The widely supported High Carbon Stock Approach [1] is a tool to help companies and other stakeholders implement commitments to end deforestation. It puts No Deforestation into practice on the ground by identifying degraded areas suitable for potential plantation development and forest areas for protection while respecting community rights and livelihoods.

The HCS Approach has been developed since 2011 and is adopted by some of the largest companies in the plantation sector, such as APP, Wilmar, Cargill and GAR, consumer companies Unilever and Procter & Gamble, as well as leading NGOs, like WWF, RAN, UCS, Greenpeace and Forest Peoples Programme.

In response to this robust and practical methodology, a group of companies – the Sustainable Palm Oil Manifesto group (SPOM) initiated a study into what from their perspective HCS should be. The recent draft report of this SPOM study proposes a methodology that would allow continued clearance of forest for plantation development. The outcomes of the study appear to be in line with the fact that the SPOM group of companies have mostly to date refused to adopt strong policies to halt deforestation throughout their supply chains. So, while progressive parts of industry are actually protecting forests and peatlands, these companies are undermining this practical approach by proposing a weaker methodology with the same name.

“These palm oil companies are pushing for a business as usual outcome that will allow them to continue to destroy rainforests while selling so-called ‘sustainable palm oil’ to the global market. Given the scale of the climate and biodiversity crisis we face, business as usual is no longer an option,” said Annisa Rahmawati, Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace.

“Instead of finding ways to continue deforestation and accelerating climate change, we urge those companies and their customers to support the existing HCS Approach and Steering Group to move forward with one global approach.”


What is the SPOM study proposing that will allow more deforestation?

The SPOM HCS study as outlined in their ‘draft synergy report’ is focused on balancing carbon emissions rather than on a tool for companies to achieve ‘No Deforestation’ throughout their supply chains. It explicitly says that forests can be converted to palm oil plantations if “(major) local/sub-national benefits arise” (p. 8). This forest clearing can be “balanced” by such actions as “off-setting by additional storage of carbon in forests outside the concession, or the purchase of carbon credits from reputable markets.” (p. 9). The SPOM approach clearly and explicitly allows the clearing of forests that the HCS Approach would protect. Specifically, Young Regenerating Forest (YRF), Low Density Forest and Medium Density Forest can be cleared according to the SPOM study (p. 9), while under the HCS Approach they may not, with the exception of some isolated small patches of YRF that would not be ecologically viable.   The SPOM proposal if adopted would thus be a big step backward.

While the SPOM study will not protect all forests, the work undertaken by the scientists in the study provides some useful research on the use of new tools for more accurate mapping of forest carbon content, expected emissions from soil carbon, and on required social outcomes from palm oil development including procedures that ensure communities can give or withhold Free, Prior and Informed Consent.


What is the HCS Approach?

The HCS Approach builds on the methodology originally developed by Golden Agri Resources, Greenpeace and The Forest Trust from 2011. It allows ‘No Deforestation’ commitments to be put into practice, integrating High Carbon Stock (HCS) forest assessments with High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments, the protection of peatlands, riparian zones, and local community land use and livelihoods. It respects the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities to give or withhold their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) to proposed developments or conservation that may affect their lands.

The HCS Approach is overseen and governed by a multi-stakeholder body called the HCS Approach Steering Group. The group leads a process for further development and global standardisation of the HCS methodology, including feedback from ongoing trials and implementation, and recommendations from science and research. The Steering Group has published a toolkit on the HCS Approach[2]. Members of the Steering Group include: Agropalma, Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), Musim Mas, Unilever and Wilmar, as well as the NGOs Forest Peoples Programme (FPP), Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, Union of Concerned Scientists and WWF, and the technical support organisations The Forest Trust and Rainforest Alliance.


Media Contacts:

Annisa Rahmawati | Forest Campaigner Greenpeace Southeast Asia
| mobile: +62 8111097527; [email protected]

Sol Gosetti, International Communications Coordinator, Indonesia Forest Campaign
E: [email protected], M: +447380845754