3 plantation firms cleared of fire hotspots violations

Hotspots were 'correctly managed,' says RSPO.

According to CIMB, following an analysis of the maps submitted, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has found that three companies - Sime Darby, Golden Agri and KLK - have correctly managed a few hotspots that were present in a minority of their estates. These hotspots were extinguished within 24 hours.

Here's more:

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has reported that three (Sime Darby, KL Kepong and Golden Agri) out of the five member companies who were reported in the media to be involved in the forest fires in Indonesia have submitted digital maps of their concession areas in Indonesia.

An analysis was carried out by two international research experts who compared the concession maps with fire and hotspot maps generated by NASA and NOAA for the 1st to 26th June 2013 (map).

The analysis showed that in most cases, no hotspots were identified within the plantation estates. A few hotspots were present in a minority of the areas and these were correctly managed by the respective companies and extinguished within 24 hours of their appearance.

RSPO concluded that these three companies have been exemplary in managing the fire and haze situation, as per the RSPO criteria. It also found that concession maps in the public domain do not concur with the maps provided by the three companies.

As a result, the initial public information on whose land the fires occurred on can be misleading. Two other member companies, Tabung Haji Plantations and PT Jatim Jaya Perkasa, have been given a final extension of 48 hours to submit the relevant information.

What We Think

This is positive as the analysis has found that the three large plantation companies have managed forest fires, if any, on their estates according to the RSPO criteria and have been cooperative in submitting their maps for RSPO analysis.

We expect these companies’ reputations as sustainable palm oil producers to be restored following this favourable verdict from RSPO, which has exonerated them from the charge of setting fire to their estates.