Greenpeace has published a report on the progress towards zero deforestation made by several multinational companies. In the report, the activist organisation has singled out Johnson & Johnson and Colgate-Palmolive as failing to deliver on their promises to bring an end to deforestation.
The report is based on a survey conducted by Greenpeace in December, 2015, which assessed 14 global FMCG manufacturers on three criteria, namely responsible sourcing, transparency and industry reform.
Colgate-Palmolive was rated as failing on all fronts, with the report claiming, “Colgate cannot trace any of its palm oil back to the plantation, and even though more than half of its palm oil is traceable to the mill, that is insufficient progress when compared with other companies in the sector. Colgate does not disclose any information about its suppliers, nor has it joined any industry transformation initiatives.”
Johnson & Johnson’s efforts to push through industry reform were praised, but the company was considered to be failing over responsible sourcing and transparency. “Johnson & Johnson has little understanding of the risks in its supply chain. Its traceability to the mill is poor. Johnson & Johnson needs to accelerate its traceability programme and move beyond the RSPO to meet its ‘no deforestation’ commitment,” Greenpeace revealed.
Both Procter & Gamble and Unilever were graded ‘strong’ over their efforts towards industry reform and received a ‘decent’ mark for both responsible sourcing and transparency.
Greenpeace urged companies to prioritize their zero deforestation efforts, “This year must mark a turning point for the palm oil industry. So far, companies have been focusing on tracing the palm oil they buy to the mill and then to the plantation where it was grown. That is just the first step towards addressing the problems in companies’ palm oil supply chains. In 2016, companies need to start actively monitoring their suppliers for deforestation, peatland destruction, labor issues and social conflicts – and should take swift action against persistent offenders,” the report concluded.
