Action for Sustainable Derivatives | Annual Update on Progress 2020

Authors

• Thibault Gravier

  Former Director, BSR

• Edwina McKechnie

  Former Associate Director, BSR

ARIANE DENIS, Project Director, Transitions

JANE TOUSCO, Head of Sustainable Sourcing, Transitions

It has been just over ten months since Action for Sustainable Derivatives (ASD), a sector-wide collaboration for users of palm and palm kernel oil derivatives in the beauty, personal and health care, and oleochemical industries, was launched to galvanize a collective voice of influence for responsible palm production and to operationalize collective tools for change. Our vision is to achieve and promote palm derivatives sourcing that is free from deforestation, respects human rights, and supports local livelihoods.

ASD is proud to share its first Annual Update on Progress, demonstrating the rapid progress that has been made even in the context of global upheaval. Since its inception, ASD has facilitated the sharing of information, data, and solutions to accelerate transformation of the palm derivatives sector among its members. Moreover, ASD also acts as an operational platform for transparency, risk prioritization, and on-the-ground impact.

The resulting proof points speak to our founding collaborative and impact-oriented approach. In just ten months, ASD has:

• Conducted individual member company and collective group supply chain mapping for 18 member companies, covering 450,000 tons of palm-based materials and over 700 ingredient types
• Mapped derivatives supply chain to mills of origin for 81 percent of palm volumes and to refineries and crushers for 90 percent
• Leveraged existing environmental and social risk data to prioritize production hotspots and supply chain players in the collective supply chain, which allows for engagement to improve production practices and secure supply of responsible palm derivatives to uphold No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation commitments of downstream users
• Developed an impact-oriented strategy to focus collective resources in support of responsible production practices and relevant conservation, restoration, and livelihood initiatives