ZSL (Zoological Society of London) has released its latest environmental, social and governance (ESG) transparency assessments of palm oil companies, generated by the international conservation charity’s dedicated SPOTT (Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit) team.

This updated analysis covering 50 of the world’s largest palm oil producers and traders found that the number of companies scoring well against SPOTT’s indicators has increased significantly since the last assessments published in June, but the number of those scoring poorly remains similar.

Overall the average score improved by 3.4% to 50.4%, up from 29.3% when SPOTT assessments began in June 2014.

Encouragingly, 40 out of 48 land-owning companies surveyed reported that they have set-aside areas for conservation. Despite this, 20 out of 50 companies still lack commitments to no deforestation.

SPOTT assesses palm oil producers and traders on the public disclosure of their policies, operations and commitments to environmental, social and governance (ESG) best practice, to facilitate corporate engagement and increase industry transparency. SPOTT encourages users to engage with companies, as company policies and commitments may not always translate into effective implementation on the ground. 

To view the latest scores visit the palm oil assessments page or read the summary highlighting the latest facts and figures.

 

Banner image credit: James Anderson, World Resources Institute on Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0