New Planting Procedure (NPP), 2021
The RSPO New Planting Procedure (NPP) consists of a set of processes that involve assessments to be conducted by growers followed by a verification by certification bodies (CBs) prior to any new oil palm development. It was initially developed in 2009 to provide a framework for the responsible development of new lands into oil palm in order to mitigate negative impacts on High Conservation Value (HCV) areas, High Carbon Stock (HCS) forests, peatland, fragile and marginal soils, as well as to uphold the rights of local peoples including their rights on the land being developed. A successful implementation of the NPP ensures that applicable and relevant indicators of the RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) are being implemented and complied with when the new development starts.
The key output of the NPP is a report that proposes how and where new oil palm plantings should proceed, or not, for a given management area and proposed integrated management plan. The NPP report is verified by CBs, vetted by the RSPO Secretariat before a 30-day posting period on the RSPO website and on-site notice boards for public comment. Planting and any associated development can only begin once the NPP notification is completed and RSPO approval is granted, as well as all applicable local legal requirements are met.
Background of NPP
The concept of the New Planting Procedure (NPP) was first proposed to the RSPO General Assembly in November 2008 and formalised in May 2009. It was approved by the RSPO Executive Board in September 2009 and came into force for all new oil palm plantings from 1 January 2010.
The RSPO P&C is updated every five years. The NPP was then to be updated based on the newly revised RSPO P&C. The first version of the NPP was NPP 2010, which was updated to NPP 2015 and endorsed by the Board of Governors on 20 November 2015 following the adoption of the 2013 P&C. The 2018 RSPO P&C came into effect after adoption by the RSPO 15th General Assembly (GA15) on 15 November 2018, requiring an update of the NPP (2015) to comply with the new requirements introduced in the 2018 RSPO P&C.
Moving Forward
On 10 June 2021, the revised RSPO New Planting Procedure (NPP) was endorsed by the RSPO Board of Governors. The RSPO NPP 2021 is effective immediately with a six (6) month grace period. All NPP submissions by 15 January 2022 onwards shall be completed in compliance with NPP 2021.
RSPO is requesting members who have initiated the assessment processes based on NPP 2015 during the grace period to please register your case with the RSPO Secretariat at [email protected]. All case registrations must reach the RSPO Secretariat before COB 14 January 2022 with supporting documents and stating clearly in the email subject: NPP 2015 Case Registry.
You can download NPP documents at NPP Resources link below
