MPOCC as the governing body of the MSPO Certification since 2016 has been using the MSPO Standards (MS2530:2013 series) under the Scheme, to certify oil palm plantations, independent and organised smallholders, and palm oil mills. MPOCC strongly feels that the time is right to raise the profile of the MSPO Standards and conduct a baseline assessment and gap analysis against international sustainability requirements, in light with the recent developments in the production of certified sustainable palm oil for key markets.
To assess the robustness of the MSPO Standards against other international standards, MPOCC has decided to match them against the ISCC sustainability requirements, European regulations and further assessment criteria. To conduct this exercise, MPOCC has decided to engage Meo Carbon Solutions GmbH (MCS), an independent German consulting company with specialization in renewable resources, sustainability, certification and benchmarking of sustainability standards to carry out a short-term project. This baseline assessment and gap analysis will be done over a three-month period, with the aim of strengthening the MSPO Standards in line with globally accepted practices and requirements on sustainability. The approach taken will involve the mapping of the MSPO and ISCC sustainabilty requirements, identification of equivalent criteria as well as gaps in both the schemes, and presenting a proposal to further strengthen the MSPO Principles, Criteria and Indicators for oil palm certification. The outcome of this assessment exercise will contribute significantly towards providing useful input into the forthcoming review of the MSPO Standards that is expected to begin in the early part of this year 2018.