Summary
This fifth annual Impact Report from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) provides insight and overview on RSPO's progress and activities from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018. The report gives an outline of RSPO’s reach (3.2 million hectares certified), membership (3,920 members in 91 countries), and governance. Details are provided on the various methods used to measure and evaluate impacts on people, the planet and prosperity, including the independent Socially and Environmentally Sustainable Oil Palm Research (SEnSOR) programme. Evidence from various studies is highlighted, showing positive impacts such as increased profitability for certified smallholders, as well as areas for improvement, such as the need for increased forest cover in areas of high conservation value. RSPO is making efforts to ensure that impacts link not only to their own Theory of Change (published November 2017), but also contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.