--- title: "Analysis - palm-oil-2026" canonical_url: "https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/traders/analysis" meta: "og:title": Analysis --- > Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/llms.txt) # analysis & case studies # HOW ARE PALM OIL TRADERS & REFINERS PERFORMING? **The first WWF–ZSL Palm Oil Traders & Refiners Index assesses 15 major companies against 100 environmental, social and governance indicators.** It examines the evidence companies provide on their commitments, how they implement them and the progress they report across their palm oil supply chains. The results show that sustainability policies and governance arrangements are widely established. However, the evidence becomes less consistent when companies are asked to demonstrate the coverage of their traceability systems, identify the volumes assessed for environmental and human rights risks, or quantify their engagement with suppliers. The average company score is 58.8%, with scores ranging from 33.1% to 85.1%. Governance and grievances is the highest-scoring category, while traceability and supply-chain mapping is the lowest. Traders and refiners occupy an influential position between producers and downstream markets. Their purchasing decisions, supplier requirements and support programmes can affect practices across extensive sourcing networks. POTRI’s findings highlight where these companies can provide stronger evidence that their commitments reach the full scope of their business and lead to action when problems arise. 15 COMPANIES ASSESSED in the 2026 **palm oil TRADERS & REFINERS scorecard** ![A disc split between a palm plantation and cleared land, showing the average score]() from33.1% TO85.1% ## Understanding the findings POTRI scores reflect evidence against defined assessment criteria. Companies can receive full, partial or zero points, depending on factors such as the scope, detail and recency of the information provided. Higher scores indicate stronger evidence against the framework. They do not certify that a company’s operations or supply chain are free from environmental or social harm. 100indicatorsacross10categories ## Share of applicable points earned by category, all 15 companies All indicators Organisation Policy Practice Share of applicable points earned, by category (%) | Category | All indicators | Organisation | Policy | Practice | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Sustainability policy and leadership | 78.7 | 76.6 | 90.0 | 91.7 | | Traceability and supply-chain mapping | 37.3 | 53.2 | 24.0 | 49.9 | | Certification standards | 62.7 | 63.8 | 82.8 | 45.9 | | Deforestation, conversion and biodiversity | 54.7 | 60.0 | 49.2 | 61.7 | | HCV, HCS and impact assessments | 67.8 | 81.2 | 60.0 | 68.2 | | Peat, fire and GHG emissions | 61.0 | 74.1 | 53.8 | 64.7 | | Water, chemicals and waste | 63.3 | 25.0 | 50.0 | 71.7 | | Human rights and labour | 69.4 | 100.0 | 56.4 | 77.8 | | Supplier engagement and smallholders | 51.5 | 23.3 | 39.1 | 65.7 | | Governance and grievances | 90.6 | 100.0 | 90.0 | 86.8 | ## FROM COMMITMENT TO ACTION The green represents the companies that make a commitment; the orange represents those that provide measured evidence of delivering on it. What stays green is the gap between what is promised and what is shown. - Commits - Provides measured evidence - Neither - ### RSPO certification 15companies are RSPO members0companies report 100% certified sourcing - ### Deforestation 15companies commit to zero deforestation4companies report the volume assessed for risk - ### Human rights 14companies have a human rights commitment3companies report the volume assessed for risk - ### Suppliers 15companies prioritise tier 1 suppliers5companies report the share of tier 1 suppliers engaged ## KEY FINDINGS Commitments & implementation ## 1Commitments need clearer evidence of implementation Policies provide an essential foundation for responsible sourcing. They establish expectations for suppliers and help companies communicate the standards they intend to uphold in their supply chains. Their value depends on how consistently companies implement them. These groups cover different indicators, so the difference does not measure the proportion of commitments implemented. It nevertheless highlights a recurring finding: companies generally provide stronger evidence of their intentions than of the extent and results of their actions. ### What companies should do Connect commitments to defined responsibilities, measurable coverage and documented responses to non-compliance. Explain which parts of the supply chain systems cover, where gaps remain and how they will be addressed. 66.0%of applicable points earned for policies & commitments of applicable points earned for policies & commitments - Policies and commitments66.0% - Monitoring, reporting & verification57.7% - Implementation52.9% Share of applicable points earned, all 15 companies. Traceability ## 2Traceability reporting needs to cover the full business Traceability helps companies understand where their supply originates and where they need to investigate environmental or social risks. For integrated traders and refiners, reporting needs to capture the complexity of both activities. Several companies report high traceability percentages, but those figures do not always clearly cover all relevant products, sourcing regions or trading operations. A percentage covering selected refineries or one country cannot establish the traceability of a company’s entire refining and trading business. Reporting solely on products that pass through company facilities may leave uncertainty about volumes traded without physical possession. Traceability alone does not demonstrate sustainable production. It provides information companies need to assess risk, investigate concerns and support corrective action. ### What companies should do State the denominator behind each traceability percentage and whether it includes all relevant geographies, third-party supply, indirect sourcing and trading activities. Distinguish traceability to mills from traceability to plantations. 37.3% of applicable points for traceability and supply-chain mapping, the lowest-scoring of the 10 categories Reported traceability figures often cover only part of the chain: selected refineries, one country, or volumes that pass through company facilities. Companies should state the denominator behind each percentage. ![The palm oil supply chain, from plantations and mills through storage, shipping and refineries to finished products]() 0%100% Certification ## 3RSPO membership needs to translate into greater certified sourcing RSPO membership is widespread among the assessed companies: all 15 receive full points for membership. However, this level of participation does not translate into comparable uptake of certified palm oil. The simple average of the companies’ reported RSPO uptake percentages is 20.9%, and none reports 100% uptake. Membership demonstrates participation in a certification system, while uptake shows the proportion of reported volumes sourced as certified. A credible sourcing plan needs to connect the two through clear milestones and transparent progress reporting. ### What companies should do Explain the barriers to increasing certified sourcing and the steps taken to overcome them. Distinguish between certification supply-chain models so buyers and financial institutions understand what sourcing figures represent. 20.9%average reported RSPO uptake. None reports 100% average reported RSPO uptake. None reports 100% - RSPO membership15 of 1515 full, 0 partial and 0 without points, of 15 companies - Time-bound plan for 100% RSPO-certified sourcing4 of 154 full, 0 partial and 11 without points, of 15 companies - Full points - No points Deforestation & conversion ## 4Protection needs to extend beyond forests Avoiding deforestation is central to responsible palm oil sourcing. Protecting other natural ecosystems requires an explicit commitment to avoiding conversion as well. All 15 companies receive points for a supplier zero-deforestation commitment, 11 of them full points. For zero conversion, 12 receive points, but only four receive full points for a commitment explicitly covering all natural ecosystems and all suppliers. Target dates are less widely evidenced: ten companies receive points for a zero-deforestation target date in supplier operations, compared with only three for zero conversion. Although 14 receive points for a methodology for assessing deforestation- and conversion-free volumes, only four receive points for reporting the volume or percentage of sourcing assessed for deforestation and conversion risk. ### What companies should do Clearly identify the ecosystems and suppliers policies cover, establish cut-off dates and set deadlines for compliance. Explain both the assessment approach and its coverage. 4of 15full points for zero conversion across all ecosystems and suppliers full points for zero conversion across all ecosystems and suppliers - Zero-deforestation commitment11 full · 4 partial11 full, 4 partial and 0 without points, of 15 companies - Zero-conversion commitment4 full · 8 partial4 full, 8 partial and 3 without points, of 15 companies - Target date, zero deforestation10 of 1510 full, 0 partial and 5 without points, of 15 companies - Target date, zero conversion3 of 153 full, 0 partial and 12 without points, of 15 companies - Volume assessed for deforestation & conversion risk4 of 154 full, 0 partial and 11 without points, of 15 companies - Full points - Partial points - No points Peat, fire & monitoring ## 5Monitoring needs a clear response when problems emerge Monitoring can identify possible deforestation, conversion and other concerns. Its effectiveness depends on what companies do with the information. These measures are relevant to managing forest, peat and fire risks. However, a commitment or monitoring system does not by itself demonstrate that a company has prevented harm or resolved an identified problem. ### What companies should do Explain how alerts are investigated, how affected suppliers are engaged and how corrective action is decided. Reporting should show how cases progress, what outcomes are sought and how completion is verified. ![A landscape where forest is burnt and cleared for plantations and a mill, beside a polluted river]() - - - Human rights ## 6Human rights commitments need stronger risk assessment Human rights commitments are widely disclosed: 14 companies receive full points for their commitment. Evidence of comprehensive supply-chain risk assessment is less developed. Seven companies receive partial points for making a supply-chain human rights risk assessment available, and none receives full points. Only three receive points for reporting the volume or percentage of supply assessed for human rights risk. ### What companies should do Explain whose rights are considered, the risks identified and the parts of the supply chain assessed, then connect those findings to prevention, mitigation and remedy. 0of 15full points for a supply-chain human rights risk assessment full points for a supply-chain human rights risk assessment - Human rights commitment14 of 1514 full, 0 partial and 1 without points, of 15 companies - Supply-chain risk assessment available7 partial0 full, 7 partial and 8 without points, of 15 companies - Volume assessed for human rights risk3 of 153 full, 0 partial and 12 without points, of 15 companies - Full points - Partial points - No points Supplier engagement ## 7Supplier accountability needs evidence of coverage and follow-through Supplier accountability requires companies to establish expectations, identify where support is needed and demonstrate how they respond to non-compliance. All 15 companies receive points for processes to prioritise Tier 1 suppliers for engagement and assessment, and for re-entry criteria for suspended suppliers. Reporting becomes more limited when examining non-compliance: five report the percentage of non-compliant suppliers and the associated share of volume, and only three report the percentage of non-compliant suppliers engaged in improvement plans. There is evidence of support further upstream: 14 companies receive points for engagement with Tier 2 and other upstream suppliers, including six receiving full points. The central gap is between describing an engagement process and showing how extensively it operates. ### What companies should do Report who is engaged, what proportion of the supplier base this represents and how improvement plans address identified problems. 5of 15report the share of Tier 1 suppliers engaged on requirements report the share of Tier 1 suppliers engaged on requirements - Process to prioritise Tier 1 suppliers15 of 1515 full, 0 partial and 0 without points, of 15 companies - Share of Tier 1 suppliers engaged5 of 155 full, 0 partial and 10 without points, of 15 companies - Non-compliant suppliers and share of volume5 of 155 full, 0 partial and 10 without points, of 15 companies - Non-compliant suppliers in improvement plans3 of 153 full, 0 partial and 12 without points, of 15 companies - Engagement with Tier 2 and upstream suppliers6 full · 8 partial6 full, 8 partial and 1 without points, of 15 companies - Full points - Partial points - No points Smallholders ## 8Smallholder support needs responsible purchasing practices Smallholder inclusion is an important area of commitment for these large global traders and refiners. Thirteen companies receive full points for a commitment to smallholder inclusion, while 11 receive full points for a programme supporting independent smallholders. However, only one receives full points for a commitment to responsible purchasing practices that support upstream producer livelihoods and fair value distribution. Five others receive partial points. Support programmes can help producers meet sourcing requirements, but purchasing practices also shape their ability to do so. ### What companies should do Explain how commercial relationships support the producers companies source from, alongside training or other programme activities, and connect smallholder inclusion to how palm oil is purchased and value distributed. ![Two smallholders harvesting fruit bunches from an oil palm]() - - - Landscapes ## 9Landscape collaboration needs transparent reporting on contributions and results Environmental and social challenges often extend beyond individual supply chains. Landscape and jurisdictional initiatives can bring companies together with governments, communities and other organisations to address shared concerns. Qualifying participation can include financial or technical support, restoration, supplier engagement, monitoring and other implementation activities. This is an encouraging area of activity. Participation should complement action within companies’ own sourcing networks. It cannot substitute for addressing gaps in traceability, supplier compliance or responsible purchasing. ### What companies should do Identify the initiatives supported, explain the company’s role and report progress against agreed objectives. 10of 15full points for landscape or jurisdictional initiatives full points for landscape or jurisdictional initiatives - Active participation or substantive support10 full · 2 partial10 full, 2 partial and 3 without points, of 15 companies - Full points - Partial points - No points ## What needs to happen next? - ### Traders & refiners Strengthen the connection between commitments and the evidence on supply-chain coverage and implementation. Priorities include comprehensive traceability reporting, clear environmental and social targets, quantified supplier engagement and transparent reporting on corrective action. - ### Downstream buyers Use the findings to examine the coverage of their suppliers’ policies and systems. - ### Financial institutions Use the assessments to identify questions for due diligence, stewardship and client engagement, and to establish measurable expectations for progress. POTRI’s first assessment provides a baseline for more focused engagement with major palm oil traders and refiners. Progress will depend on demonstrating where requirements apply, how suppliers receive support and what happens when companies identify harm or non-compliance. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@id":"https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/#website","@type":"WebSite","inLanguage":"en","name":"palm-oil-2026","url":"https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/","publisher":{"@id":"https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/#identity"},"workTranslation":[]},{"@id":"https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/traders/analysis#webpage","@type":"WebPage","name":"Analysis","url":"https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/traders/analysis","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/#website"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/traders/analysis"]}]},{"@id":"https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/#identity","@type":"Organization","name":"palm-oil-2026","url":"https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/"}]} ``` ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/sitemap.md) for all pages.