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Global timber markets and critical forests threatened by traceability gaps
The majority of the world’s leading tropical forestry companies are failing to disclose where their wood and pulp come from – according to the latest SPOTT assessment from international conservation charity ZSL – with the lack of transparency putting markets…
The Importance of Transparency in Sustainability: A Shared Commitment by Earthtrust and SPOTT
SPOTT and Earthtrust share a vision: transparency backed by evidence drives trust and accountability In an era of growing consumer awareness and demand for sustainability, transparency has become the cornerstone of trust in responsible practices. Here, we understand transparency…
Latest news:
Timber and pulp companies failing to report on commitments to Indigenous peoples and local communities
Assessment summary: ZSL (Zoological Society of London) is calling on the world’s leading timber and pulp companies to overhaul their commitments to local and indigenous communities and biodiversity conservation, as they release their annual assessment of 100 of the…
Sustainable finance and tropical forestry: a series of financial institution case studies
How do different financial institutions approach non-financial information and ESG issues when considering tropical forestry companies and supply chains exposed to timber, pulp and paper products sourced from tropical regions? To illustrate the variety of approaches which are available to…
Congo Basin countries move toward a timber export ban
Following the virtual intergovernmental conference of ministers from Congo Basin countries, a communique was released, agreeing a log export ban covering seven of the member nations of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). This group includes Cameroon,…
Keeping track of companies’ commitments to the environment
Deforestation due to commodity production, most famously, palm oil, has gained increased public awareness over recent years. The commodity’s production has been a dominant force in wildlife declines seen in many countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. However, with the product’s…
Company selection updates for 2021 SPOTT Palm Oil assessments
SPOTT assesses the most impactful producers, processors and traders in the palm oil sector on their public disclosure regarding the organisation, policies and practices related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Assessed companies are reviewed on an annual basis…
ZSL report reveals COVID-19 impact on natural rubber producers
Assessment summary Smallholder producers of natural rubber are seeing greater impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic than larger producers, according to latest analysis by ZSL (Zoological Society of London) of the world’s most significant natural rubber producers and processors. Despite…
Tropical Timber: A Guide to Responsible Sourcing and Financing
Timber has been a vital resource for thousands of years and serves many functions. When produced at industrial scale, timber is harvested either through exploitation of areas of naturally occurring forest (natural forest management) or through forest areas expressly planted…
Thematic Guide to Supplier Engagement
Supplier engagement is crucial to ensuring that sustainability policy commitments are being met throughout the supply chain. While a company’s own plantations might comply with its own policy requirements, third-party supplying plantations may not. Download guide Having a traceable supply…
Série de Webinars ESG: Finance durable et foresterie tropicale
Click here for English. Série de Webinars ESG: Finance durable et foresterie tropicale La finance durable est cruciale pour répondre aux problématiques du changement climatique, de la déforestation, d’atteintes aux droits de l’homme ou bien répondre aux enjeux des objectifs de…
Thematic Guide to Traceability
Understanding where a company, including all its subsidiaries, sources its palm oil from is an essential component in the implementation of sustainable sourcing commitments – without knowing its origin, it is impossible to verify if it is being produced sustainably,…