The UK Roundtable on Sourcing Sustainable Palm Oil’s Annual Progress Report measures the UK’s progress towards meeting the 2020 Amsterdam Commitment to source 100% sustainable palm oil within Europe
Efeca have published the UK Roundtable on Sourcing Sustainable Palm Oil’s 2018 Annual Progress Report. The report presents the overall figure for the amount of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) imported into the UK via the four main UK refineries, as well as the remaining volume that is uncertified entering the UK. The report shows that overall, 2018 UK purchases of palm oil supported by Mass Balance, Segregated, and Identity Preserved RSPO certification (not including RSPO credits) have increased by 83% (268, 668 mt) since 2009, when total purchases represented 55,000 mt. According to FEDIOL figures, the 2018 volume accounted for by imports of Identity Preserved, Segregated and Mass Balance CSPO totals 323,688 mt (excluding PalmTrace and derivatives and finished goods), or 77% of total palm oil imports to the UK.
While this headline figure demonstrates a significant improvement on the 2009 baseline and a 2% increase from last year, it also demonstrates that work remains to be done on reaching 100% sourcing. The remaining 23% of conventional palm oil indicates that some sectors are lagging behind on sourcing CSPO or possibly not reporting on what they are buying. In addition, ingredients manufacturers, consumer goods manufacturers and retailers may be purchasing uncertified oil in a wide range of products (both food and non-food) as fractions and derivatives or finished goods directly from refiners in Europe or internationally.
The UK RT SSPO can make an important contribution to the efforts of the private sector across Europe and further afield to remove deforestation from their supply chains, and to ensure fully sustainable palm oil supply chains by 2020. It will continue to report annually on progress in the UK. As a relatively small player in the global market, the UK can create systemic change for sustainably produced and consumed palm oil by working collectively on a global basis.