Assurance Standing Committee Drives RSPO’s Vision for Sustainable and Equitable Palm Oil:ASC Highlights, Second Half of 2024

The Assurance Standing Committee (ASC) has reaffirmed its critical role in driving the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil’s (RSPO) mission of championing sustainable practices across the palm oil value chain. Recent milestones and strategic plans highlight the ASC’s dedication to fostering sustainability, operational excellence, and accountability.

Review of RSPO’s Labour Auditing Guidance Implementation: Endorsed

The completion of the Independent Review of the Implementation of RSPO Labour Auditing Guidance marks a major milestone for RSPO. Proforest was commissioned to conduct the study, producing a report that provides a detailed breakdown of recommendations for handling labour auditing challenges. With varied and actionable measures proposed, the ASC approved the review as completed in October 2024, entrusting the Secretariat to develop a work plan based on its recommendations. The Guidance will remain a voluntary document until a further decision is made. To learn more about the published report, click here.

Assurance Action Plans 2024–2026: Aligning with RSPO’s Vision

The Assurance Action Plans for 2024–2026 have been strategically aligned with RSPO’s new vision to be the global sustainability leader in palm oil. Under the mission of unified excellence, RSPO focuses on advancing sustainable production, consumption, and awareness through global standards supported by a robust assurance framework and credible certification systems. The division’s renewed focus areas are Operational Enhancement, prisma Development, and the 2024 RSPO Standards & Certification Systems Review and Development. The Action Plans were shared with the ASC in August 2024.

Complementing this, the Secretariat updated the ASC in Bangkok, at the hybrid meeting right before RSPO’s annual roundtable conference (RT2024), on a few proposals for inclusion in the certification systems document that is currently being revised following the RSPO Principles and Criteria (RSPO P&C) 2024 endorsement.

Advancing Accreditation Body Performance

The ASC has also made significant progress in refining the Accreditation Body Performance Appraisal process. The updated method, presented in August 2024, builds on a draft introduced earlier in the year, incorporating adjustments to enhance its credibility and timeliness of appraisals. Key updates include ensuring appraisals remain up-to-date to reflect evolving challenges, with methods like mid-term reviews being drafted. These measures align with the ASC’s commitment to robust oversight and accountability.

Assurance Breakout: Technological Innovations to Future-proof Our Industry

On the final day of RT2024, RSPO hosted breakout sessions exploring aspects of “Partnering for the Next 20.” With support from the ASC, one of the breakout sessions, titled “Technological Innovations to Future-proof the Palm Oil Industry,” drew a large audience, showcasing advancements from various representatives. Moderated by Mohammad Fadhli Jamaluddin, CEO of Geospatial AI, the session featured Harry Brock, CEO of Univanich, who highlighted Thailand’s innovative strides for its smallholder-driven oil palm industry. Florent Robert, Group Head at Siat Group and an ASC member, spoke about renewable energy solutions for remote farming communities while Lesly Vera Gonzales, Palm Oil Programme Manager at Solidaridad Peru, revealed how smarter data usage is driving progress in Latin America. Then, László Máthé, RSPO Accreditation Programme Manager at ASI, explored how cutting-edge technologies are revolutionising oversight and accountability.

The ASC is committed to continuously improving the credibility of RSPO’s Assurance Systems and addressing challenges diligently. To learn more about the committee, click here.