Timber and pulp assessment summary - August 2022
ZSL's SPOTT initiative assesses 100 timber and pulp producers, processors and traders on their public disclosure regarding their organisation, policies and practices related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. We encourage stakeholders to engage with companies, as policies and commitments may not always translate into effective implementation on the ground.
Indicator categories
SPOTT scores timber and pulp producers, processors and traders using up to 179 ESG indicators across 10 categories. View the categories below to find out more about key results, and visit company pages to view their full assessments.
Note: Indicators are disabled if they are not applicable to companies due to the nature or location of their operations.
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Sustainability policy and leadership
24.8%
- 33 companies / 90 (36.7%) have put in place clear sustainability policies that apply to all their operations.
- 13 companies / 94 (13.8%) extend their sustainability policies to all their suppliers.
- 24 companies / 100 (24.0%) have a high-level position (excluding board members) with responsibility for sustainability.
- 19 companies / 91 (20.9%) have one or more board members with responsibility for sustainability.
- 33 companies / 100 (33.0%) have published a sustainability report in the last two years.
- 8 companies / 100 (8.0%) have conducted and published an assessment of climate-related risks.
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Landbank, maps and traceability
26.3%
- 13 companies / 78 (16.7%) disclose the total area of natural forest they control for wood/wood fibre production.
- 15 companies / 65 (23.1%) clearly disclose their total area of forest plantation.
- 20 companies / 90 (22.2%) report information on their areas set aside for conservation, including of High Conservation Value (HCV) areas.
- 4 companies / 76 (5.3%) disclose the area of intact forest landscape* found within all their operations.
- 17 companies / 90 (18.9%) have made geo-referenced maps available for all their Forest Management Units (FMUs).
- 12 companies / 94 (12.8%) have achieved 100% traceability to country level. Only 6 companies / 94 (6.4%) have achieved 100% traceability to FMU level.
* Can be defined as a territory within today’s global extent of forest cover minimally influenced by human economic activity, with an area of at least 500 km2 (50,000 ha) and a minimal width of 10 km. -
Certification standards
14.9%
- 23 companies / 90 (25.6%) have more than 75% of their area verified as being in legal compliance by a third party.
- 12 companies / 94 (12.8%) that have suppliers report any of their supply as being verified legal by a third party.
- 4 companies / 90 (4.4%) have more than 75% of their landbank Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management (FM) certified and only 9 companies / 90 (10.0%) are 100% certified.
- 13 companies / 94 (13.8%) have a commitment to only source wood or wood fibre that meets FSC Controlled Wood requirements.
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Deforestation and biodiversity
19.1%
- 5 companies / 90 (5.6%) have a clear commitment to zero conversion of natural ecosystems. 4 companies / 94 (4.3%) commit all their suppliers to the same standard.
- 48 companies / 90 (53.3%) have a clear commitment to zero deforestation. 12 companies / 94 (12.8%) commit all their suppliers to the same standard.
- 8 companies / 90 (8.9%) report having a comprehensive system to monitor deforestation or ecosystem conversion and just 6 companies / 90 have published deforestation figures within their own operations in the past two years.
- 3 companies / 94 (3.2%) report having a comprehensive system to monitor deforestation or ecosystem conversion within their suppliers operations, and and just 1 / 94 has published deforestation figures within its suppliers operations in the past two years
- 4 companies / 100 (4.0%) are implementing a landscape approach.
- 2 companies / 90 (2.2%) have published a Biodiversity Policy which extends beyond conservation set-asides and includes clear time-bound targets to measure the impact of the policy
- 14 companies / 90 (15.6%) have Identified species of conservation concern, referencing international or national system of species classification.
- 39 companies / 90 (43%) that control land provide some examples of species or habitat conservation management on its concessions.
- 19 companies / 90 (21.1%) commit to protect forest areas from illegal activities. 7 companies / 94 (7.4%) commit all their suppliers to the same standard.
- 39 companies / 90 (43%) report multiple examples of how they are protecting forest areas from illegal activities.
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HCV, HCS and impact assessments
19.5%
- 50 companies / 90 (55.6%) have a commitment to conduct High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments for all new development and planting. 9 companies / 94 (9.6%), including traders and producers that have suppliers extend this commitment to all sourcing.
- 16 companies / 90 (17.8%) make all their HCV assessment reports publicly available.15 companies / 90 (16.7%) make their HCV management and monitoring plans available
- 5 companies / 65 (7.7%) have have a commitment to the High Carbon Stock (HCS) Approach. 6 companies / 88 (6.8%), including traders and producers that have suppliers extend this commitment to all sourcing.
- 1 company / 59 (1.7%) have High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments publicly available.1 company / 59 (1.7%) has had a peer review of all High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments undertaken since April 2015 by the HCSA Quality Assurance Process.
- 24 companies / 94 (25.5%) have a clear commitment to conduct Social and Environmental Impact Assessments (SEIAs) for all new development and planting.
- 12 companies / 94 (12.8%) have at least one SEIA assessment or summary reports publicly available.
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Soils, fire and GHG emissions
16.5%
- 12 companies / 90 (13.3%) commit to best management practices for soils and/or peat.
- 18 companies / 78 (23.1%) have a commitment to use reduced impact logging (RIL) techniques across all their operations
- 12 companies / 94 (12.8%) have a time-bound commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity.
- 11 companies / 100 (11.0%) report their GHG emissions intensity.
- 10 / 94 (10.6%) report a reduction in their GHG emissions intensity over time.
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Water, chemical and pest management
20.5%
- 7 companies / 49 (14.3%) with pulp or paper mills have a time-bound commitment to improve water use intensity, and 4 / 49 (8.2%) are reporting progress towards their water use commitment.
- 22 companies / 90 (24.4%) have a commitment to protect natural waterways through using buffer or riparian zones.
- 39 companies / 90 (43%) report implementing an integrated pest management (IPM) approach.
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Community, land and labour rights
25.4%
- 47 companies / 94 (50.0%) have a commitment to respect indigenous and local communities’ rights.
- 16 companies / 94 (17.0%) have a commitment to respect legal and customary land tenure rights
- 25 companies / 94 (26.6%) have a full commitment to obtain free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) prior to all new developments.
- 12 companies / 94 (12.8%) report examples of local stakeholder engagement to prevent conflicts
- 11 companies / 78 (14.1%) report a commitment to enable sustainable use of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) by local communities
- 24 companies / 94 (25.5%) have a commitment to provide business/work opportunities for local communities
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Smallholders and suppliers
14.4%
- 9 companies / 82 (11.0%) have a programme to support outgrower smallholders, and provide details of how many outgrowers are supported.
- 17 companies / 94 (18.1%) report they have a process for prioritising, assessing and/or engaging suppliers on compliance with their policy and/or legal requirements.
- 12 companies / 94 (12.8%) report the number of suppliers that they have assessed or engaged.
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Governance and grievances
26.6%
- 33 companies / 100 (33.0%) have a clear commitment to ethical conduct and the prohibition of corruption
- 21 companies / 100 (21.0%) have a grievance procedure that is open to both internal and external stakeholders such as employees and local communities.
- 6 companies / 100 (6.0%) report some details of grievances,
Key findings
- The average score of companies is 21.7% in August 2022, compared to 23.6% during the last assessment of timber & pulp companies in July 2021.
- 4/100 (4%) companies were assessed for the first time in August 2022 – their average score was 10%.
- 30/96 (31%) companies assessed in July 2021 saw an increase in their scores in August 2022 – the average change in score was +1.8 percentage points.
- 55/96 (57%) companies assessed in July 2021 saw a decrease in their scores in August 2022 – the average change in score was –3.9 percentage points.
- 11/96 (11%) companies assessed in July 2021 did not see a change in their scores in August 2022 – all 11 companies scored below 1 point in both years.
- The average score of producers with some or all of their landbank Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management (FM) certified or Programme for Endorsement of Forestry Certification (PEFC) FM certified is 45.4% compared to 6.6% for producers lacking such certification
Average scores by type
About SPOTT
Developed by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), SPOTT is an online platform supporting sustainable commodity production and trade. By tracking transparency, SPOTT incentivises the implementation of corporate best practice. SPOTT assesses commodity producers, processors and traders on their public disclosure regarding their organisation, policies and practices related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. SPOTT scores companies annually against sector-specific indicators to benchmark their progress over time. Investors, buyers and other key influencers can use SPOTT assessments to inform stakeholder engagement, manage risk, and increase industry transparency. For more information, visit spott.org.
About ZSL
ZSL (Zoological Society of London) is an international conservation charity working to create a world where wildlife thrives. From investigating the health threats facing animals to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, ZSL is committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction. Our work is realised through our ground-breaking science, our field conservation around the world and engaging millions of people through our two zoos, ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. For more information, visit zsl.org.