Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC) (previously assessed as Feronia Inc)

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

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

The company states in its Environmental and Social Policy that it "require its customers, partners and suppliers within the supply chain to adopt the same level of environmental and social practice" and the company's Land Policy states it applies to "the Corporation and its employees, officers, directors and contractors" but it is unclear if the policy applies to all suppliers.

3. High-level position of responsibility for sustainability?

ESG Director leads the ESG Board Committee which reports directly to the Board of Directors.

4. Sustainability report published within last two years?

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

TFA 2020.

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

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

7. Activities with government, NGOs or academic institutions to improve palm oil sustainability?

The company states it is working with NGOs including CARITAS, CRAFOP, IGED (Initiation, Gestion d'Environnent Durable et Gestion D?fense des Droits Human) and CADAAP but limited details are given.

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

107000 - Figure includes planted area, wildlife buffer zones, roads, villages and areas of high conservation value.

9. Total oil palm planted area (ha)?

24183

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

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

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

6626 - The company reports a total replantable land area of 6,626 ha.The company has committed to only replant oil palm on land that has previously been used for oil palm plantations.

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

The company only reports a combined figure of 72,804 ha for infrastructure, villages, high conservation value land, forest, roads and land unsuitable for planting.

13. Area for infrastructure (ha)?

The company only reports a combined figure of 72,804 ha for infrastructure, villages, high conservation value land, forest, roads and land unsuitable for planting.

14. Number and names of company owned mills?

The company is building a new mill: Lokumete mill.

15. Maps or coordinates of company owned mills?

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?

The company only gives coordinates of its three plantations, no concession boundaries are provided. The company states "Land titles and maps which are completed to date are publicly available at Feronia?s London office and PHC?s Kinshasa office.".

18. Maps of scheme/plasma smallholders?

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

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?

100% - The company does not source from smallholder or independent suppliers. Each of its concessions has its own mill for processing the FFB.

21. Percentage of supply traceable to mill level (above 80%)?

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 (above 75%)?

100% - The company does not source from smallholder or independent suppliers. Each of its concessions has its own mill for processing the FFB.

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

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

24. Commitment to zero deforestation?

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

This indicator is disabled as the company does not source from smallholders or independent suppliers.

26. Criteria for defining deforestation?

HCV, land not previously developed for oil palm plantations.

27. Evidence of monitoring deforestation?

28. Examples of habitat management and/or habitat restoration?

29. Implementing a landscape-level approach to biodiversity conservation?

30. Commitment to biodiversity conservation?

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

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

33. Examples of species conservation activities?

34. Commitment to conduct High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments?

The company commits to protect HCV areas but does not have a clear commitment to conduct HCV assessments in the case of any new development.

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

This indicator is disabled as the company does not source from smallholders or independent suppliers.

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

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

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

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

40. Satisfactory review of all High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments undertaken since January 2015 by the HCV ALS Quality Panel?

41. Commitment to the High Carbon Stock (HCS) Approach?

42. High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments?

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

The company states a commitment to "assess the environmental and social impacts of all its business activities using robust and internationally recognised standards" but does not have a clear commitment to conduct SEIAs before all new development.

44. Social and environmental impact assessments (SEIAs) undertaken, and associated management and monitoring plans?

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

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

This indicator is disabled as the company does not source from smallholders or independent suppliers.

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

The company commits to best practices on soil but not for peat.

48. Landbank or planted area on peat?

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

50. Commitment to zero burning?

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

This indicator is disabled as the company does not source from smallholders or independent suppliers.

52. Evidence of management and monitoring fires?

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

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

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

The company states a general commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and states it will begin to measure and report GHG emissions in 2018.

56. GHG emissions from land use change?

57. Methodology used to calculate GHG emissions?

58. Progress towards commitment to reduce GHG emissions intensity?

59. Percentage of mills with methane capture (100%)?

The company states it plans to build methane capture facilities but does not currently have any in place.

60. Time-bound commitment to improve water use per tonne of FFB Processed?

61. Time-bound commitment to improve water quality (BOD and COD)?

62. Progress towards commitment on water use?

63. Progress towards commitment on water quality (BOD and COD)?

BOD and COD figures are available for the three mills from 2015 only.

64. Protection of natural waterways through buffer zones?

The company has buffer zones in place but does not have a clear commitment to maintain buffer zones across all its operations.

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

The company states it is developing a plan for the treatment and disposal of palm oil mill effluent as part of the process to achieve RSPO certification.

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

67. No use of paraquat?

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

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

70. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach?

The company only states that it promotes plantation management practices such as integrated pest management, but no further details were given. The company states its Integrated Pest Management Strategy is publicly available at Feronia's London office, PHC's Kinshasa office and at PHC's plantations.

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

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

The company only mentions human rights in relation to security, it does not have an overarching commitment.

73. Commitment to human rights applies to scheme smallholders and independent suppliers?

This indicator is disabled as the company does not source from smallholders or independent suppliers.

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

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

The company respects community rights but does not mention the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

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

77. FPIC commitment applies to independent suppliers?

This indicator is disabled as the company does not source from smallholders or independent suppliers.

78. Details of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) process available?

79. Details of process for addressing land conflicts available?

80. Commitment to mitigate impacts on food security?

81. Commitment to provide essential community services and facilities?

82. Commitment to respect all workers' rights?

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

The company does not refer to equal remuneration or freedom of association.

84. Total number of employees?

8401 - Figure includes permanent staff, seasonal workers and day labourers.

85. Percentage or number of temporary employees?

4341 (51.7%)

86. Percentage or number of women employees?

191 - The company states "of the permanent staff 191 are women, representing 4.7% of the full time labour force. The proportion of management positions held by women is 16% at Feronia.".

87. Commitment to pay minimum wage?

88. Commitment to address occupational health and safety?

89. Time lost due to work-based injuries?

The company reports 50 accidents per million hours worked in 2017.

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

0

91. Provision of personal protective equipment and pesticide training?

The company provides PPE but does not mention pesticide training.

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

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

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

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

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

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

2025 - The target is over 5 years away.

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

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

97. Year expected to achieve 100% RSPO certification of all palm product processing facilities?

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

98. 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?

The company only became an RSPO member in 2017.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

106. Malaysia Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certified?

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

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

108. Programme to support scheme smallholders?

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

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

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

110. Programme to support independent smallholders?

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

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

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

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

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

113. Suspension or exclusion criteria for suppliers?

114. Percentage of suppliers assessed and/or engaged on compliance with company requirements?

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

115. Commitment to ethical conduct and prohibition of corruption?

116. Whistleblowing procedure?

The company has a Whistleblowing Policy. However, the extent to which it will offer protection to whistleblowers is not clear.

117. Own grievance or complaints system?

118. Grievance or complaints system is accessible to internal and external stakeholders?

119. Details of grievances disclosed?

The company only gives the number of engagements relating to grievance management.