Natural rubber assessment summary - March 2021
ZSL's (Zoological Society of London) SPOTT initiative assesses 15 natural rubber producers and processors on their public disclosure regarding their organisation, policies and practices related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. We encourage stakeholders to engage with companies, as policies and commitments may not always translate into effective implementation on the ground.
Indicator categories
SPOTT scores natural rubber producers and processors producers, processors and traders using up to 123 ESG indicators across 10 categories. View the categories below to find out more about key results, and visit company pages to view their full assessments.
Note: Indicators are disabled if they are not applicable to companies due to the nature or location of their operations.
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Sustainability policy and leadership
51.8%
- 11 companies / 15 (73.3%) have put in place clear sustainability policies that apply to all their operations.
- 5 companies / 11 (45.5%) have a sustainability policy that applies to all their non-smallholder suppliers.
- 9 companies / 15 (60.0%) are working with government, non-governmental organisations, or academic institutions to reduce negative environmental or social outcomes associated with natural rubber production.
- 10 companies / 15 (66.7%) have published a sustainability report in the last two years.
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Landbank, maps and traceability
53.3%
- 10 companies / 15 (66.7%) report the area managed for natural rubber, totalling around 1.4 million hectares.
- 8 companies / 15 (53.3%) report their areas set aside for conservation or High Conservation Value (HCV) areas, totalling more than 0.15 million hectares.
- 2 companies / 15 (13.3%) published geo-referenced maps of all their estates/management units.
- 8 companies / 14 (57.1%) commit to traceability for their whole supply chain.
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Certification standards/Sustainability initiatives
30.7%
- 5 companies / 15 (33.3%) are members of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR).
- 1 company / 15 (6.7%) has a subsidiary or parent company member of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR).
- 6 companies / 15 (40.0%) have submitted a self-declaration for the Sustainable Natural Rubber Initiative (SNR-i).
- 2 companies / 15 (13.3%) are certified under voluntary certification schemes.
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Deforestation and biodiversity
39%
- 9 companies / 15 (60.0%) have a clear commitment to zero deforestation.
- 2 companies / 15 (13.3%) have a weak or unclear commitment to zero deforestation.
- 4 companies / 11 (36.4%) have a zero deforestation commitments that applies to their non-smallholder suppliers.
- 2 companies / 15 (13.3%) report comprehensive examples of how deforestation is monitored and how often.
- 5 companies / 15 (33.3%) report to be implementing a landscape or jurisdictional approach.
- 13 companies / 15 (86.7%) have a clear commitment to biodiversity conservation.
- 5 companies / 15 (33.3%) identified species of conservation concern.
- 6 companies / 15 (40.0%) report multiple examples of species and/or habitat conservation management activities.
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HCV, HCS and impact assessments
37.1%
- 11 companies / 15 (73.3%) have a commitment to conduct High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments for all new development.
- 1 company / 15 (6.7%) makes some or all of its HCV assessment reports publicly available.
- 7 companies / 15 (46.7%) have a commitment to conduct High Carbon Stock (HCS) approach assessments for all new development.
- 2 companies / 13 (15.4%) make some or all of their High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments publicly available.
- 8 companies / 15 (53.3%) have a clear commitment to conduct Social and Environmental Impact Assessments (SEIAs) for all new development.
- 2 companies / 15 (13.3%) have undertaken Social and Environmental Impact Assessments (SEIAs) and have made associated management and monitoring plans publicly available.
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Soils, fire and GHG emissions
28.3%
- 4 companies / 15 (26.7%) have a clear commitment to no planting on peat of any depth.
- 6 companies / 15 (40.0%) have a weak or unclear commitment that fails to specify all depths of peat or does not cover all operations.
- 5 companies / 15 (33.3%) have a clear commitment to best tapping practices.
- 4 companies / 15 (26.7%) provide evidence of implementing best tapping practices.
- 10 companies / 15 (66.7%) have a clear commitment to zero burning.
- 2 companies / 15 (13.3%) disclose clear information relating to monitoring and managing fires.
- 2 companies / 15 (13.3%) report on fires in company estates.
- 1 company / 15 (6.7%) has a time-bound commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity.
- 4 companies / 15 (26.7%) report a reduction in their GHG emissions intensity over time.
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Water, chemical and pest management
30.3%
- 4 companies / 14 (28.6%) have a time-bound commitment to improve water quality.
- 3 companies / 14 (21.4%) report making progress towards their water quality commitment.
- 6 companies / 15 (40.0%) have a commitment to protect natural waterways through using buffer or riparian zones.
- 5 companies / 14 (35.7%) report they reduce odours from natural rubber processing facilities.
- 6 companies / 15 (40.0%) have a commitment to minimise the use of chemicals, including both pesticides and chemical fertilisers.
- 0 company / 15 (0.0%) reports reductions in chemical use.
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Community, land and labour rights
54.1%
- 7 companies / 15 (46.7%) have a public commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or equivalent.
- 4 companies / 11 (36.4%) have a commitment to human rights that applies to all their non-smallholder suppliers.
- 8 companies / 15 (53.3%) have a commitment to respect indigenous and local communities' rights.
- 11 companies / 15 (73.3%) have a commitment to the principle of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).
- 4 companies / 15 (26.7%) provide comprehensive evidence that they support the inclusion of women across natural rubber operations.
- 13 companies / 15 (86.7%) have a commitment to provide essential community services and facilities.
- 12 companies / 15 (80.0%) provide examples of supporting local communities.
- 12 companies / 15 (80.0%) have a comprehensive commitment to eliminate gender related discrimination with regards to employment and occupation.
- 12 companies / 15 (80.0%) report the number or percentage of women employees, with the average percentage across these companies being 21.6%.
- 9 companies / 15 (60.0%) have a clear commitment to pay at least minimum wage.
- 3 companies / 15 (20.0%) provide some evidence that they are paying the minimum wage to all their workers.
- 3 companies / 15 (20.0%) report salary by gender.
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Smallholders and suppliers
25.2%
- 9 companies / 14 (64.3%) have a clear commitment to support smallholders.
- 3 companies / 9 (33.3%) clearly report they have or support a programme to support scheme smallholders/outgrowers in the supply chain.
- 1 company / 9 (11.1%) reports comprehensive information on the number or percentage of scheme smallholders/outgrowers involved in programme.
- 4 companies / 13 (30.8%) clearly report they have or support a programme to support independent smallholders in the supply chain.
- 1 company / 13 (7.7%) reports comprehensive information on the number or percentage of independent smallholders involved in programme.
- 3 companies / 14 (21.4%) report a clear process for assessing and engaging smallholder suppliers on compliance with the company's policy and/or legal requirements.
- 1 company / 14 (7.1%) reports the number of smallholder suppliers that it has assessed or engaged on compliance with its policies and/or legal requirements.
- 1 company / 14 (7.1%) reports on the percentage of supply that comes from agroforestry.
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Governance and grievances
45%
- 11 companies / 15 (73.3%) have commitments to both ethical conduct and prohibition of corruption.
- 10 companies / 15 (66.7%) have a grievance or complaints system open to all stakeholders.
- 2 companies / 15 (13.3%) have disclosed details of complaints and grievances.
Key findings
- The average score of companies is 41.2% in March 2021, compared to 36% during the last assessment of natural rubber companies in November 2019.
- 10/15 (66.7%) companies assessed in 2019 saw an increase in their scores in 2021 – the average change in score was +8.7 percentage points.
- 5/15 (33.3%) companies assessed in 2019 saw a decrease in their scores in 2021 – the average change in score was -1.9 percentage points.
- The average score of Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) members (6 companies), including companies with subsidiary or parent company members, is 58.4% vs. 29.8% for non-GPSNR members (9 companies).
Average scores by type
About SPOTT
Developed by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), SPOTT is an online platform supporting sustainable commodity production and trade. By tracking transparency, SPOTT incentivises the implementation of corporate best practice. SPOTT assesses commodity producers, processors and traders on their public disclosure regarding their organisation, policies and practices related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. SPOTT scores companies annually against sector-specific indicators to benchmark their progress over time. Investors, buyers and other key influencers can use SPOTT assessments to inform stakeholder engagement, manage risk, and increase industry transparency. For more information, visit spott.org.
About ZSL
ZSL (Zoological Society of London) is an international conservation charity working to create a world where wildlife thrives. From investigating the health threats facing animals to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, ZSL is committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction. Our work is realised through our ground-breaking science, our field conservation around the world and engaging millions of people through our two zoos, ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. For more information, visit zsl.org.