Press Releases

SINGAPORE TO HOST RSPO’S 10th EDITION OF WORLD’S LARGEST SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL MEETING

Annual roundtable meeting to discuss challenges and share insights on the sustainable palm oil industry

SINGAPORE, 10 July 2012 – The 10th Annual Roundtable Meeting on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT10) will be held at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore, from October 30 – November 1 2012. Organized by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the RT is the world’s largest sustainable palm oil conference and a leading industry event for palm oil stakeholders worldwide.

This 10th edition of the roundtable meeting is themed “10 Years of Driving Sustainability. A Business Model for the Future”. RT10 will host delegates from a wide spectrum of the industry to exchange views and experiences, and to strengthen international co-operation and support towards a unified vision for sustainable palm oil. Stakeholders represented will include oil palm producers, palm oil processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environment non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social or developmental NGOs. Last year’s edition of the roundtable meeting in Sabah, RT9, attracted a record high of over 1,000 delegates from 34 countries.

The keynote speaker at this year’s RT10 will be Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore. In line with the industry landscape and trends, a key focus of this year’s roundtable meeting will be to deliberate on how sustainability best practices and schemes are comprehensive and viable business models for the future of the palm oil industry. Topics to be tabled at the keynote address, preparatory clusters and plenary sessions at RT10 are expected to generate fruitful dialogue and insights on key issues within the industry.

This year also marks a pivotal point for RSPO with the inaugural review of its Principles & Criteria (P&C) for Sustainable Palm Oil, five years after their inception. Results of the review will be announced at RT10.

“This important milestone is an ideal opportunity to reflect on the past 10 years of driving sustainability. We could not have got this far without the multi-stakeholder representation within the RSPO, which has allowed for the harmonization of varying interests to serve one common vision,” said Darrel Webber, Secretary General of the RSPO. “With 10 years under our belt, we hope that RT10 will see all our stakeholders work together to take the next steps towards the future of the industry. It is time to see convergence from the demand side of the supply chain take tangible actions towards certified sustainable palm oil.”

“Going green is no longer a luxury for businesses but an important part of the way ahead,” said Professor Koh.

“The long-term benefits of embracing sustainable measures and initiatives far outweigh the short-term costs, both environmentally and economically. The onus is now on businesses worldwide to move towards a sustainable model of growth for the future. It is timely and apt that RSPO is issuing this vital call to action for all stakeholders in the palm oil industry, and I look forward to the dialogue and discussions generated at RT10.”

This year, the RSPO expects RT10 to continue to receive strong support from the international scene as sustainably-produced palm oil gains traction within the sector. Over a short three-year period from 2009 to 2011, the supply of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) soared 250% while sales volume grew over six times. Last year, RSPO celebrated another milestone with the launch of the RSPO Trademark on consumer goods packaging, which informs customers and helps them to differentiate products which are being sourced sustainably.

For more information about RT10 and how to register, please log on to www.rt10.rspo.org.

About RT10:

Positioned as the world’s largest sustainable palm oil conference and held since 2003, the annual roundtable or RT is a platform to exchange views and experiences among various stakeholders in developed and developing countries; to strengthen their co-operation and support in promoting sustainable palm oil. The annual roundtable is positioned as an industry event organized to seek participation from players within the palm oil sector from all around the world. Last year, the event attracted over 1000 delegates from 34 countries representing various stakeholder groups in the palm oil supply chain.

About RSPO:

In response to the urgent and pressing global call for sustainably produced palm oil, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was formed in 2004 with the objective of promoting the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagement of stakeholders. The seat of the association is in Zurich, Switzerland, while the secretariat is currently based in Kuala Lumpur with a satellite office in Jakarta.

RSPO is a not-for-profit association that unites stakeholders from seven sectors of the palm oil industry -- oil palm producers, palm oil processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation NGOs and social or developmental NGOs -- to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil.