Following an extensive and thorough revision process, the revised RSPO Standards have been officially adopted by RSPO Members at the 21st RSPO General Assembly (GA21) in Bangkok, Thailand.

BANGKOK, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the annual Roundtable Conference on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT2024), RSPO Members voted to adopt the 2024 RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) and Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard during the 21st RSPO General Assembly (GA21). The adoption marks a new chapter in realising the global partnership's vision to make palm oil sustainable, as the RSPO Standards outline the aims and mandatory requirements for the sustainable production and procurement of RSPO Certified sustainable palm oil.

RSPO Board of Governors at the General Assembly where the 2024 RSPO Standards was adopted. Ensuring no diminution of the RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) 2018 and the 2019 RSPO Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard, the 2024 RSPO Standards are an iterative evolution of the requirements for greater clarity, auditability, implementability and market relevance. The revised standards will be effective 12 months after adoption, following a 12-month transition period.

Additionally, the 2024 Standards have been strengthened in its integration with the RSPO certification system through prisma, RSPO's new system providing digital data and digital supply chain traceability that serves as a supporting tool for members to strengthen risk assessment and due diligence for emerging regulatory compliance.

Key improvements of the 2024 RSPO Standards include:

Refining the Approach to Deforestation and Environmental Sustainability: Central to this revision is the improvement of the implementation of the Integrated High Conservation Value-High Carbon Stock (HCV-HCS) approach. A reformulated framework of indicators enhances implementation clarity of the protection of critical ecosystems, ensuring that land clearing is conducted responsibly. Moreover, a new indicator on water consumption and withdrawal was introduced, to address potential future water scarcity issues.

Introduction of Human Rights Due Diligence: Companies are required to conduct human rights due diligence to identify existing and potential human rights impacts in their operations and their direct suppliers and to develop an action plan to address them.

Strengthening smallholder inclusion: The Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard has been enhanced for stronger clarity across all indicators to strengthen smallholder inclusion in physical supply chains, enabling better access to certification and new markets.

Enhanced Auditability and Implementability: A clear roadmap was outlined to balance environmental conservation, responsible labour practices, and the rights of communities. With a clearer, more auditable, and more implementable approach, it streamlines the audit process for members, Certification Bodies, and Accreditation Bodies, and this would strengthen assurance.

Inclusive revision process

"True to the spirit of a roundtable, the RSPO Standards revision process counted on the insights of smallholders, social and environmental NGOs, auditors, and experts from Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and India, over a two-year period," said Joseph D'Cruz, RSPO Chief Executive Officer. "I welcome the adoption of the 2024 Standards by the RSPO membership, who have exceeded expectations in delivering stronger standards that are more ambitious, clearer, and rigorously address the challenges of our times-from protecting workers to combating deforestation.

Ruth Silva, Assurance Director, HCV Network, said, "The focus on the grower has been a critical addition to the Standards, not just to the indicators and criteria related to the HCV approach, the protection of HCVs, or achieving no deforestation. Grouping together all indicators related to management and monitoring gives a better, holistic look at implementation, which will make it easier for the grower as well as for the auditors to do verification."

As of 2023, RSPO Certification has protected over 466,600 hectares of valuable HCV and HCS forests since adopting the HCV Approach in November 2005 and the HCS Approach in November 2018. Overall, taking into account other critical ecosystems, RSPO Certification has protected and remediated about 646,700 ha of valuable forests and areas including tropical peatlands and riparian reserves globally.

"Our focus has been on the implementation and auditability of the Standards," shared L