China is a key market for palm oil (PO), palm kernel oil (PKO) and derivatives from Indonesia and Malaysia. This paper maps the role of the Chinese market and Chinese actors along the palm oil supply chain, from upstream production to midstream trading to downstream consumption, as well as the position of Chinese financial institutions …
In December 2020, Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Resources, Arifin Tasrif, announced at a parliamentary hearing that the country’s target for biofuel production would increase in order to curb the country’s current daily consumption of 1 million barrels of gasoline. To meet this target, the minister said an estimated 9 million to 15 million hectares …
In 2017, the Task Force for Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) released its recommendations for climate-related disclosures in financial filings. The TCFD has since become the de facto global standard for the financial sector to report on climate change risks. This paper presents a framework for assessing deforestation-related risks in agricultural commodity supply chains that is …
After banning FGV’s palm oil products from entering the United States over alleged forced labor issues, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency once again issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) on palm oil produced by a Malaysian company. This time, the subject is the palm oil plantation owner and trader/refiner Sime Darby. The …
A recent article in Mongabay highlighted deforestation by Capitol Group in Indonesia and the lack of transparency and consistency in how companies with No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) policies respond to cases of deforestation in their supply chains. The article also underlines concerns that fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies and their investors face …
A new report by Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) sheds light on the ownership overlap between three Indonesian companies, First Resources, FAP Agri (FAP), and Ciliandry Angky Abadi (CAA). The three companies are all linked to Indonesia’s Fangiono family, have been among the largest deforesters in the last few years, and supply several buyers with NDPE …
This report discusses the role of South Korean companies in the worldwide palm oil market and the country’s position as an owner of oil palm concessions, a buyer of palm oil products, and a financier of palm oil operations. The analysis highlights the country’s role in the palm oil “leakage market,” which trades unsustainable palm …
Companies and their financiers are exposed to a variety of financial risks when linked to deforestation, ranging from reputational damage to reduced market access. Of the companies that disclosed information on involvement with forest-risk commodities in CDP’s 2018 survey, two-thirds conducted risk assessments of forest-related issues and 92 percent of risk assessments identified substantive business …
In an unprecedented move, BlackRock voted in favor of a shareholder resolution requesting an assessment report to identify further opportunities to combat deforestation and degradation of intact forests in Proctor & Gamble (P&G) supply chains. BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard, the “Big Three” asset managers, have a combined USD 62 billion in P&G stakes (as …
On October 5, 2020, the Indonesian House of Representatives and executive branch passed a controversial omnibus law. Intended to foster economic investment, the law has generated protests within Indonesia and international condemnation. Concern has focused on the weakening of environmental and labor standards. The omnibus law, which amends 79 existing laws and removes thousands of …
