The SPOTT index: A proof-of-concept measure for tracking public disclosure in the palm oil industry

Oppenheimer, Philippa; Clarke, Elizabeth; Cupit, Oliver; Delabre, Izabela; Dodson, Annabelle; Guindon, Michael; Hatto, Alexis; Lam, Joyce; Lawrence, Leonie; Melot, Clara; Spencer, Eleanor; Wainwright-Déri, Ezster; Freeman, Robin; Hoffmann, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.crsust.2021.100042

Cited by 5 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Evaluation criteria for comprehensive ZDC policy in the palm oil sector. The principle categories were adapted from [12,16], the evaluation criteria adapted from SPOTT (Sustainable Palm Oil Transparency Toolkit), a non-profit platform that monitors company pledges and implementation [40]. Detailed explanation of the principle categories and criteria can be found in supplementary table 1S.…”

Section: Defining Zdc Quality and Evaluation Criteriamentioning

confidence: 99%

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How well does the implementation of corporate zero-deforestation commitments in Indonesia align with aims to halt deforestation and include smallholders?

Chandra,

Garrett,

Carlson

et al. 2024

Environ. Res. Lett.

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In response to growing scrutiny surrounding commodity-driven deforestation, companies have introduced zero-deforestation commitments (ZDCs) with ambitious environmental and social targets. However, such initiatives may not effectively reduce deforestation if they are not aligned with the spatial extent of remaining forests at risk. They may also fail to avert socio-economic risks if ZDCs do not consider smallholder farmers’ needs. We assess the spatial and functional fit of ZDCs by mapping commodity-driven deforestation and socio-economic risks, and comparing them to the spatial coverage and implementation of ZDCs in the Indonesian palm oil sector. Our study finds that companies’ ZDCs often underperform in four areas: traceability, compliance support for high-risk palm oil mills, transparency, and smallholder inclusion. In 2020, only one-third of companies sourcing from their own mills, and just 6% of those sourcing from external suppliers, achieved full traceability to plantations. Comparing the reach of ZDCs adopted by downstream buyers with those adopted by mill owners located further upstream, we find that high-quality ZDCs from buyers covered 62% of forests at risk, while mill owners’ ZDCs only covered 23% of forests at risk within the mill supply base. In Kalimantan and Papua, the current and future deforestation frontiers, the forests most at risk of conversion were predominantly covered by weak ZDCs lacking in policy comprehensiveness and implementation. Additionally, we find that only 46% of independent smallholder oil palm plots are in mill supply sheds whose owners offer programs and support for independent smallholders, indicating that smallholder inclusion is a significant challenge for ZDC companies. These results highlight the lack of spatial and functional alignment between supply chain policies and their local context as a significant gap in ZDC implementation and a challenge that the EU Deforestation Regulation will face.

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Section: Defining Zdc Quality and Evaluation Criteriamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We evaluated ZDC policy quality using indicators drawn from SPOTT (the Sustainable Palm Oil Transparency Toolkit), a non-profit platform that monitors company pledges and implementation [40].…”

Section: Zdc Quality and Links To Mill Supply Shedsmentioning

confidence: 99%

How well does the implementation of corporate zero-deforestation commitments in Indonesia align with aims to halt deforestation and include smallholders?

Chandra,

Garrett,

Carlson

et al. 2024

Environ. Res. Lett.

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“…Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit (SPOTT) Index 108 The Species Awareness Index (SAI) 109 Table 1…”

Section: Conservation Management and Species Utilisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Protected areas and protected area management [96][97][98][99] Impacts of conservation management on species 40 and threatened species 36,100 Living Planet Index for recovering populations of European mammals and birds 37 Living Planet Index for utilized species 101,102 Trends in target and bycatch species (oceanic sharks and rays) 103 Other influences of the LPI Index of Linguistic Diversity 104,105 The Wetland Extent Trends Index 106,107 Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit (SPOTT) Index 108 The Species Awareness Index (SAI) 109 Table 1…”

Section: Conservation Management and Species Utilisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conceptually, relative change, as calculated by the geometric mean, can be applied to other units of measurement that have been collected consistently over time. Using the code for calculating the LPI, new indicators have been developed for wetland areas 106,107 , linguistic diversity 104 , monitoring environmental, social and governance transparency in palm oil production 108 and biodiversity awareness 109 , of which the first two of these are part of the ongoing suite of indicators for the CBD (Table 1).…”

Section: The Lpi Project As a Tool For Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Past, present, and future of the Living Planet Index

Ledger

McRae²,

Böhm

et al. 2022

Preprint

Self Cite

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As we enter the next phase of international policy commitments to halt biodiversity loss (e.g. Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework), biodiversity indicators will play an important role forming the robust basis upon which targeted, and time sensitive conservation actions are developed. Population trend indicators are perhaps the most powerful tool in biodiversity monitoring due to their responsiveness to changes over short timescales and their ability to aggregate species trends from global down to at a sub-national or even local scale. We consider how the project behind the foremost population level indicator - the Living Planet Index - has evolved over the last 25 years, its value to the field of biodiversity monitoring, and how its components have portrayed a compelling account of the changing status of global biodiversity through its application at policy, research and practice levels. We explore ways the project can develop to enhance our understanding of the state of biodiversity and share lessons learned to inform indicator development and mobilise action.

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Navigating the impact: A comprehensive analysis of ESG disclosure consequences through systematic review

Li,

Saat,

Khatib

et al. 2024

Bus Strat Dev

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The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive and systematic assessment of the literature on the consequences of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure by means of content analyses. Using a systematic approach, a sample of 165 studies was collected from the Web of Science database and evaluated on the basis of econometric and content analyses, including publication trends, geographical distribution, theories and consequence associated with ESG disclosure (investment and innovation of firms, financing cost and method, operations and financial risk of firms, firm performance and value and others), provides some direction for future investigation. According to the analysis, the literature was more interested in the stakeholder theory when examining the effects of ESG disclosure on areas including company innovation and investment, financing costs and methods, financial risk and operations, business performance, and others. Even though most of the literature has focused on firm performance and value, there is still no clear understanding of the relationship. Also, limited work was found on the investment and innovation of firms, and financing cost and method, while the impact of operations and financial risk of firms has yet to be explored. Meanwhile, this study also identified the impact of ESG disclosure on analysts, audit fees, and earnings management as a new research direction. Finally, this study innovates new findings that institutional pressures may have an impact on the consequences of ESG disclosure, a topic not found in previous studies.

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The SPOTT index: A proof-of-concept measure for tracking public disclosure in the palm oil industry

Cited by 5 publications

References 33 publications

How well does the implementation of corporate zero-deforestation commitments in Indonesia align with aims to halt deforestation and include smallholders?

How well does the implementation of corporate zero-deforestation commitments in Indonesia align with aims to halt deforestation and include smallholders?

Past, present, and future of the Living Planet Index

Navigating the impact: A comprehensive analysis of ESG disclosure consequences through systematic review

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