JA Updates 2026: How RSPO’s Jurisdictional Approach is Advancing Sustainable Palm Oil

As the global sustainability landscape continues to evolve, the need for solutions that deliver impact at scale is defining this moment. The RSPO’s Jurisdictional Approach (JA) is designed to offer a collaborative, inclusive pathway to transform entire regions toward sustainable palm oil production.

By: Juan Camilo Plazas

Unlike traditional certification models that focus on individual producers or companies, the RSPO Jurisdictional Approach (JA) operates at the level of a political administrative area, such as a district, state, or even a country. By bringing together governments, growers, processors, traders, civil society, and local communities under a shared framework, the JA enables coordinated action and long-term structural change.

At the heart of the approach is strong government leadership. Through a concept known as “upward delegation,” key sustainability responsibilities, such as monitoring, enforcement, and policy alignment, are embedded within local regulatory systems. This ensures that sustainability commitments are not only implemented consistently but are also supported by laws and policies, creating lasting impact beyond individual actors.

The benefits of this model are significant. By working at a landscape scale, JA enhances ecological connectivity, supports more effective conservation efforts, and lowers barriers to certification, particularly for independent smallholders. It also strengthens market confidence by aligning sustainability efforts with government-backed systems.

New partnership with Japanese RSPO Member, FPIC studies begin

Since its introduction in 2015, the RSPO has made steady progress in operationalising the Jurisdictional Approach. Three pilot jurisdictions; Seruyan in Indonesia, Sabah in Malaysia, and Ecuador at the national level, are currently advancing through this Stepwise Approach.

Recent developments mark important milestones in this journey, with new partnerships reinforcing the potential of JA. A recent collaboration led by Mitsui, an RSPO Member based in Japan, joins RSPO, Wild Asia, and Sabah JASPO (Jurisdictional Approach to Sustainable Palm Oil) to explore the development of a jurisdictional, multi-stakeholder landscape initiative in Sabah, Malaysia.

Within this collaboration, Wild Asia and Mitsui act as co-developers of the initiative, working to design a more inclusive and traceable supply chain model that integrates mills and smallholders. The RSPO contributes as a technical and multi-stakeholder platform, supporting alignment with its standards and the Jurisdictional Approach framework, while Sabah JASPO plays a key role in coordinating stakeholders and aligning the initiative with state-level sustainability strategies.

The initiative aims to advance climate mitigation, nature-positive outcomes, and inclusive supply chains, while assessing the feasibility of scaling such models through a jurisdictional approach.

Additionally, iIn Seruyan, the Jurisdictional Entity has submitted its application for RSPO membership, currently under review. Across the pilots, technical work is accelerating, including the development of jurisdictional methodologies for High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments, as well as land use change analysis (LUCA).

Further progress is being made in adapting key RSPO mechanisms to the jurisdictional scale. Field testing of the Remediation and Compensation Procedure (RaCP) is completed in Seruyan and Sabah, while studies on the application of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in jurisdictional contexts have begun. These efforts are critical to ensuring that RSPO standards remain robust, credible, and applicable at scale.

Together, these advancements demonstrate that the Jurisdictional Approach is increasingly operational. As pilots continue to progress, JA is positioning itself as a key mechanism for delivering sustainable palm oil at scale, ensuring that no stakeholder is left behind.

About the author: Juan Camilo Plazas is the RSPO Communications Manager for Latin America. To get in touch, email: [email protected].