New Britain Palm Oil Ltd

1. Sustainable palm oil policy or commitment for all its operations?

The company has a number of sustainability policies, notably its Forest Policy and Environmental Policy, and its parent company Sime Darby has a Responsible Agriculture Charter.

2. Policy or commitment applies to direct and third-party suppliers?

The company states "This policy is applicable to NBPOL's own estates and external fresh fruit suppliers, including all smallholders and outgrowers".

3. High-level position of responsibility for sustainability?

Director of Sustainability.

4. Sustainability report published within last two years?

5. Member of industry schemes or other external initiatives to improve palm oil sustainability or transparency?

NBPOL is a member of Sedex, TFA 2020, WBCSD, HCS Approach Steering Group and TFT, and reports under GRI and CDP. NBPOL was a founding member of POIG but since it is part of the Sime Darby Group it ceased to be a member until Sime Darby joins the initiative.

6. Verification report on compliance with POIG Charter, if a POIG member?

NBPOL was a founding member of POIG and completed a trial assessment.

7. Activities with government and/or NGOs to improve palm oil sustainability?

The company states "In recent years we have worked closely with Solidaridad, a Dutch social NGO, to establish programmes to enhance conditions and empower smallholders" and "NBPOL is working closely with the PNG Government in the transition to the VCLR (Voluntary Customary Land Registration) system that it feels better protects customary land rights".

8. Total land area managed/controlled for oil palm (ha)?

136268 - Total titled land - includes land for oil palm, sugar and cattle pasture. Data more than one year old.

9. Total oil palm planted area (ha)?

83178 - Data more than one year old.

10. Plasma/scheme smallholders planted area (ha)?

42497 - NBPOL does not have scheme smallholders, but has associated smallholders. Data more than one year old.

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

11748 - Described as "unplantable/reserve" area so unclear what is available for planting. Data more than one year old.

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

17514 - Data more than one year old.

13. Area for infrastructure (ha)?

9000 - Data more than one year old.

14. Number of company owned mills?

12 - NBPOL only reports 11 mills in its 2015 ACOP.

15. Maps or coordinates of company owned mills?

Mill locations have been made available to the RSPO, but not all may be publicly available due to ongoing legal reasons.

16. Number and names of supplier mills?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

17. Maps of estates/management units?

Concession boundaries have been made available to the RSPO and the company declares these represent 100% of their concession sites, but not all may not be publicly available due to ongoing legal issues.

18. Maps of scheme/plasma smallholders?

Scheme smallholder boundaries have been made available to the RSPO as part of their estate maps according to NBPOL, but not all may not be publicly available due to ongoing legal issues.

19. Time-bound commitment to achieve 100% traceability to mill level?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

20. Time-bound commitment to achieve 100% traceability to plantation level?

2010 - Full traceability to plantation achieved in 2010.

21. Percentage of supply traceable to mill level (is 100%)?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

22. Percentage of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) from own mills traceable to plantation level (is above 75%)?

2010 (100%) - Full traceability to plantation achieved in 2010.

23. Percentage of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) from supplier mills traceable to plantation level (is above 75%)?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

24. Commitment to address deforestation?

25. Commitment to zero deforestation?

26. Deforestation commitment applies to scheme smallholders and independent suppliers?

27. Criteria for defining deforestation?

The company states "Forest areas are conserved and not developed, as identified through Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments ".

28. Evidence of monitoring deforestation?

The company only states it continuously manages buffer zones and following encroachment has introduced tough disciplinary procedures.

29. Commitment to set aside areas for conservation?

30. Evidence of habitat management and/or habitat restoration?

The company reports native forest restoration, rehabilitation of buffer zones and enhancement of mangroves.

31. A landscape-level approach?

The company states its target is to "to create protective buffers along riverbanks and form linkages between forest patches and conservation areas within the landscape" and it is part of the High Forest Cover Landscapes Working Group.

32. Commitment to biodiversity conservation?

33. Commitment to not endanger species of conservation concern, referencing international or national system of species classification?

The company commits to ensuring the protection and survival of rare, threatened and endangered species, but do not refer to a system of species classification.

34. Commitment to no hunting or only sustainable hunting of species?

The parent company Sime Darby states that its efforts to reduce the biodiversity risk of its operations include no hunting within its operations.

35. Commitment not to operate within internationally and nationally designated protected areas?

36. Evidence of species conservation activities?

Species conservation project for the Queen Alexandra Birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera alexandrae), among other.

37. Commitment to High Conservation Value (HCV) approach?

38. HCV commitment applies to scheme smallholders and independent suppliers?

39. Commitment to only use licensed High Conservation Value (HCV) assessors accredited by the HCV Resource Network's Assessor Licensing Scheme (ALS)?

40. High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments for planting undertaken prior to January 2015, and associated management and monitoring plans?

There is public availability of the following NBPOL's HCV assessments:

Oro: Higaturu Estate

Morobe: Ramu Agri-Industries Ltd (RAIL), Impu Sagu Estate

New Ireland: Poliamba Ltd, Lamawan and Lamawan Plantations

Ramu Valley: J Estate

West New Britain: Roka Mini Estate and Roka Estate

GPPOL, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

Milne Bay estates, PNG.

41. High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments for all estates planted since January 2015?

There is public availability of the following NBPOL's HCV assessments:

Oro: Higaturu Estate

Ramu Valley: Ramu Agri Industries Ltd.

42. High Conservation Value (HCV) management and monitoring plans for all estates planted since January 2015?

There is public availability of the following NBPOL's HCV management and monitoring plans:

Oro: Higaturu Estate

Ramu Valley: Ramu Agri Industries Ltd.

43. Satisfactory review of all High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments undertaken since January 2016 by the HCV ALS Quality Panel?

Satisfactory review of all assessments:
Higaturu Estate
Impu and Sagu Area of Interest (Ramu Agri).

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

The company states "NBPOL uses the High Carbon Stock Approach methodology developed by the HCS Approach Steering Group".

45. High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments?

The company provides summary details of HCS assessment undertaken.

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

The company states forest areas are conserved and not developed, as identified through Environmental Impact
Assessments (EIA), together with Social Impact Assessments (SIA).

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

There is public availability of the following NBPOL's SEIA assessments:

Oro: Higaturu Estate

New Ireland: Poliamba Ltd, Lamawan and Lamawan Plantations

Ramu Valley: Ramu Agri-Industries Ltd (RAIL), J Estate

Morobe: Ramu Agri-Industries Ltd (RAIL), Impu

West New Britain: Roka Mini Estate and Roka Estate

GPPOL, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

Milne Bay estates, PNG

A SEIA for Orangerie Bay could not be found. And management and monitoring plans could not be found for Milne Bay and Guadalcanal.

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

49. Peat commitment applies to scheme smallholders and independent suppliers?

Not explicitly mentioned by NBPOL but Sime Darby Group's commitment applies. Sime Darby's Responsible Agriculture Charter currently applies to all its palm oil operations, including associated smallholders. It plans Full Charter commitments to be implemented for 3rd party suppliers in 2018.

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

The company adopts principles to "preserve soil fertility and prevent erosion of any land under its control" and its current peat area is "maintained through best practices in water table management".

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

88 - Data more than two years old.

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

53. Commitment to zero burning?

54. Zero burning commitment applies to scheme smallholders and independent suppliers?

Not explicitly mentioned by NBPOL but Sime Darby Group's commitment applies. Sime Darby's Responsible Agriculture Charter currently applies to all its palm oil operations, including associated smallholders. It plans Full Charter commitments to be implemented for 3rd party suppliers in 2018.

55. Evidence of management and monitoring fires?

56. Details/number of hotspots/fires in company estates?

57. Details/number of hotspots/fires within surrounding landscape/smallholders?

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

Committed to reduction in net emissions of 70% by 2016 and to achieving no net carbon emissions on expansion.

59. GHG commitment applies to scheme smallholders and independent suppliers?

Not explicitly mentioned by NBPOL but Sime Darby Group's commitment to reduce emissions by 40% by 2020 against a 2009 baseline applies. Sime Darby's Responsible Agriculture Charter currently applies to all its palm oil operations, including associated smallholders. It plans Full Charter commitments to be implemented for 3rd party suppliers in 2018.

60. GHG emissions?

61. GHG emissions from land use change?

62. Methodology used to calculate GHG emissions?

PalmGHG 2.1.1.

63. Progress towards commitment to reduce GHG emissions?

Net emissions have increased from 2013 to 2015.

64. Percentage of mills with methane capture (is above 75%)?

2 (16.7%)

65. Commitment to manage water use and water quality?

66. Time-bound commitments to improve water use and water quality?

NBPOL states it has a target to stay below 90ppm for Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), but this is not time-bound. Sime Darby, the parent company, has targets to reduce water usage from a baseline in 2015-2016 by 25% by 2019-2020.

67. Progress towards commitment on water use?

The company reports water usage figures, but does not report progress towards commitments.

68. Progress towards commitment on water quality?

The company reports water quality figures (BOD), but does not have a time-bound commitment to report progress towards.

69. Protection of natural waterways through buffer zones?

70. Evidence of treating palm oil mill effluent (POME)?

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

72. No use of paraquat?

73. No use of World Health Organisation (WHO) Class 1A and 1B pesticides?

74. No use of chemicals listed under the Stockholm Convention and Rotterdam Convention?

75. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach?

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

77. Commitment to human rights, referencing the UN Declaration of Human Rights or UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights?

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

The company states it recognises the rights to lands that customarily own, occupy or otherwise use, and has established a process for identifying legal and customary rights.

79. Commitment to respect indigenous and local communities' rights, referencing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples or ILO 169?

The company states that it recognises the rights granted in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that a community has.

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

81. FPIC commitment applies to independent suppliers?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

82. Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) process?

83. Process for addressing land conflicts?

The company provides a grievance flowchart for handling land owner issues.

84. Commitment to ensure food security for local communities?

85. Commitment to respect all workers' rights?

The company commits to workers rights and states " Our commitment extends to any human being affected by our operations including employees". It separately states that it believes "that every employee has the right to a decent, fair, safe, healthy work environment".

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

The company states it labour standards are benchmarked against the ILO core labour standards.

87. Total number of employees?

23158

88. Percentage or number of temporary employees?

765 (4.8%) - Figure shows % of seasonal field workers.

89. Percentage or number of women employees?

23.1%

90. Minimum wage that the company pays?

NBPOL's lowest wage is higher than the mandatory national minimum wage.

91. Commitment to address occupational health and safety?

92. Lost time accident rate?

15 - Average lost time accident rate.

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

5 - During 2014 and 2015.

94. Provision of personal protective equipment and pesticide training?

95. Member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)?

2004

96. Submitted most recent RSPO Annual Communication of Progress (ACOP)?

2016 ACOP data for NBPOL has not been received from the RSPO, nor for NBPOL's parent company Sime Darby Plantation.

97. Listed all countries and regions in which operates in most recent RSPO Annual Communication of Progress (ACOP)?

98. Time-bound plan for achieving 100% RSPO certification of estates within 5 years or achieved 100% RSPO-certification of estates?

2013

99. Time-bound plan for achieving 100% RSPO certification of scheme/associated smallholders within 5 years or achieved 100% RSPO-certification of scheme/associated smallholders?

2013

100. Time-bound plan for achieving 100% RSPO certification of all supply chains?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

101. RSPO-certified within three years of joining the RSPO or by November 2010, for companies joining prior to finalisation of the RSPO certification systems in November 2007?

2009

102. Percentage of mills RSPO-certified (is above 75%)?

12 (100%)

103. Percentage of area (ha) RSPO-certified (is above 75%)?

156536 - NBPOL reports a certified area larger than their total landbank of 136,268 ha. Data more than one year old.

104. Percentage of scheme/associated smallholders (ha) RSPO-certified (is above 75%)?

42497 (100%)

105. Percentage of FFB supply (tonnes) from independent FFB suppliers that is RSPO-certified (is above 75%)?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

106. Percentage of all palm oil and oil palm products handled/traded/processed (tonnes) that are RSPO-certified (is above 75%)?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

107. Sells or processes/trades RSPO-certified palm oil through Segregated or Identity Preserved supply chains?

Segregated.

108. Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certified (100%)?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

109. Malaysia Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certified (100%)?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

110. Certified under voluntary sustainability certification scheme (e.g. ISCC, SAN, RSB, etc.)?

Some sites are ISO 14001 certified. The company plans to SAN-certify two sites in 2017.

111. Programme to support scheme smallholders?

112. Details of support programme for scheme smallholders?

Providing interest free credit, sharing sustainability premium, certification, financial literacy training, community development, community security, community health, outreach on domestic violence.

113. Number or percentage of scheme smallholders involved in programme?

The company states that in 2015, a total of 80 smallholder farmers and a women's group attended financial literacy training facilitated by NBPOL in Poliamba.

114. Programme to support independent smallholders?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

115. Details of support programme for independent smallholders?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

116. Number or percentage of independent smallholders involved in programme?

This indicator is disabled as it is not applicable to this company.

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

118. Suspension or exclusion criteria for suppliers?

119. Number or percentage of suppliers assessed and/or engaged?

120. Commitment to ethical conduct and prohibition of corruption?

121. Whistleblowing procedure?

122. Own grievance or complaints system?

123. Grievance system accessible to internal stakeholders (i.e. employees)?

124. Grievance system accessible to external stakeholders?

125. Details of grievances disclosed?