Sainsbury’s, M&S, Co-op and Waitrose owner the John Lewis Partnership are the front runners of UK retailers in WWF’s sustainable palm oil rankings.
The organisation’s latest Palm Oil Buyers scorecard includes 23 companies globally that have achieved the highest ranking, up from 14 in 2021, having increased their leadership in sourcing sustainable palm oil and driving industry-wide transformation to help protect forests.
Having formerly placed ‘middle of the pack’ in the rankings, Sainsbury’s and M&S are now among those ‘leading the way’, scoring above 21 out of a possible 24, alongside the John Lewis Partnership and Co-op.
Meanwhile, Morrisons, Asda and Tesco all came in slightly lower, scoring 16.72, 18.62 and 19.75 respectively.
Companies can score 18 points for actions to ensure their own palm oil supply chain is sustainable and free of deforestation, natural ecosystem conversion, and human rights abuse.
An additional six points assess companies’ contribution to industry-wide transformation by promoting sustainable palm oil beyond their direct supply chain.
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Other food and drink companies with a score above 18 include Greggs, Unilever and Saputo Dairy UK, formerly known as Dairy Crest.
It comes as palm oil production is deemed a key threat to at least 193 endangered species, including orangutans, elephants, rhinoceroses, and tigers.
While WWF said that recent data suggests that oil palm-driven deforestation has begun to slow and governments in major producing countries are taking action to curb oil palm expansion, an in-depth examination of the 128 companies that participated in the scorecard shows that there is still an urgent need to increase action on all fronts.
While 91% of respondents have committed to sourcing 100% RSPO-certified palm oil, only 59% are doing so.
WWF conversion-free supply chain specialist Nicola Brennan said: “WWF’s palm oil scorecard gives the public sight of what companies are doing to build a sustainable palm oil industry. It also shows that it is possible for companies to introduce sustainable palm oil across their entire product ranges and that every company can follow suit.
“Given the urgency of tackling deforestation and protecting smallholders and local communities, companies must accelerate action across markets and prove they are serious about transforming the palm oil industry so that as consumers we can be confident that the products, we buy aren’t driving deforestation.”
