What is Shared Responsibility?
Shared Responsibility is the set of responsibilities adopted by RSPO members to achieve RSPO’s vision “to transform markets to make sustainable palm oil the norm”.
The process for change at RSPO is characterised by a progression of “Mobilise, Act and Transform”. This is the backbone of the RSPO Theory of Change (ToC) and is underpinned by the concept of shared responsibility (SR) and accountability for results.
Why is Shared Responsibility needed?
Environmental and social issues throughout the palm oil supply chain are systemic issues which cannot be resolved by one stakeholder in the value chain. It requires collaboration and commitment from all stakeholders.
RSPO certified supply remains at approximately 19% of global volumes. Stimulating demand and increasing the production of sustainable palm oil to make it the norm requires every member of RSPO, including supply chain actors, investors and NGOs to play a role.
What responsibilities do RSPO members commit to under Shared Responsibility?
All members share sustainability requirements that are the same across all stakeholder groups: palm oil processors and traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social or developmental NGOs. Specific requirements may vary from one member category to another, reflecting the unique roles of different member categories to help make sustainable palm oil the norm.
Shared Responsibility Requirements Overview
There are 29 requirements covering different thematic areas and a summary of the requirements can be found below.
Policies & Plans
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TRANSPARENCY AND LEGALITY
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SOCIAL
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ENVIRONMENTAL
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UPTAKE
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Publicly available and transparent information
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Policies (ethical conduct)
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Legal compliance (including third party contractors)
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SR and sustainability performance reporting and monitoring
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Claims and labels
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Information and outreach activities
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Policies [human rights, Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), no discrimination, labour rights, freedom of association, not forced, trafficked or child labour, no harassment, health and safety]
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Complaints and grievances mechanism
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Inclusion of smallholders
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Volumes: annual uptake targets
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Sustainable Palm Oil Policy
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Service and support to RSPO
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Resourcing
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Uptake & Resourcing
In order to drive uptake and transform markets, the volume requirements for supply chain actors include Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) and Certified Sustainable Palm Kernel Oil (CSPKO) percentage point uptake targets year on year.
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PROCESSORS & TRADERS
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CGMs & RETAILERS
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CSPO
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CSPKO
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CSPO
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CSPKO
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Year 1 (2020)
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2%
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-
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15%
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-
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Year 2 (2021)
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2%
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-
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12%
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7%
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| Year 3 (2022) |
2% |
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12% |
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When was Shared Responsibility implemented and by who?
The RSPO Shared Responsibility Requirements and Implementation document developed by the Shared Responsibility Task Force (SRTF) was endorsed by the RSPO Board of Governors (BoG) on 31 October 2019. Shared Responsibility (SR) for downstream actors translates into a sustainable supply chain by adopting sustainable policies, demonstrating accountability, allocating resources for implementation, and collective effort to achieve market transformation in emerging markets, for example, as well as creating a higher demand for certified sustainable oil palm products.
I am an RSPO member. How can I uphold my commitment to Shared Responsibility?
DEVELOP - If you are a downstream RSPO member, develop policies and plans and upload in MyRSPO. View our guides here.
Are you a member and do not have policies? Email [email protected] and we’ll help you get started.
ASK - If you are a user of palm oil, ask your suppliers for RSPO certified materials. If unavailable, purchase RSPO Credits, preferably from Smallholders, to cover the volumes.
Learn how to purchase credits here.
ENGAGE - Encourage your peers, clients, suppliers and investors to become a member of the RSPO and adopt sustainable sourcing policies.
Learn how to become a member here.
Who is in the Shared Responsibility Working Group?
The RSPO Shared Responsibility Working Group (SRWG) was established in May 2020 to work on the practical implementation of Shared Responsibility requirements. View the SRWG.
I have more questions. Where should I look?
Interested to learn more? See our FAQs or email [email protected].
