Blogs: 环境

Each year has its ups and downs, and for many, those new year resolutions made in January seem far away now that we’re in December. As we prepare for 2019 here at Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), we try to focus on what went well, to further inspire and encourage our employees and suppliers to continue improving on sustainability efforts. Here are some of our favourite moments this year:

1. Achieving 100 percent traceability to the plantation for owned mills
GAR achieved full Traceability to the Plantation (TTP) for our 44 owned mills, which covers more than 600,000 hectares of estates, in 2018. Through this initiative, we are able to identify our suppliers, train them, and better understand their situation in order to aid them in their sustainability journey. Having accomplished full TTP on our end, we are better equipped to help our other third-party mills achieve full TTP by 2020. Read more about it here.


2. Furthering collaboration with Orangutan Foundation International
We announced the extension of our partnership with Orangutan Foundation International (OFI), with whom we have worked to rehabilitate and protect orangutans since 2011. Over the next three years, we will release another 60 orangutans back into the wild, and also expand the scope of our co-operation to include the education of communities and school students about the importance of maintaining biodiversity. Find out more about this partnership here.


3. Recognition at Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards
In November, GAR was recognised in the ‘Sustainable Business’ category at the Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards. Organised by Global Compact Network Singapore, local chapter of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the awarding criteria are aligned to the Ten Principles of UNGC, covering the areas of environment, human rights, and labour. We’re proud to have received this highest form of recognition for companies in Singapore on Corporate Sustainability.


4. A renewed RSPO standard
Okay, this wasn’t a direct achievement on our part, but the new RSPO standard voted in on 15 November was indeed a momentous occasion for the entire palm oil industry, and GAR is pleased to have been a part of the multi-stakeholder approach leading up to it. There are several new elements in it such as

• use of the High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA) toolkit to transition to a deforestation-free palm oil sector,
• development of a separate standard specifically for independent smallholders,
• strengthened stance on protecting workers’ rights through clear checklist of items for employers to cover,
• clearer procedures and documentation regarding communities’ rights such as on issues of land allocation process, its time frames and expected outcomes,all of which will further strengthen social development, environmental protection, and economic prosperity across the sustainable palm oil value chain. Read our colleague’s account of the journey leading up to the vote, here. 
  

5. Sinar Mas Oleochemical celebrates 25 years of excellence
In September, our oleochemical production business, Sinar Mas Oleochemical, commemorated 25 years of operations.Oleochemicals have played an important role in the growth and diversification of our business. What started as a joint venture with four other companies in 1993, has blossomed into a full-fledged global organisation, serving customers around the world with high quality palm-based oleochemicals that are natural, biodegradable, and renewable.Learn more about our oleochemical offerings here.


For more stories like these on our journey towards sustainable palm oil, subscribe to our newsletter here.