Sustainability is essential to long-term business success.
Despite this, it is often ignored. Financial institutions on average provide £8.3 billion of financing to companies linked to deforestation – leaving markets, buyers and financers exposed to serious risks.
ZSL is working to change this. Whether it’s advising businesses and investors, or developing innovative new financing models to support local communities, our Sustainable Business and Finance Team work across the globe to empower everyone to build a future where people and wildlife both thrive.
Celebrating 10 years of SPOTT Assessments
Through assessing public disclosure of soft commodity companies, our SPOTT initiative has spent the last decade supporting the financial sector and supply chain stakeholders manage their risks.
Our commodity assessments have expanded from assessing transparency in just 24 palm oil companies in 2014, to assessing 230 companies working across the palm oil, timber and pulp, and natural rubber sectors. We’ve evaluated companies worth over US $400 billion in corporate value collectively, and driven greater transparency across companies around their commitments to environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks.
Each increase in transparency equips our users with the data needed to better understand and manage their risks, supporting more informed and responsible business decisions across their sectors.
Empowering businesses to build a sustainable future
These assessments are some of the most comprehensive due diligence tools available for buyers and stakeholders – but this level of detail also makes them costly to produce. We spend thousands of hours scouring company reports and webpages, collating information and assessing how they compare against up to 192 ESG indicators. This enables our users to make the most informed decisions around risks – but also means each commodity assessment costs up to £100,000 to produce. As part of an international conservation charity, we depend on donations and external funders to drive forward our mission of building a world where people and wildlife thrive together.
We are dedicated to empowering businesses to build a sustainable future for themselves and the planet, and the assessments are just one part of that goal.
We are taking the next year to review how best we can further our mission over the coming years, and that means we are pausing our SPOTT assessments for 2026. The nature of future assessments will depend on funding over the next year.
Protecting your company against the risks of tomorrow
We know the value that our assessments have for our users. We urge buyers and investors that have benefited from our work over the last decade to consider becoming a sponsor, helping us increase transparency and directly drive nature-positive commitments.
The future of businesses and the protection of our natural resources are inherently intertwined – and action to protect our wildlife and the ecosystems we all rely on is needed more than ever.
By investing in these assessments today, you can protect your business against the risks of tomorrow.
The SPOTT website will remain live throughout 2026, and our quarterly newsletter and social channels will continue to provide updates on our wider work across the Sustainable Business and Finance Team. Our team will continue to be available to answer questions about the data.
Help us transform global supply chains to secure a future for all. To join our supporter network or discuss other sponsorship opportunities, contact us at sbf@zsl.org. Direct donations can also be made via donate.zsl.org/spott
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Why are we pausing assessments?
SPOTT assessments bring huge value to the financial sector and supply chain holders, and are part of our wider work empowering businesses to build a sustainable future. Each commodity assessment costs up to £100,000 and involves thousands of hours of work, which as a charity is supported by donations and external funders. Pausing the assessments allows us to secure funding and review our next steps to empower everyone in building a future where people and wildlife both thrive.
- When will assessments re-start?
We will spend the coming year reviewing our next steps, which will partly depend on available funding.
- Will the media monitor and substantiated concerns still be updated?
Our routine media searches will be paused over the coming year. If relevant articles come to our attention, we will add these to the media monitor as appropriate.
- Will the SPOTT data remain available?
The SPOTT website will be live until at least the end of 2026, allowing existing data to be accessed.
- Can I still reach out to the SPOTT team with questions about the data?
Yes. We are happy to support users with any questions they may have about company data.
- Can I still join the supporter network?
Yes, to join our supporter network and help us transform global supply chains to secure a future for all, contact us at sbf@zsl.org.
- Will SPOTT communications and newsletters continue?
Yes, the SPOTT newsletter and social media channels will remain active, sharing updates from across the Sustainable Business and Finance Team. Please visit zsl.org/what-we-do/working-with-business/sustainable-business-updates to sign up, and follow us on LinkedIn and X.
- How can I make a donation?
To make a donation and help us support businesses manage environmental, social and governance risks, visit donate.zsl.org/spott