Secretariat Update – December 2019

Stakeholders including tire manufacturers, other rubber users, suppliers and processors, vehicle makers and NGOs, contributed to the development of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR). This included alignment on a wide-reaching set of priorities for the natural rubber supply chain. The GPSNR will work to harmonize standards to improve respect for human rights, prevent land-grabbing and deforestation, protect biodiversity and water resources, improve yields, and increase supply chain transparency and traceability.

Development of the platform was initiated by the CEOs of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Tire Industry Project (TIP) in November 2017 and has since been led by a Working Group of TIP member companies. TIP members continue to work to ensure the sustainable production and supply of natural rubber, and in joining the platform they commit to be able to demonstrate the integration of principles for sustainable natural rubber into their purchasing and/or operational activities. The GPSNR is open to applications for membership from other natural rubber stakeholders.

Speaking at the launch Peter Bakker, President and CEO of WBCSD said “The tire industry consumes around 70 percent of natural rubber and demand is growing. This throws into sharp relief the social, economic and environmental opportunities associated with this important commodity. The GPSNR will consider the people, communities and natural resources touched by natural rubber production and supply – they all stand to benefit from the creation and adoption of sustainable and responsible practices.”

The ceremonial launch included the signing of a GPSNR Member Statement by the 11 members of TIP, and Ford Motor Company, Halcyon Agri Corporation Limited, ITOCHU Corporation, Kirana Megatara, SIPEF, The Socfin Group, and Southland Global PTE Ltd.

Bakker praised the efforts of founding and prospective GPSNR members in bringing the platform to launch, adding “This spirit of collaboration will define the actions of the platform going forward – there is strength in diversity, and the various interests and expertise within the GPSNR can deliver a truly sustainable natural rubber supply chain.”

The WBCSD’s TIP spearheaded development of the GPSNR and will financially support the platform during start-up and its first two years of operation – a level of support necessary to ensure basic operations while a paying membership base is established. Despite industry backing the GPSNR will maintain its independence, underlined Anne-Cécile Remont, Director WBCSD TIP– “Once officially launched, the platform will be independently managed, with governance and decision making overseen by a representative group of stakeholders.”

Building upon past work, in developing the platform, a review of comparable supply chain sustainability initiatives, including natural rubber, revealed that meaningful change was best achieved through the mainstreaming of good practices and this was central to discussions around the GPSNR’s governance structure, explained Remont. “Successful mainstreaming requires actionable commitment from the entire supply chain. Best results are found where the various contributions of stakeholder groups are relative to their ownership of supply chain opportunities, their relevant expertise and their capacity to implement meaningful change,” she said.

To be headquartered in Singapore, a dedicated GPSNR secretariat will kick-off operations in March 2019 with an inaugural GPSNR General Assembly.

The strategy and objectives working group

Both the sub working groups under the umbrella of the Strategy and Objectives WG are occupied with some critical milestones. The Risk Subgroup has received the final draft for the risk assessment framework by ASI, and will be working on piloting the framework and the next steps. The Risk Subgroup would also be looking at guidance on traceability enhancement based on pilot field trials and other data from members, and they have started a series of traceability tools webinar sessions with tool providers and member companies and planning on the second session. The next webinar is on 26th April, and you can register for it here. 

On the other hand, the Assurance Model taskforce is streamlining the category specific KPIs along with the members journey/assurance model blueprint that was finalised during the latest hybrid meetings. You can find more context in the minutes here or reach out for questions on info@gpsnr.org.

The smallholder representation working group: 

Along with the work on the smallholder policy equivalent for which the WG has already sent out an all-member survey and initiating the HCSA-HCVN NR Smallholder Toolkit Field Trials, they are preparing for the decided merger with the capacity building working group. More details on how this will play out can be found here. 

The policy toolbox working group: 

The group is working on a tender to Crosswalk RR framework with CDP Forest and GRI Reporting, while aligning with the Assurance Model taskforce on the KPI on due diligence. 

The smallholders representation & capacity building working group: 

As a newly merged working group, they continue to perform the duties of the two old working groups, including overseeing the on-ground projects in Indonesia and Thailand. At the same time, they are focussing on finalising their new TOR and agroforestry/income diversification strategies. Members who wish to continue in the SCB WG and any National Subgroup or Task Force should write to the Secretariat, indicating their organisation, name, email and the national subgroup or taskforce they are interested in participating in.

The shared responsibility working group: 

As per the decisions taken on the next steps during the hybrid meetings in January-February, the group is working with the Tiremaker category on streamlining a proposal on shared investment while also completing the deliverables on the other pillars. They are also aligning with the Assurance Model taskforce on how the KPIs will integrate into the Shared Investment mechanism. They have completed 40% of the progress they committed to on all three pillars during the in-person meetings so far.