What can be done to improve practices in the transport sector?
Lifecycle analysis of company supply chains is a technique for assessing the environmental impact of a product over its entire lifecycle—in the case of palm oil, from plantation to consumption. This technique can help to improve company monitoring systems and prioritise actions in areas where the most serious impacts are identified. Companies from different sectors can calculate their greenhouse gas emissions using tools such as the BioGrace tool. The RSPO has also developed an emissions calculator specifically for the palm oil supply chain, the PalmGHG tool, which has been trialled by Rea Holdings as described in the case study Using the RSPO PalmGHG Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator.
There is increasing concern over the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the palm oil supply chain. There are a number of different international and regional initiatives underway to protect the environment from the impact of international shipping. Click here for more information.
The development of new infrastructure for transporting fresh fruit bunches and palm oil should take into consideration regional conservation priorities and be integrated within government land use plans to complement other land uses.