NGOs in the news (update 2a): The US Halloween $2 billion candy season and palm oil critique, new forest destruction report

Some recent articles on NGOs which are active in the palm oil sector. Newest is a controversial book on the WWF, and I'll also post up later some discussion between TFT and FSC, which might be of interest to the folk in palm oil.

5 November 2014:

Oil Palm: Not the Evil We Think It Is By Erik Meijaard  on 07:35 am Nov 04, 2014; Category Commentary, Editor's Choice, Featured, Opinion Tags: Deforestation, palm oil; "...we need environmentalists to work with producers and really find out the best cost-effective way to maximize yields with minimum social and environmental costs. Without the input from scientists and others, the industry is unlikely to significantly change. There is a role for hard-core advocacy, but there also needs to be space for effective engagement.... I am not a stooge of the oil-palm industry. And I am not trying to make oil palm look better than it is.... I simply want everyone to use fact rather than fiction and be constructive rather than destructive.... Erik Meijaard is a conservation scientist based in Jakarta. He coordinates the Borneo Futures — Science for Change research program..." http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/oil-palm-evil-think/

2 November 2014: The US Halloween $2 billion candy season and palm oil critique, new forest destruction report

US campaigning on palm oil is notable in the high pint of the annual candy calendar - Halloween, where US$2 billion of candy is bought. Director of Center for Food Safety's Cool Foods Campaign criticizes the RSPO and highlights four US candy makers who use organic palm (fruit) oil, and who do not use palm oil.

Trick or Treat? The Frightening Climate Costs of Halloween Candy By Diana Donlon, Director of Center for Food Safety's Cool Foods Campaign, Updated:  10/24/2014 6:59 pm EDT; "Americans will spend more than two billion dollars on candy this Halloween, making it candy's biggest holiday.
This is fun for kids, great for dentists, and downright fantastic for the Mars family. But before you head over to the store to buy this year's bowl of treats, you need to be made aware of a really scary, but not widely recognized, fact:Many Halloween candies contain palm oil, the large-scale, monoculture production of which is driving deforestation, extinction, human rights abuses, and climate change!...The major palm oil producers and consumers established the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in 2004, but this industry label doesn't even rule out the clearing of rainforests and there is nothing in the standard about limiting greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, in 2008, 256 environmental and human rights organizations from around the world rejected RSPO certification as fraudulent labeling. While the RSPO does hold promise, it has yet to live up to its potential.....To help you choose quality treats, we've listed four brands that won't trick you or mistreat the planet: Endangered Species Chocolate... donates 10% of its net profits to organizations that support species conservation, habitat preservation, and humanitarian efforts... Makers of organic peanut butter cups, Justin's..Like Endangered Species Chocolate, Justin's uses organic palm "fruit" oil grown by Agropalma.... Of course some companies opt not to use palm products at all. Equal Exchange is one such company. Their organic and fair trade chocolates are grown by small farmer cooperatives... Alter Eco uses pure coconut oil in their chocolate truffles. Alter Eco prides itself on the direct relationships they have with growers and on the transparency of its supply chain. .." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diana-donlon/trick-or-treat-the-fright_b_6029884.html


Beef, palm oil, soy, and wood products from 8 countries responsible for 1/3 of forest destruction by Jeremy Hance mongabay.com, October 23, 2014; "Four commodities produced in just eight countries are responsible for a third of the world's forest loss, according to a new report. Those familiar with the long-standing effort to stop deforestation won't be surprised by the commodities named: beef, palm oil, soy, and wood products (including timber and paper). Nor will they be very surprised by most of the countries: Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Papua New Guinea, Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay.  "The trend is clear, the drivers of deforestation have been globalized and commercialized", said co-author Martin Persson with Chalmers University of Technology....  The report, commissioned by the Center for Global Development (CGD), found that these four commodities from the eight select countries were responsible for the loss of 3.9 million hectares of forest, an area about the size of Switzerland, in just one year: 2009. Moreover, the loss of these forests emitted 1.7 gigatons of CO2 during 2009 as well...."
Read more at http://news.mongabay.com/2014/1023-hance-commodities-deforestation.html#CditGdJMPfiMAYBX.99
  • Trading Forests: Quantifying the Contribution of Global Commodity Markets to Emissions from Tropical Deforestation - Working Paper 384 10/22/14, Working Papers By Martin Persson,   Sabine Henders,  and  Thomas Kastner; http://www.cgdev.org/publication/trading-forests-quantifying-contribution-global-commodity-markets-emissions-tropical. CGD was founded in November 2001 by Edward Scott Jr., C. Fred Bergsten, and Nancy Birdsall. A technology entrepreneur, philanthropist, and former senior US government official, Ed Scott provided the vision and a significant financial commitment that made the creation of the Center possible.


9 October 2014:

Silence of the pandas - You've seen the programme, now read the facts! "In late June, the major German public broadcaster ARD aired a 45 minute documentary on WWF called The Pact with the Panda, in its German version.  An English language version of the programme under the title The Silence of the Pandas has since been posted online.... Here are just a few examples of misleading or inaccurate claims contained in The Pact with the Panda (there are many):
  • WWF gave its agreement to industry plans for the conversion of 9 million hectares of West Papua to palm oil plantations.
  • WWF collected money for orang-utans but had no orang-utan projects in Borneo.
  • WWF certified as sustainable a 14,500 hectare palm oil plantation where only 80 ha of forest had been preserved.
  • WWF has a partnership with Monsanto.
  • WWF has "given its blessing" to genetically modified soy...."
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/press_releases/silence_pact_pandas_wwf.cfm - accessed 9 October 2014.

Greenwash Circus: Debat (1) - Huismann with WWF rep; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUo9XkHCfbI&feature=share&list=UURLvwt1DY-XQl9k82AoTPSQ&index=4

In a similar vein: Watch the Book Trailer for This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs the Climate By Naomi Klein - August 20th, 2014; "This Changes Everything will be in stores September 16 and is available for pre-order. For more information, tour dates, or to buy the book: thischangeseverything.org/ Forget everything you think you know about global warming. The really inconvenient truth is that it’s not about carbon—it’s about capitalism. The convenient truth is that we can seize this existential crisis to transform our failed economic system and build something radically better. 

In her most provocative book yet, Naomi Klein tackles the most profound threat humanity has ever faced: the war our economic model is waging against life on earth..."  http://www.naomiklein.org/main
 

5 October 2014:

WWF International accused of 'selling its soul' to corporations by John Vidal, The Observer, Saturday 4 October 2014 12.44 BST; "Pandaleaks writer says conservation group has forged links with business which is using it to 'greenwash' their operations...The allegations are made in an explosive book previously barred from Britain. The Silence of the Pandas became a German bestseller in 2012 but, following a series of injunctions and court cases, it has not been published until now in English. Revised and renamed Pandaleaks, it will be out next week.... Its author, Wilfried Huismann, says the Geneva-based WWF International has received millions of dollars from its links with governments and business. Global corporations such as Coca-Cola, Shell, Monsanto, HSBC, Cargill, BP, Alcoa and Marine Harvest have all benefited from the group's green image only to carry on their businesses as usual.....Huismann argues that by setting up "round tables" of industrialists on strategic commodities such as palm oil, timber, sugar, soy, biofuels and cocoa, WWF International has become a political power that is too close to industry and in danger of becoming reliant on corporate money.....The book also argues that WWF, which was set up by Prince Philip and Prince Bernhart of the Netherlands in 1961, runs an elite club of 1,001 of the richest people in the world, whose names are not revealed. Industrialists, philanthropists and ultra-conservative, upper-class naturalists, they are said to make up an "old boys' network with influence in the corridors of global and corporate and policy-making power"....The WWF maintains that the environment can only be protected in dialogue with people involved in extractive and polluting industries. "Pandaleaks is the book of a discredited German television documentary that disregarded most of the basic norms and standards of journalism. It is not factual and does not present a representative picture of WWF," said a spokesman.... "We don't believe we 'sold our soul' at any point, but it is true that we are now much choosier about which interests we accept donations from and which interests we work with. We are in the final stages of a several year project upgrading our global transparency and accountability standards for business partnerships."The spokesman also defended the organisation's record in relation to energy companies such as Shell and on the relocation of indigenous peoples. "Globally, WWF was actively exiting relationships with fossil fuel companies more than a decade ago. Less than 10% [of income] came from corporates in 2013. For WWF International, the proportion of corporate funding was 6% in 2013. WWF still has the '1001 club', as one of a number of vehicles for donations to WWF International...." http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/04/wwf-international-selling-its-soul-corporations/

Book info here: http://www.amazon.com/PandaLeaks-The-Dark-Side-WWF/dp/1502366541/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412516184&sr=8-1&keywords=pandaleaks

Documentary film here: http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/wwf_the_silence_of_the_pandas/

Producer-led sustainability programs: MSPO set for 1 Jan 2015

Khor Reports: At the most festive of palm oil gala dinners in the Malaysian calendar - that of the Palm Oil Refiners' Association (PORAM) - last night, Malaysia's Minister for Primary Industries and Commodities announced that Malaysian Standard Palm oil or MSPO is set for 1 Jan 2015. We'll update more with details as they come about.

Broadly, national industries are concerned about market access for their producers (especially smaller producers and smallholders) as voluntary sustainable programs seem to have some negative implications for market access. Dissatisfaction and concern is quite significant in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia (we had one or more visits in each of these places in the recent months, chatting with some key producers and policy makers). There is heightened talk of the need for producer-led / national programs and an Asean-wide initiative on sustainability.

For buyers moves on sustainability, check out our posting here: http://khorreports-palmoil.blogspot.com/2014/09/buyer-policy-updates-listing-update-10.html

News links:

Malaysia to launch green palm oil brand in 2015 after a year’s delay Published: 1 November 2014 Malaysia will launch its own "green" certification scheme for palm oil firms in 2015, a senior government official said today, signalling the brand would start a year later than planned. - See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/business/article/malaysia-to-launch-green-palm-oil-brand-in-2015-after-a-years-delay#sthash.knOGBGTG.dpuf

Indonesia environment and industry (update 2): coal industry clamp down?

Indonesia to Clamp Down on Coal Industry’s Worst Excesses - ‘Serious Environmental Damage’: The government is finally taking notice of the detrimental side effects coming out of the nation’s burgeoning mining sector By David Fogarty on 09:30 pm Oct 23, 2014; http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/indonesia-clamp-coal-industrys-worst-excesses/; "The aim is to review the legality of the permits, check if mining companies have valid tax identity numbers, are paying their taxes fully and whether the permits overlap palm oil and other mining concessions and protected forest areas - a common ..."

24 September 2014: Indonesia and Jokowi: greening hopes?

Khor Reports: I had just noticed reader interest picking up on my Indonesia related postings on more palm oil sustainability technical matters and regulations, and thought a collation here might be handy. Also, a good summary on Jokowi stance on green matters (see below) from Climate Advisers of the US which says it takes a constructive stance on Indonesia's greening prospects. Climate Advisers works alongside TFT (interestingly, it is formally a UK-registered charity) in advising Wilmar on its traceability program. Useful to see what is the US organization is saying. 

Indonesia recent moves tightening up on environmental regulations - hefty fines. I'll look for my piece on indigenous land rights and impact on concessions and post up soon.
On Brazil: How Brazil clamped down on deforestation, Friday, July 11, 2014, http://khorreports-palmoil.blogspot.sg/2014/07/how-brazil-clamped-down-on-deforestation.html


Online links:

Jokowi Wins: This Could Turn Out to be the Biggest Climate News of 2014 By Andreas Dahl-Jørgensen and Michael Wolosin, Forests & Lands, Political Strategy; http://www.climateadvisers.com/jokowiwins/:
 
What does Jokowi’s win mean for the world’s climate? The short answer: Possibly a huge deal. Here’s why. ... where is Indonesia heading on deforestation and carbon emissions? There are two diametrically opposed answers to this question... The “glass-half-empty” camp looks at deforestation rates and sees failure. Recent studies have confirmed that the loss of natural forests has dramatically increased in the last couple of years. Deforestation is now higher in Indonesia than in Brazil, in part due to Brazil’s 80% reduction over the last decade – the largest emission reductions anywhere anytime ....The “glass-half-full” view – which we share – looks not only at the disturbing deforestation data, but also takes into account the dramatic systemic changes and leadership that is taking place. Frances Seymour, previously the head of the Center for International Forestry Research and now a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, has referred to the deal with Norway as the most significant game changer for Indonesia’s forests in the last 25 years....

...Here’s what we see below the surface:
1.Disruptive transparency that “exposes the mess.”... One Map
2.Fundamental land-use reforms. Moratorium. Land swaps?
3.Ending impunity. The President’s special reform unit and the anti-corruption unit (KPK) have embarked on a review of existing concessions and a comprehensive law enforcement campaign. It is following the money, with fines up to $ 9 million and executives being jailed.
4.Indigenous rights.... Landmark court ruling in 2013 Indigenous claims are being included in the government’s One Map initiative.
5.Private sector sea change.... Large and powerful companies have gone from opponents to critical allies of the reformers.

These remarkable developments are reminiscent of the strategies that helped Brazil’s deforestation rate plummet in a way no one thought possible.

The Jokowi Forest Agenda. There are three big reasons forest advocates and observers should be excited about a Jokowi presidency... First, while environmental issues didn’t feature strongly during the campaign, the things he did say were good, even if lacking specifics. (See Loren Bell’s excellent summary here; http://news.mongabay.com/2014/0724-lbell-commentary-jokowi.html) He stated that Indonesia has “pursued economic growth too aggressively and not paid attention to the environment.”...Second, Jokowi agreed to implement the reforms requested by the indigenous peoples’ organization AMAN, including implementing the Constitutional Court decision granting land rights to indigenous peoples. In return Jokowi received AMAN’s endorsement and active campaign support, the first presidential candidate ever to do so.... The third and perhaps most important reason for optimism relates not to his stance on the environment but his vision for good governance and social justice.... His coalition does not hold a majority in parliament, and he may need to learn to play the political game of favors to get things done. Even with the right reforms, deforestation is unlikely to decline immediately given the sheer inertia. But it’s hard to see how one could have asked for a president more aligned with the anti-deforestation agenda than Jokowi....

Indonesia Palm Oil Pledge (IPOP)

At the recent UN Summit entitled the New York Declaration on Forests some new corporate pledges. Wilmar, Golden Agri-Resources, Asian Agri and Cargill and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) signed the Indonesia Palm Oil Pledge. They commit to work together to improve the environmental performance of the Indonesian palm oil industry. This Pledge includes benchmarks such as proactive government engagement on policy reform and a principle of no planting on high carbon stock or peat lands. The event is reported to be funded by Norway and significantly executed by Climate Advisers, a co-advisor with TFT to Wilmar on its 5 December 2013 "no deforestation, no peat, no exploitation" pledge.


Thanks to a Khor Reports reader, for this background article on the New York UN Summit from an article in REDD Monitor:

Made in the USA, paid for by Norway: The New York Declaration on Forests By Chris Lang 2 October 2014; "The New York Declaration on Forests was funded by Norway. It was part of a contract between Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative and the Meridian Institute, a US-based consulting firm... Thanks to Norway’s Freedom of Information legislation and its Electronic Public Records database, we know that the New York Declaration on Forests was part of Task Order 25: “Advancing REDD+ at the UN Secretary General’s Climate Leaders Summit and other Major Climate Events in 2014″....  The Meridian Institute sub-contracted part of this work out to Climate Advisers, another US-based consulting firm. Climate Advisers is working on another Norwegian-funded project aimed at “Creating demand for REDD+”. A Memorandum dated 9 September 2014 from the Meridian Institute asks for further funding from NICFI and explains Climate Advisers’ role: “Climate Advisers has been serving as the primary negotiators and drafters for the parties to finalize the New York Declaration on Forests and its associated Action Agenda....Pharo’s* email explains that Norway saw a “key role” for Indonesia in promoting REDD at the UN Climate Summit. (Brazil didn’t have a key role and didn’t sign on.)... Pharo’s email provides an interesting insight into the way Norway pushed the New York Declaration on Forests. It’s a “a legally non-binding political declaration”...." ”http://www.redd-monitor.org/2014/10/02/made-in-the-usa-paid-for-by-norway-the-new-york-declaration-on-forests/
*Pharo Per Fredrik Ilsaas, Director,  The Government of Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative, he Norwegian Ministry of the Environment

Also: Report rates palm oil companies on sustainability commitments by mongabay.com; October 05, 2014; "A new report published Forest Heroes, an advocacy campaign pushing for an end to deforestation, ranks global palm oil companies on their sustainability commitments. The Green Tigers, authored by Glen Hurowitz**, reviews the recent history of environmental policies in the palm oil sector...." http://news.mongabay.com/2014/1005-palm-oil-sustainability-rankings.html#YbvjysWgkr8SCwBM.99; ** Forest Heroes Campaign Chair / Managing Director of Climate Advisers.
 
Statement and press conference:

Indonesian Palm Oil Pledge - Press Conference, 23 Sep 2014 - US and Indonesia climate press conference on the Indonesian Palm Oil Pledge.
http://webtv.un.org/topics-issues/global-issues/watch/indonesian-palm-oil-pledge-press-conference/3801406655001

Pledge statement: http://www.mongabay.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Komitmen-empat-raksasa-sawit.pdf


News link:

UN summit hails palm oil pledges September 24, 2014 9:45AM; "Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme have joined a raft of international food companies pledging at a UN Summit to stop using palm oil (TYPO!), considered a major contributor to deforestation.... And the world's three largest palm oil companies - Wilmar, Golden Agri-Resources and Cargill - said they would co-operate to end deforestation and encourage Indonesia's incoming president Joko Widodo to implement policies on the issue.... The UN said that, after a year-long effort, a growing percentage of palm oil producers had pledged to use forest land that hadn't been illegally cleared, now representing up to 60 per cent of the global production.... Cargill CEO Dave MacLennan, appearing with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, pledged that the company would go further by avoiding deforestation in all its products - not just palm oil...."  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/latest/un-summit-hails-palm-oil-pledges/story-e6frg90f-1227068730658


NGO reactions:

WWF Statement on the Indonesia Palm Oil Pledge September 23, 2014; “The environmental issues associated with oil palm development are well known and of global concern. The commitment we’ve seen today from the leading palm oil companies is welcome, significant, and potentially transformative. This should be a model for other palm oil producers and traders, and for other sectors experiencing forest loss due to uncontrolled agricultural expansion... Transparency and engagement around suppliers is critical, and must be aggressively pursued and openly reported....In the past, limited governance and an absence of enforcement allowed illegal development to flourish, resulting in some of the fastest rates of tropical deforestation on the planet. As the Indonesian Minister of Forestry recently announced, there are two million hectares of illegal palm oil plantings in the Riau Province alone, and WWF’s own field teams are reporting the encroachment of National Parks and Protected Areas.... It is essential now for the government to meet the opportunity presented by these new and deeper company commitments with the governance and enforcement to give them traction. Some regions in Indonesia are already beginning to meet this demand for legal development and production, and we hope and expect to see legality move from the exception to the norm...”
http://www.worldwildlife.org/press-releases/wwf-statement-on-the-indonesia-palm-oil-pledge

Manifesto 5 stepping up efforts (update 5): The tussle over HCS and 35tC/ha

7 October 2014: The tussle over HCS and the 35tC/ha policy step down

Khor Reports: The HCS issue is now at the forefront via two major studies, one rooted in academia (the Manifesto or SPOM group) and one lead by TFT-Greenpeace which first used a provisional 35 tC/ha or tonnes carbon per hectare ceiling based on a pilot study at GAR / PT SMART's Kalimantan degraded estates. However, TFT since says that's  no longer the ceiling; stating that 35 is a "non-existent mirage" used by those not committing to stepped up pledges to fear monger (i.e. 35 is too restrictive of development?).

So what was the 35tC/ha ceiling? In our talks to specialists, that is the life-time average carbon of the oil palm tree (it is referred to in a key RSPO working group document too); thus NGOs said that to be carbon neutral in some sense, oil palms should not be developed in forested areas with more than its own above ground carbon value. Of course, even the oil palm carbon measure is contested - do you include the fronds, fresh fruit bunches and ground cover etc? You may also ask why a crop is compared to trees - some say that may have been inadvertently abetted by some in the industry claiming that the oil palm is as good as a (forest) trees in the first place. Thus, solidifying the tree basis of comparison (which does not apply to other oilseed crops?).

So what will be the basis of "no deforestation"? A higher ceiling? Earlier, some spoke of 100tC/ha as a possibility. Some stepped up pledges have added parameters, such as Wilmar's (via a TFT traceability program) which has a multi-year no human use caveat. Individual B2B traceability programs may have varying parameters compared to the multi-stakeholder efforts such as the RSPO-based.

The details of HCS will emerge soon, as the pressure is on for the two HCS studies to find their conclusions and gain global buyer acceptance.


More reading:
Thanks to a reader for highlighting this, the TFT perspective on high carbon stocks which climbs down from the 35 tC/ha ceiling, http://between2worlds.com/short-history-of-hcs/; 35 tons of aboveground biomass is increasingly the number used to define high conservation value forest for greener palm oil initiatives. Image from Greenpeace:
 
TFT's Scott Poynton writes: "A key question emerged from Greenpeace: “If the accepted threshold is 35tC/ha above- ground biomass and field work reveals that 70% of a given concession is off-limits, what will GAR do? Throw the 35tC/ha threshold out the window and develop anyhow OR respect the threshold and protect the forested areas?”...The noise around 35 really is just that, a noisy mirage created by the communications teams of those companies and industry bodies that want no constraints placed on the amount or ecological condition of land that they can develop.... Brand Palm Oil does have a serious deforestation problem and the sooner it can stop fretting about a non-existent mirage called “35”, the sooner it might solve it."
 
 
 
Khor Reports blog posting on HCS and related topics (more recent at top, going back to landmark GAR-TFT deal in 2011):

6 October 2014: Green Tigers pans SPOM (Manifesto) group

Report rates palm oil companies on sustainability commitments by mongabay.com; October 05, 2014; "A new report published Forest Heroes, an advocacy campaign pushing for an end to deforestation, ranks global palm oil companies on their sustainability commitments.
The Green Tigers, authored by Glen Hurowitz, reviews the recent history of environmental policies in the palm oil sector.... The report notes that most of the companies that are signees to the Sustainable Palm Oil Manifesto (SPOM), a commitment established this year, are on the yellow or red lists, while Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG) companies are on the green list. Environmentalists have criticized SPOM as having weaker criteria than POIG, although several SPOM members just committed to a one-year moratorium on clearing of potential high carbon stock areas while they work out a definition of what constitutes forest...." http://news.mongabay.com/2014/1005-palm-oil-sustainability-rankings.html#YbvjysWgkr8SCwBM.99; Glenn Hurowitz, Forest Heroes Campaign Chair / Managing Director of Climate Advisers (advisor to Wilmar alongside TFT in its 5 December 2013 commitment).


21 September 2014: More slowdown in new plantings? Moratorium on deforestation by Manifesto 5.

Palm oil giants announce deforestation moratorium -- effective immediately by  mongabay.com, September 20, 2014; "On Friday, Asian Agri, IOI Corporation Berhad, Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK) Berhad, Musim Mas Group and Sime Darby Plantation said they will suspend forest clearing until they have completed a year-along study that aims to establish a threshold for defining what constitutes high carbon stock (HCS) forest.... The move comes after intense campaigning by environmentalists pushed dozens of major palm oil buyers to establish zero deforestation sourcing policies for palm oil, which is one of the top drivers of forest conversion in Malaysia and Indonesia. At the time of the announcement, several major palm oil producers and traders — including Golden Agri-Resources, Wilmar, and Cargill — had already established zero deforestation commitments based on a definition of 35 tons of carbon per hectare, effectively barring conversion of old-growth forests, secondary rainforests, and peatlands.... The moratorium may provide a temporary reprieve from green groups, which have portrayed the five companies — dubbed the Sustainable Palm Oil Manifesto Group for the name of their sustainability initiative — as laggards in the sector for continuing to chop down forests. NGOs that ran campaigns against the firms — including the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Rainforest Action Network (RAN) immediately welcomed the announcement, as did Green Century Capital Management, an investment advisory firm that a week earlier called for a deforestation moratorium...." http://news.mongabay.com/2014/0920-palm-oil-deforestation-moratorium.html#U0ZeOH0a1J6Fx7mU.99
 
 
13 September 2014:
 
In late August, two high carbon stock study group meetings for palm oil were underway. One was in Kuala Lumpur and the other in Singapore. Interestingly, several companies straddle both efforts and programs - including Wilma and Cargill (correction: not Unilever at this point).
 
In KL was the Manifesto Group that is building on RSPO certification. Its website is here: http://www.carbonstockstudy.com/Home, and the Sustainable Palm Oil Manifesto can be read here: http://www.carbonstockstudy.com/The-Manifesto/About. Its HCS study is co-chaired by Sir Jonathon Porritt and Dr John Raison of CSIRO Australia. Dr Raison shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 with many other IPCC scientists and Al Gore. It appears that a scientific route is the hallmark of this effort.
 
We'll look out for more information on these.