New companies selected for SPOTT assessment in 2018

SPOTT assessments score commodity producers and traders on the public availability of commitments and information relating to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. The information generated by SPOTT supports constructive industry engagement by investors, ESG analysts, buyers and other supply chain stakeholders.

Currently, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) assesses 50 palm oil producers and traders, and 24 timber and pulp producers on SPOTT. In response to demand from the users of SPOTT, we are expanding the number of companies assessed to 70 palm oil producers and traders*, and 50 timber and pulp producers in 2018.

Company selection

There is a clear demand from users to include assessments of more companies that are not currently assessed on SPOTT, particularly companies associated with high sustainability risks, in order to improve their transparency and accountability.

Taking into consideration the needs of SPOTT users, and aiming to identify companies, geographies and supply chain points with leverage to drive positive impact, we selected new timber and pulp producers and palm oil producers and traders based on the following general considerations:

• Operations in priority countries (i.e. in areas of high biodiversity value that are threatened by commodity production)
• Area of land owned or leased
• Companies that receive a high proportion of revenue from the relevant commodity
• Nominated by interested stakeholders from the finance sector, buyers, and other SPOTT users (optionally anonymous)
• Volunteering for assessment on SPOTT
• Operations both in the palm oil and timber and pulp sectors
• Palm oil trading volume (for traders and integrated companies) due to their influence to drive supplier compliance and responsibility for global trade flows 

Selected companies

26 new timber and pulp producers:

20 new palm oil producers and traders:

If you have companies in mind that you would like to see assessed on SPOTT in 2019, please fill out the nomination forms for palm oil and/or timber and pulp companies.

ZSL has notified the selected companies regarding their forthcoming assessment on SPOTT. 

Companies do not report directly to ZSL to inform their SPOTT assessments. Rather, ZSL conducts a thorough review of publicly available reports and publications before contacting the companies with their draft assessments.

This engagement process ensures that assessed companies have the opportunity to provide feedback to ZSL and make further disclosures ahead of the final review and publication of assessments on SPOTT.

The forthcoming assessments of 50 timber and pulp producers will appear on SPOTT in July 2018. Assessments of 71 palm oil producers and traders will be published to coincide with the RSPO 16^th Annual Roundtable Conference on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT16) in November 2018.

For current company scores and a full list of indicators and company details, please visit palm oil and timber and pulp company assessments.

* Update 11/04/18: Due to the RSPO membership of New Britain Palm Oil Ltd (NBPOL) recently being removed and included under Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd, NBPOL’s assessment will now be incorporated within the assessment of Sime Darby Plantation. As a result, we welcome the opportunity to add Groupe Blattner Elwyn to our 2018 assessments, bringing the total number of new palm oil companies to 21.

* Update 25/04/18: Due to the scope of Joubert’s operations not fulfilling the assessment selection criteria, we have substituted this company for its supplier, CBG (Compagnie des Bois du Gabon).

*  Update 02/07/18: Following engagement at the RSPO European Roundtable, New Britain Palm Oil will remain as an assessed company on SPOTT due to its unique operational environment.

*  Update 18/10/18: Following engagement, Adani Wilmar Ltd will be incorporated under Wilmar International’s assessment due to Wilmar International having management control.