Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard

The 2016 Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard evaluates corporate adoption of RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO). While many companies have joined the RSPO and increased CSPO use, a significant gap remains between high-level commitments and the use of physically segregated supply chains. The report highlights that while 77 companies committed to 100% CSPO by 2015, only 56 achieved this. It emphasizes the need for companies to move beyond 'book and claim' certificates toward segregated sourcing to effectively eliminate deforestation and habitat loss in producer regions like Indonesia and Malaysia.

• Of the 137 companies assessed, 107 reported having a public commitment to use certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO), but only 56 of the 77 companies that set a 2015 target for 100% CSPO actually met that goal.
• There is a significant reliance on the 'book and claim' system, which allows companies to support sustainable producers without ensuring the physical palm oil in their products is certified. Just under half of the CSPO used by reporting companies was bought through this system, and 17 companies relied on it for over 75% of their CSPO.
• Progress toward physically segregated supply chains—which ensure uncertified oil is eliminated—is slow. Only 15% of the total palm oil used by the assessed brands in 2015 was segregated, and only three companies (Arnott’s, Danone, and Ferrero) used 100% segregated CSPO.
• Corporate performance varies by sector, with food manufacturers progressing faster than personal care and detergent producers. This is attributed to the higher availability of certified crude palm oil (CPO) compared to the palm kernel oil (PKO) and derivatives used in personal care products.
• Geographic analysis shows that while European, North American, and Australian brands have made significant strides, progress in Asian markets remains low. The report argues that future demand for CSPO must come from expanding markets in China, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
• Many multinational companies apply sustainability commitments inconsistently across different regions. For example, L’Oréal's commitment to CSPO appears limited to France, and Tesco's commitment is limited to the UK.
• Retailers often limit their CSPO commitments to their own-brand products, excluding private labels they sell, which the report describes as 'half promises'.
• Despite corporate progress, deforestation continues at an alarming rate in producer regions. The report cites Tesso Nilo National Park in Sumatra as an example where illegal palm oil production has caused the forest to almost vanish due to systemic governance failures.
• The report identifies a lack of government support and enforcement in Indonesia and Malaysia as a major barrier. It notes that Malaysian authorities have blocked the RSPO from publishing maps of landbanks controlled by large industry players.
• Very few companies are supporting independent smallholders through the purchase of certificates. While 23 brands claimed to do so, GreenPalm records indicate only Unilever and Johnson & Johnson actually purchased independent smallholder certificates in 2015.

APA

Harrison, A., Svingen, C., Grayson, J., Campbell, J., Jeffries, B., Davies, M., & Scheid, A. (2016). Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/344/4zjz1jdl92_po_scorecard_2016_final.pdf

Chicago

Harrison, Adam, Carrie Svingen, Jon Grayson, Jennifer Campbell, Barney Jeffries, Mitchell Davies, and Aaron Scheid. Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard. WWF International, 2016. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/344/4zjz1jdl92_po_scorecard_2016_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Harrison |first1=Adam |last2=Svingen |first2=Carrie |last3=Grayson |first3=Jon |last4=Campbell |first4=Jennifer |last5=Jeffries |first5=Barney |last6=Davies |first6=Mitchell |last7=Scheid |first7=Aaron |title=Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard |publisher=WWF International |date=September 2016 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/344/4zjz1jdl92_po_scorecard_2016_final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{harrison2016palm, author = {Harrison, Adam and Svingen, Carrie and Grayson, Jon and Campbell, Jennifer and Jeffries, Barney and Davies, Mitchell and Scheid, Aaron}, title = {{Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2016}, month = sep, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/344/4zjz1jdl92_po_scorecard_2016_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }