders like Golden Agri Resources and Musim Mas that also source palm oil from forest destroyers. Household brands like Mondelez, Nestlé and Unilever, source from many different suppliers and have a responsibility to see equivalent commitments rolled out across the industry.
“As the world wakes up to the climate and extinction crisis, inaction is not an option. Wilmar has taken an important step and must now put its plan into action immediately. Stopping deforestation requires industry-wide action. Other traders and brands must now follow with credible plans to map and monitor all of their suppliers. Equally important is action to end exploitation and human rights abuses in the palm oil sector,” said Taufik.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
[1] In December 2010, members of the Consumer Goods Forum, an industry association comprising 450 of the biggest consumer-facing brands, committed to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains of agricultural commodities by 2020, including cattle, palm oil, pulp and soya products.
In December 2013, Wilmar became the first palm oil trader to adopt a ‘no deforestation, no peat, no exploitation’ policy that applied to its own plantations and those of its suppliers. By the end of 2014, all major palm oil traders had adopted similar policies. Yet deforestation for palm oil continues because traders and their customers lack the maps needed to monitor what happens on the ground.
Campaign timeline
In September, Greenpeace Southeast Asia activists occupied Wilmar’s palm oil refinery on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi with a rock band and street artists painted murals in cities around the world to highlight the threat to birds of paradise.
In November, activists twice boarded and delayed a tanker ship loaded with Wilmar’s palm oil products. Protests also took place at Mondelez offices in Italy, Germany, the UK and the USA, and street activities in 8 countries.
Evidence against Wilmar and Mondelez was documented in a series of reports, including June’s Rogue Trader, September’s Final Countdown and November’s Dying for a Cookie.
Greenpeace has campaigned to end deforestation for palm oil since 2007.
Palm oil impacts on environment, people and climate
- Half of the Bornean orangutan population has been wiped out in just 16 years, with habitat destruction by the palm oil industry a leading driver. More than three-quarters of Tesso Nilo national park, home to tigers, orangutans and elephants, has been converted into illegal palm oil plantations. Globally, 193 species classified as Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable, are threatened by palm oil production.
- The plantation sector – palm oil and pulp – is the single largest driver of deforestation in Indonesia. Around 24 million hectares of rainforest was destroyed in Indonesia between 1990 and 2015, according to official figures released by the Indonesian government.
- Deforestation and peatland destruction are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to climate change. This has pushed Indonesia into the top tier of global emitters, alongside the United States of America and China
- Tropical deforestation produces more greenhouse gas emissions each year than the entire European Union; outranking every country except the USA and China. In October 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change called for an immediate end to deforestation to limit global temperature rises to 1.5°C.
- Plantation development is a root cause of Indonesia’s forest and peatland fires. In July 2015, devastating blazes spread in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua. These fires produced a haze that affected millions of people across Southeast Asia. Researchers at Harvard and Columbia Universities estimate that the smoke from 2015 Indonesian fires may have caused 100,000 premature deaths. The World Bank calculated the cost of the disaster at US$16bn.
- Palm oil companies are regularly accused of exploiting workers, children and local communities. Last month, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil sanctioned two major palm oil companies, Felda Global Ventures and Indofood, following extensive reports of exploitation in their plantations.
Contacts
Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]
Sol Gosetti, International Communications Coordinator, Indonesia Forest campaign, Greenpeace Southeast Asia [email protected], +44 (0) 7380845754
Discussion
It’s time to end using palm oil and restore the habitat
We all need to take care of the planet and environment but without action being taken but global corporations and governments then the efforts of individuals will help but it won't be enough. We only have one planet for humans to exist on. It's a beautiful and amazing place and once it's gone then so are we.
Your Rang-Tan in my bedroom advertisement really touched me and helped me to further understand how hurtful the human race can be to the poor animals in the fast decreasing forests in our world. I will do anything in my power to save these poor animals form our selfishness. Thank you for opening my eyes.
This needs action
Don’t consume Palm oil products , SAVE orangutans
SAY NO TO PALM OIL
Stop destroying our planet!
STOP USING PALM OIL AND START USING HEART OIL
Stop destroying our plant!!!
Whe need to breathe! We need the trees, we need nature! It is more then poetry: it is survival and decent.
There are other alternatives rather than palm oil. By destroying our forests , you are endangering species and taking away our source of oxygen. Why be greedy for money when our planet is suffering.
Stop destroying planet and all the species in it!!!!
Stop destroying the planet
THERE'S MUST BE LIMITS, DON'T DESTROY THE PLANET
stop the madness !
Your cooperation is so important I always donate to you guys whenever I can. Let's put a stop to deforestation, and let's do it now!
save environment!
Stop deforestation !!!
Leave this beauties alone. We all share this one planet. Thats all we get.
Your cooperation is critical!
Stop destroying the planet! It's home of all living beings.. Protect it!!
We are all responsible for this planet and all of it's inhabitants.
This must stop!
PALM OIL IS RUINING THIS PLANET
Stop the use of palm oil
PROTECT OUR EARTH, STOP DESTROYING IT!
STOO DESTROYING THE EARTH & EVERYTHING IN IT. LEAVE NATURE ALONE! ID LIKE TO BULLDOZE YOUR HOMES & SEE HOW YOU ADAPT TO THAT. GIVE YOU A TASTE OF YOUR OWN. TRY LIVING IN RUINS!
Drop dirty palm oil!
stop deforestation and peatland destruction save the planet !
Let's move towards a more sustainable world to ensure future generations of humans and animals
Stop destroying the planet! Say no to palm oil!
Stop the deforestation! Thank you guys for all the hard work your doing for the better world
Stop rain forests devastation, save animals and nature!
Enough animal killing and nature devastation...
Animals are here WITH us, not FOR us. Thank you for protecting them. All Greenpeace employees should be vegan. I hope they are.
Stop Palmoil production!
I agree. Let’s stop the palm oil usage from Indonesia.
Dear Wilmar, Kindly do the needful not to screw the Planet and its beloved anymore. Regards, R.
Fingers crossed Wilmar are serious about making changes, hopefully soon. But until then I no longer support companies such as Colgate, Nestle and Mondelez. Ill be telling eveyone i meet about the deforestation in Indonesia. Thank you Green peace for your hard work and for spreading the word
Deforestation needs to stop!
Hi, I am so glad and thankfull fr what Greenpeace is doing allarond the world. I wish I could do more, but I am not healthy enough to do things outside my home. I can support with money and Inthe last four days I have sent 2 x 1000 SEK to Greenpeace. Thats a christmaspresent for my grandchildren. I will be very glad if you could send me 6 of your Christmascards to me. I will give one card to each of my grandchildren. You dont have to write the sum of money on the card. If its short of time, you can send me the card on email. My postadress is: Kin Schönning 2180 Landsvägen 23170 Anderslöv Sweden E-mail: [email protected] Thankyou and a happy new year 2019!
Thank you Kin, we are so grateful for your support! To inquire about Christmas cards, it's best to contact Greenpeace Sweden directly via the info here >> https://stod.greenpeace.org/kontakta-givarservice Happy New Year from us at Greenpeace International.
This palm oil CRAP has got me so pist off. STOP THIS DESTROYING!!!
Podržavam peticiju
Why don't companies that look after the planet make it more obvious on their packaging? I spent hours looking to see what chocolate had palm oil in it the other day, and was shocked to find most chocolate had palm oil in it. I had no idea which palm oil was clean so I didn't buy anything. Please give a shout out to companies that are looking after the planet to make it obvious on their packaging.
Stop using palm oil your killing our wild life our rainforests and our world .Keep your dirty oil palms out of our rainforest ,it's there for a reason
Say no to palm oil!
setzt euch weiterhin für solche Projekte ein 💪👍
Drop dirty palm oil.
Bescherm al het mooie op aarde voor het te laat is! Denk aan al de wezens, mens en dier die bossen broodnodig hebben om te kunnen overleven!! Bescherm alstublieft de longen van de wereld voor wij allen ten onder gaan door de hebzucht van sommige mensen!!
Alstublieft, bescherm de longen van de wereld voor het te laat is! Mens en dier hebben bossen nodig om te kunnen overleven!!
Stop destroying planet and all the species in it!
Stop deforestation!!!
WILL GREED TAKE CARE OF THE GLOBAL PLANET ??... THOSE WHO MUCH WANT TO HAVE MORE... NO MATTER AT WHAT COST.... ANIMALS AND NATURE DONT MATTER..... BE AWARE WE WILL FIGHT BACK...