Timber and pulp assessment summary - August 2023
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.
SPOTT scores timber and pulp producers, processors and traders using up to 182 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.
23.3%
Average total score:
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Sustainability policy and leadership
27.6%
- 32 companies / 90 (35.6%) publish clear sustainability policies that apply to all their operations.
- 17 companies / 94 (18.1%) publicly extend their sustainability policies to all their suppliers.
- 25 companies / 100 (25.0%) publish a high-level position (excluding board members) with responsibility for sustainability.
- 23 companies / 91 (25.3%) publish one or more board members with responsibility for sustainability.
- 25 companies / 100 (25.0%) publicly disclose the percentage or number of women in their senior management team.
- 26 companies / 91 (28.6%) publicly disclose the percentage or number of women within their board of directors.
- 24 companies / 100 (24.0%) are members of multiple industry schemes or other external initiatives to reduce negative environmental or social outcomes associated with timber and pulp production.
- 26 companies / 100 (26.0%) publish evidence of collaboration with multiple stakeholders to reduce negative environmental or social outcomes associated with timber and pulp production.
- 35 companies / 100 (35.0%) have published a sustainability report in the last two years.
- 23 companies / 100 (23.0%) publicly report through standardised reporting systems.
- 12 companies / 100 (12.0%) publish an assessment of climate-related risks.
- 3 companies / 90 (3.3%) publish a natural capital assessment.
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Landbank, maps and traceability
28.6%
- 52 companies / 94 (55.3%) publicly disclose the countries they operate in and the nature of these operations.
- 17 companies / 81 (21.0%) publicly disclose the countries they source from.
- 27 companies / 90 (30.0%) publicly disclose the total land area managed/controlled for forestry.
- 16 companies / 78 (20.5%) publicly disclose the total area of natural forest they control for wood/wood fibre production.
- 17 companies / 65 (26.2%) publicly disclose their total area of forest plantation.
- 6 companies / 80 (7.5%) publicly disclose their total area of plantation/natural forest within outgrower schemes.
- 7 companies / 65 (10.8%) publicly disclose their total unplanted area (areas designated for future development as plantation forest).
- 20 companies / 90 (22.2%) publicly report information on their areas set aside for conservation, including of High Conservation Value (HCV) areas.
- 3 companies / 74 (4.1%) publicly disclose the area of Intact Forest Landscape (IFL)* found within all their operations.
- 33 companies / 90 (36.7%) publicly disclose the number of Forest Management Units (FMUs) they own.
- 21 companies / 90 (23.3%) publish geo-referenced maps for all Forest Management Units (FMUs).
- 23 companies / 90 (25.6%) publish forest management plans for all forest management units (FMUs).
- 4 companies / 90 (4.4%) publish monitoring information on the implementation of all forest management plans.
- 9 companies / 49 (18.4%) provide valid legal documents to Open Timber Portal on use right.
- 9 companies / 49 (18.4%) provide valid legal documents to Open Timber Portal on forest management.
- 1 company / 49 (2.0%) provides valid legal documents to Open Timber Portal on timber harvesting.
- 3 companies / 88 (3.4%) publicly disclose the names and locations of all their third-party supplying FMUs.
- 18 companies / 81 (22.2%) publicly disclose the number of sawmills they own.
- 9 companies / 81 (11.1%) publicly disclose the names and locations of all of the sawmills they own.
- 13 companies / 49 (26.5%) publicly disclose the number of pulp and paper mills they own.
- 8 companies / 49 (16.3%) publicly disclose the names and locations of all the pulp and paper mills they own.
- 9 companies / 81 (11.1%) publish the total volumes (or percentages) sourced by their own sawmills that come from their operations and/or third-parties.
- 5 companies / 49 (10.2%) publish the total volumes (or percentages) sourced by their own pulp and paper mills that come from their own operations and/or third parties.
- 3 companies / 84 (3.6%) publicly disclose the number of all third party mills they source from.
- 0 companies / 84 (0.0%) publicly disclose the names and locations of all third party mills they source from.
- 1 company / 84 (1.2%) publishes the total volumes (or percentages) sourced from third-party mills that come from the supplying mills' own operations and/or third parties.
- 16 companies / 94 (17.0%) publish procedures to trace raw materials to the country of harvest.
- 16 companies / 94 (17.0%) publicly disclose the percentage of their supply traceable to the country of harvest.
- 9 companies / 94 (9.6%) publish procedures to trace raw materials to the Forest Management Unit (FMU) level.
- 6 companies / 94 (6.4%) publicly disclose the percentage of supply traceable to Forest Management Unit (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
16.6%
- 25 companies / 90 (27.8%) publicly disclose that 100% of their area verified as being in legal compliance with a third party or have a time-bound plan to achieve 100% third party legality verification.
- 26 companies / 90 (28.9%) publicly disclose the percentage area verified as being in legal compliance by a third party.
- 11 companies / 94 (11.7%) publish a time-bound plan to source only wood/wood fibre that is verified as being in legal compliance by a third party.
- 7 companies / 94 (7.4%) publicly disclose the percentage of all wood/wood fibre supply traded/processed that is verified as being in legal compliance by a third party.
- 5 companies / 90 (5.6%) have more than 75% of their landbank Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management (FM) certified, and 10 companies / 90 (11.1%) are 100% certified.
- 12 companies / 90 (13.3%) publicly report a time-bound plan for achieving 100% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management (FM) certification of Forest Management Units (FMUs) within 10 years.
- 3 companies / 94 (3.2%) publicly disclose the total percentage area of wood/wood fibre supply from all suppliers that comes from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management (FM) certified areas.
- 15 companies / 94 (16.0%) publicly commit to only source wood or wood fibre that meets FSC Controlled Wood requirements.
- 4 companies / 83 (4.8%) have more than 75% of their landbank Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Forest Management (FM) certified, and 1 company / 83 (1.2%) is 100% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management (FM) certified.
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Deforestation and biodiversity
20.7%
- 10 companies / 90 (11.1%) clearly and publicly commit to zero conversion of natural ecosystems.
- 7 companies / 94 (7.4%) extend their clear and public commitment to zero conversion of natural ecosystems to all suppliers.
- 49 companies / 90 (54.4%) have a clear public commitment to zero deforestation.
- 12 companies / 94 (12.8%) publicly commit all their suppliers to the same zero deforestation standard.
- 15 companies / 100 (15.0%) publicly disclose a criteria and cut-off date for defining deforestation and/or ecosystem conversion.
- 8 companies / 94 (8.5%) publicly disclose a criteria and cut-off date for defining deforestation and/or ecosystem conversion in their suppliers' operations.
- 12 companies / 90 (13.3%) provide evidence of monitoring deforestation and/or ecosystem conversion.
- 4 companies / 94 (4.3%) provide evidence of monitoring deforestation and/or ecosystem conversion in their suppliers' operations.
- 4 companies / 90 (4.4%) publicly disclose the amount of deforestation and/or ecosystem conversion recorded in their own operations from a specified cut-off date.
- 3 companies / 94 (3.2%) publicly disclose the amount of deforestation and/or ecosystem conversion recorded in their suppliers operations from a specified cut-off date.
- 6 companies / 90 (6.7%) publicly commit to restore all non-compliant deforestation/conversion in their own operations from a specified cut-off date.
- 4 companies / 94 (4.3%) publicly commit to restore all non compliant deforestation/conversion in their supplier operations from a specified cut-off date.
- 5 companies / 100 (5.0%) publish examples of implementing a landscape approach.
- 3 companies / 90 (3.3%) publish a biodiversity policy which extends beyond conservation set-asides and includes clear time-bound targets to measure the impact of the policy.
- 2 companies / 94 (2.1%) publish a biodiversity policy that applies to all their suppliers.
- 15 companies / 90 (16.7%) identify and publicly disclose species of conservation concern, referencing international or national system of species classification.
- 39 companies / 90 (43.3%) that control land provide publicly available examples of species and/or habitat conservation management.
- 14 companies / 90 (15.6%) publicly commit to no hunting or only sustainable hunting of species.
- 6 companies / 94 (6.4%) extend their public commitment to no hunting or only sustainable hunting of species to all suppliers.
- 22 companies / 90 (24.4%) publicly commit to protect forest areas from illegal activities.
- 7 companies / 94 (7.4%) extend their public commitment to protect forest areas from illegal activities to all suppliers.
- 40 companies / 90 (44.4%) publicly report multiple examples of how they are protecting forest areas from illegal activities.
- 34 companies / 65 (52.3%) publicly commit to prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms.
- 10 companies / 88 (11.4%) publicly commit all their suppliers to prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms.
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HCV, HCS and impact assessments
20%
- 52 companies / 90 (57.8%) publicly commit to conduct High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments for all new development and planting.
- 8 companies / 94 (8.5%) publicly commit all their suppliers to conduct High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments for all new development and planting.
- 17 companies / 90 (18.9%) make all their HCV assessment reports publicly available.
- 15 companies / 90 (16.7%) make all their HCV management and monitoring plans available.
- 5 companies / 65 (7.7%) publicly commit to the High Carbon Stock (HCS) Approach.
- 5 companies / 88 (5.7%) publicly commit all their suppliers to the High Carbon Stock (HCS) Approach.
- 1 company / 57 (1.8%) makes High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments publicly available.
- 1 company / 57 (1.8%) publishes a peer review of all High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments undertaken since April 2015 by the HCSA Quality Assurance Process.
- 22 companies / 94 (23.4%) clearly and publicly commit to conduct Social and Environmental Impact Assessments (SEIAs) for all new development and planting.
- 6 companies / 94 (6.4%) clearly and publicly commit all their suppliers to conduct Social and Environmental Assessments (SEIAs).
- 4 companies / 94 (4.3%) make all their social and environmental impact assessments (SEIAs) and associated management/monitoring plans publicly available.
- 8 companies / 49 (16.3%) provide valid legal documents to Open Timber Portal on impact assessments.
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Soils, fire and GHG emissions
17.9%
- 6 companies / 65 (9.2%) publicly commit to prohibit planting on peat of any depth.
- 6 companies / 88 (6.8%) publicly commit all their suppliers to prohibit planting on peat of any depth.
- 9 companies / 90 (10.0%) publicly disclose their total lanbank or planted area on peat.
- 3 companies / 83 (3.6%) publish evidence that their landbank/planted area on peat has not increased in the last 2 years.
- 15 companies / 90 (16.7%) publicly commit to best management practices for soils and/or peat.
- 4 companies / 94 (4.3%) publicly commit all their suppliers to best management practices for soils and peat.
- 7 companies / 90 (7.8%) publish evidence of implementing best management practices for soils and peat.
- 20 companies / 78 (25.6%) publicly commit to use reduced impact logging (RIL) techniques across all their operations.
- 5 companies / 85 (5.9%) publicly commit all their suppliers to reduced impact logging (RIL).
- 18 companies / 78 (23.1%) publish evidence of implementing reduced impact logging (RIL) practices.
- 9 companies / 65 (13.8%) clearly and publicly commit to zero burning.
- 8 companies / 88 (9.1%) clearly and publicly commit all their suppliers to zero burning.
- 28 companies / 90 (31.1%) publish evidence of fire monitoring and management practices.
- 17 companies / 90 (18.9%) publish details of the hotspots/fires in their own Forest Management Units (FMUs).
- 4 companies / 94 (4.3%) publish details of the hotspots/fires in their suppliers' Forest Management Units (FMUs).
- 9 companies / 94 (9.6%) publish a time-bound commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity.
- 12 companies / 100 (12.0%) publicly report their GHG emissions intensity.
- 4 companies / 57 (7.0%) publicly report their GHG emissions from land use change in their own operations (scope 1).
- 0 companies / 88 (0.0%) publicly report their GHG emissions from land use change in their suppliers' operations (scope 3).
- 10 companies / 94 (10.6%) publicly report a reduction in their GHG emissions intensity over time.
- 25 companies / 94 (26.6%) publicly report the methodology used to calculate their GHG emissions.
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Water, chemical and pest management
21.5%
- 8 companies / 49 (16.3%) with pulp or paper mills have a publicly available time-bound commitment to improve water use intensity.
- 9 companies / 49 (18.4%) publicly report their water use intensity.
- 6 companies / 49 (12.2%) publicly report progress towards their water use commitment.
- 6 companies / 49 (12.2%) with pulp or paper mills have a public time-bound commitment to improve water quality (BOD and COD).
- 0 companies / 49 (0.0%) publicly report progress towards their commitment on water quality (BOD and COD).
- 6 companies / 49 (12.2%) publicly report treating wastewater from pulp and paper mills.
- 5 companies / 81 (6.2%) provide publicly available evidence of sawmill run-off containment and wastewater treatment.
- 2 companies / 49 (4.1%) with pulp and paper mills publicly report that all of their mills have a closed-loop water treatment system.
- 24 companies / 90 (26.7%) publicly commit to protect natural waterways through using buffer or riparian zones.
- 27 companies / 90 (30.0%) publish multiple examples of how they protect natural waterways through buffer zones.
- 18 companies / 90 (20.0%) publicly commit to minimise the use of chemicals, including pesticides and chemical fertilisers.
- 7 companies / 94 (7.4%) publicly commit all their suppliers to minimise the use of chemicals, including pesticides and chemical fertilisers.
- 1 company / 49 (2.0%) with pulp and paper mills publishes they do not use chlorine and chlorine compounds for bleaching in paper production or that they use Total Chlorine Free (TCF) technology.
- 20 companies / 90 (22.2%) publicly commit to prohibit the use of World Health Organisation (WHO) Class 1A and 1B pesticides.
- 8 companies / 94 (8.5%) publicly commit all their suppliers to prohibit the use of World Health Organisation (WHO) Class 1A and 1B pesticides.
- 18 companies / 90 (20.0%) publicly commit to prohibit the use of chemicals listed under the Stockholm Convention and Rotterdam Convention.
- 8 companies / 94 (8.5%) publicly commit all their suppliers to prohibit the use of chemicals listed under the Stockholm Convention and Rotterdam Convention.
- 11 companies / 90 (12.2%) publicly report their chemical usage per hectare or provide a comprehensive list of chemicals used within their operations.
- 26 companies / 90 (28.9%) provide evidence of implementing their commitment to minimise inorganic fertiliser usage.
- 40 companies / 90 (44.4%) publicly report implementing an integrated pest management (IPM) approach.
- 11 companies / 94 (11.7%) publicly report a comprehensive waste management system in place to avoid negative impacts of timber and pulp production/processing.
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Community, land and labour rights
27%
- 55 companies / 100 (55.0%) publicly commit to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights or to human rights principles as part of being UN Global Compact member.
- 19 companies / 94 (20.2%) extend their public human rights commitment to all suppliers.
- 13 companies / 100 (13.0%) publish evidence of taking actions to implement their human rights policies.
- 48 companies / 94 (51.1%) publicly commit to respect Indigenous and local communities' rights.
- 8 companies / 94 (8.5%) publicly commit all their suppliers to respect Indigenous and local communities' rights.
- 17 companies / 94 (18.1%) publicly commit to respect legal and customary land tenure rights.
- 14 companies / 94 (14.9%) publicly commit all their suppliers to respect legal and customary land rights.
- 25 companies / 94 (26.6%) have a full public commitment to obtain free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) prior to all new developments.
- 11 companies / 94 (11.7%) publicly commit all their suppliers to obtain free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) prior to all new developments.
- 7 companies / 94 (7.4%) publicly disclose details of their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) process.
- 12 companies / 94 (12.8%) publicly report examples of local stakeholder engagement to prevent conflicts.
- 13 companies / 94 (13.8%) publicly disclose details of their process for addressing land conflicts.
- 9 companies / 90 (10.0%) publish evidence they are taking actions to support the inclusion of women across forestry operations, including addressing barriers faced.
- 1 company / 49 (2.0%) provides valid legal documents to Open Timber Portal on population rights.
- 13 companies / 78 (16.7%) publicly commit to enable sustainable use of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) by local communities.
- 34 companies / 90 (37.8%) publicly commit to provide essential community services and facilities.
- 36 companies / 90 (40.0%) publish multiple examples of implementing their commitment to provide essential community services and facilities.
- 27 companies / 94 (28.7%) publicly commit to provide business/work opportunities for local communities.
- 1 company / 49 (2.0%) provides valid legal documents to Open Timber Portal on labour regulation.
- 56 companies / 100 (56.0%) publicly commit to Fundamental ILO Conventions or Free and Fair Labour Principles.
- 14 companies / 94 (14.9%) publicly commit all their suppliers to Fundamental ILO Conventions or Free and Fair Labour Principles.
- 41 companies / 100 (41.0%) publish evidence of implementing their commitment to respect all workers rights.
- 37 companies / 100 (37.0%) publicly commit to eliminate gender related discrimination with regards to employment.
- 19 companies / 94 (20.2%) publicly commit all their suppliers to eliminate gender related discrimination with regards to employment.
- 10 companies / 100 (10.0%) publish evidence of implementing their commitment to eliminate gender related discrimination with regards to employment.
- 20 companies / 90 (22.2%) publicly report the percentage or number of temporary employees.
- 33 companies / 100 (33.0%) publicly report the percentage or number of female employees.
- 3 companies / 100 (3.0%) publicly commit to pay a living wage.
- 2 companies / 94 (2.1%) publicly commit all their suppliers to pay a living wage.
- 1 company / 100 (1.0%) published evidence that all workers are paid a living wage.
- 3 companies / 100 (3.0%) publicly report salary by gender.
- 17 companies / 100 (17.0%) publicly commit to address occupational health and safety (referencing the ILO Code of Practice on Safety and Health in Forestry Work).
- 6 companies / 94 (6.4%) publicly commit all their suppliers to address occupational health and safety (referencing the ILO Code of Practice on Safety and Health in Forestry Work).
- 0 companies / 100 (0.0%) publish evidence that they provide personal protective equipment and related training to employees.
- 22 companies / 100 (22.0%) publicly report time lost due to work-based injuries.
- 27 companies / 100 (27.0%) publicly disclose the number of fatalities as a result of work-based accidents.
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Smallholders and suppliers
15.6%
- 5 companies / 82 (6.1%) publicly commit to support smallholders.
- 10 companies / 82 (12.2%) publicly report a programme to support outgrower scheme and/or independent smallholders.
- 3 companies / 82 (3.7%) publicly report a programme to support outgrower smallholders, and provide details of how many outgrowers are supported.
- 20 companies / 94 (21.3%) publicly 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%) publicly report the number of suppliers that they have assessed or engaged.
- 11 companies / 94 (11.7%) publicly disclose the sustainability criteria by which suppliers are excluded or suspended, including steps that will be taken and timeframes for action.
- 7 companies / 94 (7.4%) publicly disclose time-bound action plans (including Key Performance Indicators) for suppliers to be in compliance with their timber and pulp sourcing commitments.
- 5 companies / 94 (5.3%) publicly report the proportion of direct and indirect supply that comes from Forest Management Units (FMUs) which are compliant with their timber and pulp sourcing policies.
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Governance and grievances
27.6%
- 35 companies / 100 (35.0%) publicly commit to ethical conduct and the prohibition of corruption.
- 28 companies / 94 (29.8%) publicly commit all their suppliers to ethical conduct and prohibition of corruption.
- 24 companies / 100 (24.0%) publicly report progress on their commitment to ethical conduct and prohibition of corruption.
- 11 companies / 49 (22.4%) provide valid legal documents to Open Timber Portal on legal registration.
- 8 companies / 100 (8.0%) publicly disclose their management approach to tax and payments to governments.
- 2 companies / 49 (4.1%) provide valid legal documents to Open Timber Portal on taxes, fees and royalties.
- 26 companies / 100 (26.0%) publicly report a whistleblowing procedure.
- 20 companies / 100 (20.0%) publicly report a grievance procedure that is open to both internal and external stakeholders such as employees and local communities.
- 5 companies / 100 (5.0%) publicly report details of complaints and grievances.
Key findings
- The average score of companies is 23.3% in August 2023, compared to 21.7% during the last assessment of timber & pulp companies in August 2022.
- 0/100 (0%) companies were assessed for the first time in August 2023.
- 58/100 (58%) companies assessed in August 2022 saw an increase in their scores in August 2023 – the average change in score was +3.2 percentage points.
- 28/100 (28%) companies assessed in August 2022 saw a decrease in their scores in August 2023 – the average change in score was –0.9 percentage points.
- 14/100 (14%) companies assessed in August 2022 did not see a change in their scores in August 2023 – 8 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 57.4% compared to 9.9% 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.