New Britain Palm Oil Ltd

1.1.. Is the company an RSPO member?

New Britain Palm Oil Limited (NBPOL) has been an RSPO member since 2004.

1.2.. Has the company submitted its most recent Annual Communication of Progress (ACOP) report to the RSPO?

Yes.

1.3.1.. In the company's most recent and up-to-date RSPO ACOP report, does the company refer to itself as an oil palm grower?

Yes, NBPOL refers to itself as an oil palm grower.

1.3.2.. In the company's most recent and up-to-date RSPO ACOP report, does the company state all the countries and regions in which it operates?

Yes. NBPOL states all the countries and regions in which the company operates: Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

1.4.1.. Has the company RSPO-certified its first plantation estate: a) By November 2010, for companies joining prior to finalisation of the RSPO certification systems in November 2007? b) Within three years of joining the RSPO or of acquiring plantation operations as an RSPO member?

Yes. NBPOL joined the RSPO in 2004 and certified its first plantation estate in 2009. NBPOL RSPO certified all of its plantation estates by 2013.

1.4.2.. Has the company missed any of its public targets to be 100% RSPO-certified?

No.

1.5.. What percentage of the company's total plantation estates is RSPO-certified?

100 - 100% of NBPOL's plantation estates are RSPO-certified.

1.6.. Are the company's RSPO Principles and Criteria certification assessments publicly available?

Yes.

1.7.1.. Have the first of the company's independent FFB suppliers achieved RSPO certification?

This indicator has been disabled as NBPOL does not source from independent FFB suppliers.

1.7.2.. Has the company missed any public targets for 100% of its independent FFB suppliers to be RSPO-certified?

This indicator has been disabled as NBPOL does not source from independent FFB suppliers.

1.8.1.. Has the company RSPO-certified its first scheme smallholders?

NBPOL does not have scheme smallholders, but has associated smallholders. 100% of these associated smallholder plantations are RSPO-certified.

1.8.2.. Has the company missed any public targets for 100% of its scheme smallholders to be RSPO-certified?

NBPOL does not have scheme smallholders, but has associated smallholders. The company has not missed any targets for these associated smallholders to be RSPO-certified.

1.9.. What percentage of the company's scheme smallholder plantations is RSPO-certified?

100 - NBPOL does not have scheme smallholders, but has associated smallholders. 100% of these associated smallholder plantations are RSPO-certified.

Calculation: 42,497 ha (total area RSPO certified) divided by 42,497 ha (smallholder hectarage) x 100.

1.10.. Does the company have any open complaints filed through the RSPO complaints system?

No.

2.1.1.. Does the company have a publicly available statement detailing its land acquisition criteria?

No information could be found using the research protocols.

2.1.2.. Does this statement apply to all of the company's scheme smallholders and independent FFB suppliers?

No information could be found using the research protocols.

2.2.1.. Has the company publicly disclosed its total landbank area for oil palm cultivation?

84778 - Yes, landbank for oil palm cultivation is 84,778 ha. Total licensed landbank is 136,268 ha.

2.2.2.. Has the company publicly disclosed its total planted area?

83178 - Yes, planted area is 83,178 ha.

2.2.3.. Has the company publicly disclosed its total scheme smallholder area?

42497 - NBPOL does not have scheme smallholders, but has associated smallholders. The company has disclosed its total associated smallholder hectarage of 42,497 ha.

2.2.4.. Has the company publicly disclosed its total area of land managed for conservation that is set aside (i.e. including areas of High Conservation Value)?

6859.18 - Yes, landbank for conservation is 6859.18 ha. This has decreased from the figure of 14,798 ha reported in the 2014 ACOP.

2.3.1.. Are all of the company's concession maps publicly available for all countries in which it operates?

Map-related indicators are temporarily disabled for all companies due to legal issues.

2.3.2.. Are all of the company's scheme smallholders' concession maps publicly available for all countries in which it operates?

Map-related indicators are temporarily disabled for all companies due to legal issues.

3.1.1.. Does the company have a publicly available statement to address deforestation resulting from its operations?

Yes, NBPOL is committed to plantation expansion that does not result in deforestation.

3.1.2.. Does this statement apply to all its scheme smallholders and independent FFB suppliers?

Yes, the company states "This policy is applicable to NBPOL's own estates and external fresh fruit suppliers, including all smallholders and outgrowers".

3.2.1.. Does the company have a publicly available commitment to undertake Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) prior to any new planting taking place?

Yes.

3.2.2.. Does the company make its Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process publicly available?

Yes, for NBPOL's West New Britain estates.

3.3.1.. Does the company have a publicly available commitment to conduct SEIA (Social and Environmental Impact Assessments) assessments prior to any new planting taking place?

Yes.

3.3.2.. Are all SEIA assessments conducted after November 2005 publicly available?

There is public availability of some of NBPOL's SEIA assessments:

Popondetta: Higaturu

Milne Bay: No SEIA assessments could be found

Lamendauen: Poliamba Lamawan: Poliamba

Ramu Valley: J Estate

West New Britain: Roka Mini Estate, Roka Estate

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands: No SEIA assessments could be found.

3.4.1.. Does the company have a publicly available commitment to conduct High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments prior to any new planting taking place?

Yes.

3.4.2.. Has the company publicly committed to only using licensed High Conservation Value (HCV) assessors accredited by the HCV Resource Network's Assessor Licensing Scheme (ALS)?

Yes, NBPOL states that it "requires all HCV assessments to be undertaken by licensed High Conservation Value (HCV) assessors accredited by the HCV Resource Network's Assessor Licensing Scheme (ALS)".

3.4.3.. Are all of the company's High Conservation Value (HCV) assessments conducted after November 2005 publicly available?

There is public availability of some of NBPOL's HCV assessments:

Popondetta: Higaturu

Milne Bay: No HCV assessments could be found

Lamendauen: Poliamba Lamawan: Poliamba

Ramu Valley: J Estate

West New Britain: Roka Mini Estate, Roka Estate

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands: No HCV assessments could be found.

3.4.4.. Does the company make its High Conservation Value (HCV) management and monitoring plans for all of its estates publicly available?

There is public availability of some of NBPOL's HCV management plans:

Popondetta: Higaturu

Milne Bay: No HCV management plans could be found

Lamendauen: Poliamba Lamawan: Poliamba

Ramu Valley: J Estate

West New Britain: Roka Mini Estate, Roka Estate

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands: No HCV management plans could be found.

3.5.. Has the company publicly committed to applying a High Carbon Stock (HCS) methodology to all of its landholdings and not developing on HCS areas?

Yes.

3.6.. Does the company have a publicly available Water Management Plan or equivalent for its operations?

Yes.

3.7.. Does the company have a publicly available Integrated Pest Management Plan for its operations?

Yes.

3.8.. Does the company have a publicly available commitment to not use WHO Class 1A and 1B pesticides and paraquat, or time-bound plan for phasing out their use?

Yes.

3.9.. Has the company been mentioned in any relevant media stories and/or reports that make reference to wildlife conflict or deforestation within the company's plantation estates and/or its scheme smallholders' or independent FFB suppliers' plantations?

Please find the relevant media stories listed in the media monitor below.

4.1.1.. Does the company have a publicly available statement stating that it is committed to a strict 'no new development on peat' policy?

Yes. NBPOL has a policy of no planting on peat.

4.1.2.. Does this policy apply to all its scheme smallholders and independent FFB suppliers?

Yes.

4.2.. What percentage of the company's landbank for oil palm cultivation is located on peat?

0.10 - Approximately 0.10% of NBPOL's licensed landbank is located on peat soil

Calculation: 88.3 ha (total stated hectarage on peat soil located in West New Britain estates) divided by 84,778 ha (stated landbank) x 100.

5.1.1.. Does the company have a publicly available statement stating that it is committed to a strict policy of zero burning?

Yes.

5.1.2.. Does this policy apply to all its scheme smallholders and independent FFB suppliers?

Yes.

5.2.. Has the company been mentioned in any relevant media stories and/or reports that make reference to fires found within the company's plantation estates and/or its scheme smallholders' or independent FFB suppliers' plantations?

No relevant media stories could be found using the research protocols.

6.1.1.. Does the company have a publicly available time-bound plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions?

Yes.

6.1.2.. Does this time-bound plan apply to all its scheme smallholders and independent FFB suppliers?

Not explicitly mentioned in NBPOL's carbon footprint report. However, NBPOL is a signatory to the Palm Oil Innovations Group (POIG) charter (of which greenhouse gas accountability is stated as a key performance area) which stipulates that "producers shall independently verify and report on compliance with this charter within 12 months of commitment to the Charter, across their operations, subsidiaries and acquisitions of existing plantation including FFB from 3rd party suppliers".

6.2.. Does the company publicly report on progress made towards achieving its time-bound plan?

Yes.

6.3.. Does the company publicly report its GHG emissions from land use change associated with new planting?

Yes.

6.4.. Has the company made a public commitment to report and to reduce effects from Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)?

Yes.

6.5.. Has the company made a public commitment to eliminate methane emissions from all of its palm oil mills?

No. However, NBPOL has initiated methane capture at 4 mills to reduce emissions and "aims to pursue methane capture at all sites".

7.1.. Are all of the company's mill locations publicly available for all countries in which it operates?

Map-related indicators are temporarily disabled for all companies due to legal issues.

7.2.. What percentage of the company's total palm oil mills is RSPO-certified?

100 - 100% of NBPOL's palm oil mills are RSPO-certified

Calculation: 11 (stated number of palm oil mills RSPO-certified) divided by 11 palm oil mills (stated number of palm oil mills operated) x 100.

7.3.. What percentage of the company's total fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) purchased from independent suppliers (not including outgrowers and scheme smallholders) is RSPO-certified?

This indicator has been disabled as NBPOL does not source from independent FFB suppliers.

7.4.. Does the company have a public commitment to move towards Segregated and/or Identity Preserved certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO)?

Yes.

7.5.. Does the company prioritize certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) from Segregated or Identity Preserved supply chain models over Mass Balance or GreenPalm?

Segregated, Identity Preserved.