Socfin Group

1. Sustainable natural rubber policy or commitment for all its operations?

The company has a responsible management policy and group sustainability policy.

2. Sustainability natural rubber policy or commitment applies to all sourcing excluding smallholders?

3. High-level position of responsibility for sustainability?

4. One or more members within the board of the company have responsibility for sustainability?

The whole board is responsible for sustainability.

5. Percentage or number of women board members?

6. Percentage or number of women in senior management team?

The company does not explicitly report the number or percentage of women board members.

7. Member of multiple industry schemes or other external initiatives to reduce negative environmental or social outcomes associated with natural rubber production?

TFA 2020.

8. Collaboration with stakeholders to reduce negative environmental or social outcomes associated with natural rubber production?

The company works with multiple NGOs to improve palm oil sustainability, including ZSL, and national governments.

9. Sustainability report published within last two years?

10. Climate risks assessment available?

The company states that it analysed the risks in relation to climate change but the assessment or summary is not publicly available.

11. Lists countries and operations?

12. Total land area managed/controlled for natural rubber (ha)?

387939 - Figure includes total land area including palm oil operations.

13. Total natural rubber planted area (ha)?

63758

14. Scheme smallholders/outgrowers planted area (ha)?

This indicator is disabled as the company has informed ZSL that it does not source from scheme smallholders/outgrowers.

15. Unplanted (areas designated for future planting) (ha)?

16. Conservation set-aside area, including HCV area (ha)?

31964 - Figure is from 2016.

17. Maps of estates/management units?

18. Number of company owned natural rubber processing facilities?

8

19. Names and coordinates of company owned natural rubber processing facilities?

20. Management plans for natural rubber production are available for all estates/management units?

21. Commitment to traceability of the whole supply chain?

The company's commitment also applies to smallholders.

22. Commitment to zero deforestation or zero conversion of natural ecosystems?

23. Commitment to zero deforestation or zero conversion of natural ecosystems applies to all sourcing excluding smallholders?

24. Evidence of monitoring deforestation?

The company only states that it monitors and prevents all illegal logging however no details on how monitoring is conducted are provided (e.g. extent of area, timeframe).

25. Amount of illegal/non-complaint deforestation recorded in own operations?

26. Implementing a landscape or juridictional level approach?

27. Commitment to biodiversity conservation?

28. Identified species of conservation concern, referencing international or national system of species classification?

29. Examples of species and/or habitat conservation management?

The company has reforestation programs and is restoring riparian zones and it also states that it carries out education of local communities about rare and endemic species and has installed birdhouses and perches for birds of prey, among other activities.

30. Commitment to protect areas from illegal activities?

31. Commitment not to use genetically modified organisms?

32. Commitment to conduct High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments?

33. High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments available?

[Externally verified] The company makes some of the HCV assessments publicly available. These are externally verified by the HCVRN.

34. High Conservation Value (HCV) management and monitoring plans available?

[Externally verified] The company makes some of the HCV monitoring and management plans publicly available. These are externally verified by the HCVRN.

35. Commitment to the High Carbon Stock (HCS) approach?

36. Commitment to conduct social and environmental impact assessments (SEIAs)?

37. Social and environmental impact assessment (SEIAs) undertaken, and associated management and monitoring plans?

[Externally verified] One SEIA assessment summary is publicly available for Sierra Leone (SAC), however it does not have monitoring or management plans.

38. Commitment to no planting on peat of any depth?

39. Landbank or planted area on peat (ha)?

This indicator is disabled as the company has informed ZSL that it doesn't have landbank on peat.

40. Implementation of commitment to no planting on peat of any depth?

This indicator is disabled as the company has informed ZSL that it doesn't have landbank on peat.

41. Commitment to best management practices for soils and peat?

42. Evidence of best management practices for soils and peat?

The company only shows evidence of soil management.

43. Commitment to best/sustainable tapping practices?

44. Evidence of best/sustainable tapping practices?

45. Commitment to zero burning?

The company commits to prohibit the use of fire, however it also states that in case it is not possible to immediately stop dangerous practices it will "actively conduct research into the use of alternatives in order to cease these practices as soon as possible." Zero burning is currently tested at two estates (SOGB and Safacam).

46. Evidence of management and monitoring fires?

The company provides examples of both fire monitoring and management practices.

47. Details/number of hotspots/fires in company estates/management units?

48. Time-bound commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity?

The company has a general commitment to reduce GHGs but it is not time-bound and it does not set a specific target. The company also states that its "objectives are reducing direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions, in particular, linked to energy consumption ... and by excluding the use of fire for land preparation in new developments".

49. GHG emissions intensity?

The company report figures for its palm oil operations.

50. Report GHG emissions from land use change?

51. Methodology used to calculate GHG emissions?

The company only states that it is currently developing a methodology to calculate GHG emissions for its rubber operations.

52. Progress towards commitment to reduce GHG emissions intensity?

53. Time-bound commitment to improve water quality (BOD and COD)?

The company states that both BOD and COD figures are monitored and already within local and IFC limits.

54. Progress towards commitment on water quality (BOD and COD)?

In 2015, the company reported figures for BOD and COD and states it keeps within permitted levels, but no recent data could be found.

55. Treatment of effluents from processing facilities?

The company treats effluents from processing facilities.

56. Percentage of processing facilities with closed-loop water treatment system (100%)?

57. Time-bound commitment to improve water use intensity?

The company states that water use intensity is within industry standards (below 20m3/T dry rubber).

58. Water use intensity?

19.96

59. Progress towards commitment on water use intensity?

19.96 - The company reports water intensity figures that are within its target (below 20m3/T dry rubber).
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60. Commitment to protect natural waterways through buffer zones?

61. Implementation of commitment to protect natural waterways through buffer zones?

The company reports that buffer zones are implemented in estates.

62. Reducing odours from natural rubber processing facilities?

63. Commitment to minimise the use of chemicals, including pesticides and chemical fertilisers?

64. Commitment to no use of World Health Organisation (WHO) Class 1A and 1B pesticides?

65. Commitment to no use of chemicals listed under the Stockholm Convention and Rotterdam Convention?

66. Implementation of commitment to reduce chemical usage?

The company report reductions in chemical usage.

67. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach?

The company provides details on its IPM.

68. Chemical usage per ha or list of chemicals used?

69. Waste management system in place to avoid negative impacts?

[Externally verified] The company has a waste management system.

70. Commitment to human rights?

71. Commitment to human rights applies to all sourcing excluding smallholders?

72. Commitment to respect indigenous and local communities' rights?

73. Commitment to respect legal and customary land tenure rights?

74. Commitment to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC)?

75. FPIC commitment applies to all sourcing excluding smallholders?

76. Details on Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) process available?

The company states that it follows the "FAO Manual on Free, Prior and Informed Consent".

77. Examples of local stakeholder engagement to prevent conflicts?

[Externally verified] The company has quarterly meetings in some plantations, and in another plantation hired a community liaison officer.

78. Details of process for addressing land conflicts available?

The company has a grievance procedure which has been used to record and respond to land conflict related grievances.
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79. Commitment to support the inclusion of women across natural rubber operations, including addressing barriers faced?

80. Commitment to mitigate impacts on food security?

The company provides examples of mitigating impacts on food security however no commitment was found.

81. Progress on commitment to mitigate impacts on food security?

The company provides several examples.

82. Commitment to provide essential community services and facilities?

83. Progress on commitment to provide essential community services and facilities?

The company provides details on progress to provide essential community services and facilities.

84. Commitment to provide business/work opportunities for local communities?

85. Commitment to respect all workers' rights?

86. Commitment to Fundamental ILO Conventions or Free and Fair Labour Principles?

87. Commitment to eliminate gender related discrimination with regards to employment and occupation?

88. Percentage or number of temporary employees?

17664 (36.4%) - Sum of contractors, temporary and daily workers.

89. Percentage or number of women employees?

4982 (17.1%) - Figures provided applies to permanent employees only, number of women within temporary workers, contractors and daily workers not recorded.

90. Commitment to pay at least minimum wage?

91. Progress on commitment to pay at least minimum wage?

92. Reporting of salary by gender?

93. Commitment to address occupational health and safety?

94. Time lost due to work-based injuries?

50.11 - Lost days per 200,000 hours. The company also reports an injury rate per 200,000 hours of 18.91.

95. Reduction of time lost due to work-based injuries?

Lost days per 200,000 hours increased since 2016. The company also reports an injury rate per 200,000 hours which increased between 2017 and 2018.

96. Number of fatalities as a result of work-based accidents?

6

97. Zero fatalities as a result of work-based accidents?

Number of fatalities increased in 2018 compared to 2017.

98. Provision of personal protective equipment and related training?

The company states it makes PPE available. There is also a mention of training, including related to Carbofuran use in the 2017 sustainability report.

99. Member of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR)?

100. Submitted self-declaration form for the Sustainable Natural Rubber Initiative (SNR-i)?

101. Commitment to become 100% certified under voluntary sustainability certification scheme?

102. Certified under voluntary sustainability certification scheme?

[Externally verified] Only ISO 14001 certified for rubber operations. The company also has ISCC and organic certifications for some its palm oil operations and states that RSPO criteria are used for estates where palm oil and rubber planted together.

103. Percentage area (ha) FSC certified?

The company commits to align its business and operation practices with the FSC standard however the company is not FSC certified.

104. Commitment to support smallholders?

105. Programme to support scheme smallholders / outgrowers?

This indicator is disabled as the company has informed ZSL that it does not source from scheme smallholders/outgrowers.

106. Percentage of scheme smallholders / outgrowers involved in programme?

This indicator is disabled as the company has informed ZSL that it does not source from scheme smallholders/outgrowers.

107. Programme to support independent smallholders?

The company states that it "organises awareness and training sessions for smallholders and subcontractors. It offers them decision-making and technical support.".

108. Percentage of independent smallholders involved in programme?

109. Percentage of supply from smallholders?

57% - The company provides details on percentage of supply from smallholders.

110. Percentage of supply coming from agroforestry?

111. Process used to prioritise, assess and/or engage non-smallholder suppliers on compliance with company's policy and/or legal requirements?

The company states "the contractors and suppliers must comply with the companies rules and they are requested to sign our environmental and social policies. They are regularly audited by the staff in the framework of the management systems in order to ensure that their operations are the Group's environmental and social objectives. Training is provided if necessary.".

112. Number or percentage of non-smallholder suppliers assessed and/or engaged on compliance with company's policy and/or legal requirements?

113. Suspension or exclusion criteria for non-smallholder suppliers?

The company states that it ensures smallholders comply with the company's policy and requirements and that any supplier not taking immediate remedial actions to correct serious failures or who does it repeatedly shall be removed from the Group's list of approved suppliers. It states that suppliers can be banned from its supplier list in the event of blatant reluctance, however it does not give timeframes for action or clearly state the criteria for exclusion.

114. Process used to engage smallholder suppliers on compliance with company's policy and/or legal requirements?

115. Number or percentage of smallholder suppliers engaged on compliance with company's policy and/or legal requirements?

116. Commitment to ethical conduct and prohibition of corruption?

117. Progress on commitment to ethical conduct and prohibition of corruption?

The company provides information on how its implementing anti-bribery and corruption policies.

118. Whistleblowing procedure?

119. Own grievance or complaints system open to all stakeholders?

120. Details of complaints and grievances disclosed?