Sime Darby Plantation Berhad
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2020-2021, 2023)
Reporting Period: 2020-2021
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Responsible Agriculture
- Commitment to People
- Responsible Sourcing
- Governance & Engagement
- Climate Change Impacts & Climate Resilience
- No Deforestation, Conservation & Biodiversity
- Human Rights & Labour Standards
- Supply Chain Transparency & Sustainability
- Quality & Safety of Products
- Stakeholder Engagement & Transparency
- Smallholder Inclusion
- Governance and Business Ethics
- Gender Equality
Environmental Achievements
- GHG emission intensity at upstream operations reduced by 7.1% from 2019
- 12 Biogas facilities built, contributing to almost 500,000 MT CO2e reduction in carbon emissions
- Leased land for 20-MW solar project
- Commissioned 5 solar PV projects for SDP operations
- 46,892 ha set aside for conservation
- 1,892,182 trees planted since 2008
Social Achievements
- Provided ongoing support to workers and communities with provisions, food baskets, jobs, and vaccination drives
- 100% of scheme smallholders covered by SDP programmes
- 60% of grievances raised to date have been resolved
- Improved availability and access to grievance mechanisms at Malaysia operations
- 53 primary and secondary schools built and run by our operations in Indonesia, PNG and Solomon Islands
- 56% of workers unionised
- Reduced accident rates by 54% since 2017
- Rolled-out our new Responsible Recruitment Procedure for Migrant Workers in 2022; reimbursing more than 34,000 current and former workers for recruitment costs incurred, amounting to over MYR82 million
Governance Achievements
- Implemented ESG scorecard at management level to drive behavioural change and ensure accountability at country and regional level
- Established new social welfare & services department to ensure a dedicated focus on worker welfare
- Revamped human rights governance Systems: Established steering committee & working group on human rights and dedicated workstreams on key topics
- Revised the Board Sustainability Committee’s Terms of Reference to reflect the updated Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG)
Climate Goals & Targets
- Achieve net zero emissions
- Reduce carbon emissions at upstream operations by 50% (against 2009 baseline) by 2030
- Source from 100% MSPO certified independent smallholders in Malaysia by 2025
- 100% traceability to plantation across our supply chain by 2025
- 100% verified No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation (NDPE) supply chain, inclusive of smallholders by 2025
- Resolve WRO & Impactt recommendations
- Develop water footprint framework for SDP Malaysia
- Achieve effluent discharge intensity limits
- Finalise conservation and biodiversity plan for non-plantable areas in Malaysia
- Enhanced ethical recruitment procedure for migrant workers
- Finalise roll out of Suara Kami grievance mechanism for all workers at Malaysia operations
- 100% of workers globally covered by effective grievance mechanisms
- Review and upgrade housing conditions for all workers in Malaysia
- Mapping of Scope 3 GHG emissions
- Zero use of fire for land preparation
- Increase man-to-land ratio to 1:17.5 through automation
Environmental Challenges
- Labour shortages due to pandemic movement restrictions and government-mandated hiring freezes
- Concerns about forced labour at our Malaysia upstream operations leading to a Withhold Release Order (WRO) by the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency
- Devastating flash floods in Malaysia
- Challenges in monitoring social risks in supply chains
- Difficulties in tracing 4.6% of raw materials to the mill due to sourcing from indirect suppliers
- Slow certification uptake amongst smallholders in Malaysia
- Forest fires, especially in Indonesia
- Challenges in obtaining land titles and meeting regulatory requirements for smallholder RSPO certification in Indonesia
Mitigation Strategies
- Launched Project Infinity to accelerate mechanisation at plantations
- Working with internal stakeholders and independent experts to conduct assessments and implement new policies, structures and processes
- Mobilised resources to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the people and communities at our operations and in the surrounding areas during the floods
- Contracted Impactt Ltd. to conduct an independent evaluation of labour practices
- Developed a Continuous Improvement Plan with a focus on labour rights
- Developed Crosscheck platform to track the origin of FFB and CPO
- Implemented a dedicated due-diligence assessment for direct third-party mills supplying our Pulau Laut refinery in Indonesia
- Developed and rolled out DMCA and MPPA programmes for fire prevention in Indonesia
- Implemented a new ESG Scorecard to drive behavioural change and ensure accountability
- Developed programmes to support scheme and independent smallholder certification
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: 97 new and 41 existing suppliers assessed in Indonesia in 2021
Responsible Procurement
- Responsible Sourcing Guidelines (RSG)
- Vendor Integrity Pledge
- Draw the Line policy
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Rising sea levels
- Changing weather patterns
- Increase in temperature
Transition Risks
- Increased regulatory requirements
- Increased customer requirements
Opportunities
- Development of energy-efficient products
- Increased productivity through yield intensification
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: GRI Standards, TCFD
Certifications: RSPO, MSPO, ISPO, Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard (RA SAS)
Third-party Assurance: No third-party assurance
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
SDP's policies, programmes, and practices contribute to various SDGs, with a focus on responsible production and partnerships.
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- GenomeSelect™ seeds
Awards & Recognition
- PROPER Awards
Reporting Period: 2023
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Climate Change
- Nature
- Biodiversity
- Water Conservation
- Health and Safety
- Environment
- Social Wellbeing
- Supply Chains
- Communities
Environmental Achievements
- Net-zero targets approved by SBTi
- 88% of energy consumed from renewable sources
- 11% reduction in total energy consumption compared to 2020
- Planted 2.28 million trees as of FY2023
- 16 methane capture plants operational
- 8 solar rooftop installations in Malaysia
Social Achievements
- 8.7% reduction in work-related injuries
- RM47 million allocated budget for training
- 93.2% supply chain traceability to mills
- Resolved 134 reported whistleblowing cases
- Overall satisfaction rate of 96.2% from Workers Satisfaction Survey
- 3,237 employees received anti-corruption training
- RM56,748,562 in community investments
- Zero reported cases of customer privacy breach and data losses
- Achieved 70.9% supply chain traceability to plantations
Governance Achievements
- Assessed 100% of operations for corruption-related risks
- Achieved 100% MSPO certified mills
- Modification of forced labour finding by the United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP)
Climate Goals & Targets
- Net-zero emissions by 2050
- Implement biodiversity and conservation plans for unplanted areas in Indonesia and PNG by 2025
- Rehabilitation of 400 ha of peat areas in Sarawak
- Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions 42% by 2030 from a 2020 base year
- Reduce absolute Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 GHG emissions 90% by 2050 from a 2020 base year
- Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 3 FLAG GHG emissions 30.3% by 2030 from a 2020 base year
- Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 3 FLAG GHG emissions 72% by 2050 from a 2020 base year
- Ensure 79% of emissions of customers and suppliers have science-based targets by 2027
- Achieve 100% traceability to mills and plantation across supply chain
- Achieve 100% verified NDPE supply chain by 2025
- Ensure more than 50,000 smallholders adopt responsible agriculture practices by 2025
Environmental Challenges
- Climate change impacts on oil palm growth and yield
- Transition risks (policy and legal changes, technology transition, market shifts)
- Physical risks (extreme weather events, sea level rise)
- Deforestation in supply chain
- Supply chain traceability
- Worker shortages (due to pandemic restrictions)
- Adverse weather impacting production (Indonesia, PNG & SI)
- Corruption incidents
Mitigation Strategies
- Implementing adaptive technologies
- Promoting sustainable practices throughout supply chain
- Net-zero roadmap (accelerating renewables, land use transformation, supplier engagement)
- Crosscheck traceability tool
- Supplier engagement and performance assessment
- Accelerated intake of foreign workers
- Automation and mechanisation efforts
- Annual Fraud and Corruption Risk Assessment
- Anti-corruption training
- Whistleblowing channels
- Investigations of suspected cases
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: 100% of supplying mills assessed using NDPE-IRF
Responsible Procurement
- Responsible Sourcing Guidelines
- NDPE commitments
- Supplier risk assessment
- Supplier engagement
- Crosscheck traceability tool
- Grievance management system
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Extreme weather events
- Flooding
- Sea level rise
Transition Risks
- Regulatory changes (EU Deforestation Regulation, carbon pricing)
- Technology transition
- Market shifts (demand for palm oil)
Opportunities
- Development of energy-efficient products
- Solar energy ventures
- Biogas development
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: GRI Standards, Bursa Malaysia Securities Main Market Listing Requirements, Bursa Malaysia’s Sustainability Reporting Guide (3rd edition), TCFD recommendations, RSPO, MSPO, ISPO, ISCC
Certifications: ISO 37001 (Anti-Bribery Management), FSSC 22000, BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard, ISO 22000, HACCP, Halal, Kosher, GMP, ISCC
Third-party Assurance: PricewaterhouseCoopers PLT, Malaysia (PwC) (limited assurance on GHG emissions data)
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
- Goal 13 (Climate Action)
- Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)
- Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
- Goal 15 (Life on Land)
Initiatives contribute to these goals through renewable energy projects, emissions reduction, water management, fair labor practices, and biodiversity conservation
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- GenomeSelect™ seeds
Awards & Recognition
- Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award