RSPO reaffirms no-burning policy amid calls for action over fires on members' land
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has renewed its pledge to prevent fires and hold members accountable under its non-negotiable ban on land clearing by burning, as civil society groups press for sanctions and greater disclosure.
Fire rules and demands for enforcement
Speaking in Jakarta on Saturday ahead of RSPO's annual conference, Director of Assurance Aryo Gustomo said the organization was reinforcing prevention, strict standards and accountability based on evidence. He described certification and its oversight procedures as safeguards against fire risks and threats to supply chain integrity.
"Forest and land fires pose serious threats to ecosystems, biodiversity and local communities. RSPO takes every fire risk extremely seriously," Gustomo said at a side meeting organized by SawitWatch, Yayasan Ekosistem Lestari and Satya Bumi.
The scrutiny includes an analysis by Satya Bumi, reported by Kompas on October 31, 2026, that recorded 3,753.63 hectares of fire-affected oil palm plantations belonging to RSPO members. That area included about 78.87 hectares of orangutan habitat and 1,505.85 hectares of peatland ecosystems.
Sawit Watch Executive Director Achmad Surambo called for RSPO to suspend or expel members whose land had burned and to publish data on burned-land management. "If sustainability certification cannot guarantee zero fires, then sustainability is merely a technical jargon," he said, according to Kompas.
Gustomo said RSPO supported civil society organizations and other stakeholders seeking action and accountability over recent fires involving members. He said they shared the goal of bringing Indonesia's recurring fire and haze crisis to a permanent end.
How RSPO handles fire risks and complaints
Gustomo said certified production is subject to no-burning rules and assurance procedures. RSPO's 2024 Principles and Criteria also require members to protect peatlands and High Conservation Value areas, while its FireWatch system uses satellite surveillance to track potential fire activity.
Stakeholders can bring formal complaints to an independent Complaints Panel, and the cases are listed in a public database. Gustomo said RSPO assesses allegations through transparent procedures that examine evidence and protect due process before holding members accountable for established violations.
Breaches of the no-burning requirements can result in corrective measures, suspension of certificates or termination of membership.
Satellite assessment shows the wider extent of fires
Gustomo cited Nusantara Atlas data showing that almost 90% of the 1.9 million hectares burned in Indonesia from January through September 2026 lay outside oil palm concessions. He said the available data indicated that palm oil was no longer the main driver of forest fires and transboundary haze, and argued that the findings reinforced the need for monitoring, strong standards and certification as a long-term solution.
Nusantara Atlas's independent satellite assessment, published October 21, put the burned area within oil palm concession boundaries at approximately 202,000 hectares, or 10.6% of the national total. It recorded another 162,500 hectares in mining concessions, representing 8.5%, and 118,000 hectares in pulpwood concessions, representing 6.1%. The assessment cautioned that these categories can overlap; their totals should not be combined without first removing shared areas.
The national burned-area estimate for January through September was 38% above the corresponding period in 2019, which Nusantara Atlas identifies as the worst fire year in its monitoring record. Cumulative satellite hotspot detections through October 18, 2026, were also 67% higher than during the equivalent period in 2019.
Nusantara Atlas considers its estimates conservative because its method leaves out burn scars smaller than 6.25 hectares and prioritizes avoiding false detections. It may revise the figures as additional imagery becomes available, with its October update expected around November 10, 2026.
Separately, Kompas reported that 637,011 hectares had burned in Indonesia as of early October 2026, with the fires linked to 333,470 cases of acute respiratory infections. The Ministry of Forestry said 96 orangutans had been rescued from fires and moved to rehabilitation centers.
Supply chain complaints extend beyond producers
On October 30, 2026, TuK Indonesia, Walhi Central Kalimantan and Sawit Watch announced complaints against 15 multinational companies using palm oil or its derivatives. The complaints alleged deforestation, legality and environmental violations in Indonesia's palm oil supply chain.
The companies named were PepsiCo, Colgate-Palmolive, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Reckitt, Nestlé, Mondelēz, Mars, L'Oréal, Kellanova, Johnson & Johnson, Hershey, General Mills, FrieslandCampina and Ferrero.
Kompas also linked the issue to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Under that regulation, covered commodities, including palm oil and its derivatives, must not come from land deforested after December 31, 2020.
Jakarta conference set for November 3-4
Palm oil industry participants from around the world are due to meet in Jakarta on November 3-4 for the RSPO Annual Roundtable Conference, RT2026.
The conference theme is "Strong Foundations – Impact in Action." RSPO says it emphasizes turning sustainability commitments into tangible results in conservation, community rights, climate action, smallholder inclusion and supply chain transparency.