Statement by the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber on Proposed new EU Deforestation Regulation

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The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) affirms the commitment of its membership toward deforestation-free natural rubber supply chains and acknowledges the importance of engaging with regulators to support its ambitions. In considering how to address the risk of deforestation and forest degradation associated with products placed on the EU market, we urge EU regulators to continue to engage with the rubber and tyre sector to ensure that the due diligence requirements ultimately deliver social and environmental benefits, including eliminating deforestation from rubber supply chains and improving smallholder livelihoods. Adopting a risk-based approach at jurisdictional or landscape level with mitigation and impact driven capacity building actions would promote inclusive and scalable progress in the smallholder context, whilst effectively addressing the goal of preventing products derived from deforestation caused by natural rubber from being placed on EU markets.

In this respect, GPSNR believes that any regulation addressing deforestation in the natural rubber supply chain, including the present proposal, must align with the following factors to be transformative:

• Sustainable natural rubber must promote equity for smallholders. Smallholders represent 85% of natural rubber production globally. The design of any regulation relating to natural rubber must consider and mitigate any potential negative impacts on smallholder farmers while aiming to improve the livelihoods of farmers who adopt sustainable practices.

• Considering the complexity of the natural rubber supply chain, a risk-based approach that has jurisdictional traceability as its foundation offers a practical and effective approach to addressing deforestation. While advances in traceability are being made in the natural rubber sector, it is currently infeasible to conduct farm-to-factory tracing in all cases. A risk-based approach would include requiring some farm-to-factory tracing where risk is non-negligible, but not in every natural rubber supply chain.

• Capacity building to promote sustainable practices, for smallholders and plantations alike, is an essential tool to curb deforestation in the natural rubber supply chain, so any regulation should prioritize funding to enhance capacity building.

September 7, 2022

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A First Look at GPSNR’s second Executive Committee

GPSNR’s Executive Committee comprises Ordinary Member representatives of each membership category, according to the newly approved allocation proposed in the resolution for a standalone category for natural rubber smallholder producers. Each membership category is allocated a total of three seats in the Executive Committee, with representatives chosen by elections within the category.

The Executive Committee serves as a center for overarching ideas of the Platform, and Executive Committee members bear the responsibility of raising awareness of emerging issues to their respective categories, initiating consultation sessions, and encouraging active participation in GPSNR’s Working Groups and activities.

The members of the second GPSNR Executive Committee, according to category, are as follows:

Producers, Processors & Traders

SIPH – represented by Marc Genot (Managing Director, Societe Africaine des Plantations d’Heveas SA)

Socfin – represented by Philippe De Groote (Head of Agronomy – Rubber)

Southland Global – represented by Tim Leong (Associate Director)

Tire Makers and Other Natural Rubber Product Makers

Bridgestone Corporation – represented by Andy Thompson (Global Director, Sustainability Strategy, Policy & Integration)

Continental AG – represented by Claus Petschick (Head of Sustainability)

Michelin – represented by Segsarn Trai-Ukos (Managing Director, Société des Matières Premières Tropicales Pte Ltd)

Car Makers, Other Downstream Users, and Financial Institutions

BMW Group – represented by Vanessa Buchberger (Purchasing and Supplier Network, Sustainability, Innovation Management, Cooperations)

Civil Society

HCV Resource Network – represented by Arie Soetjiadi (SEA Representative)

Mighty Earth – represented by Margaret Kran-Annexstein (Campaign Director)

WWF – represented by Amy Smith (Deputy Director, Forest Sector Transformation)

Smallholder Producers

Baroan Roland – Côte d’Ivoire

Dang Quoc Thong – Vietnam

Soontorn Rakrong – Thailand

The Executive Committee holds a monthly conference call to discuss proposals put forth by the Working Groups, and other issues pertinent to the Platform.

GPSNR Staff September 30, 2020

GPSNR Assurance System – Assessment Service Provider Application

Singapore, 15 December 2025 — Members of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) gathered today for the organisation’s 7th General Assembly, marking a landmark year of progress in collective responsibility, accountability, and member-driven sustainability across the natural rubber value chain.

A major milestone in 2025 was the launch of GPSNR’s risk-based Assurance System, which sets clear sustainability expectations, introduces independent verification, and promotes continuous improvement beyond compliance. Developed collaboratively over several years, the system provides a credible, globally relevant framework for advancing sustainability in the sector. At this GA, End User companies reaffirmed their support and agreed on a structured pathway toward full implementation in their category.

“This year marks a turning point for GPSNR,” said Stefano Savi, CEO of GPSNR. “The Assurance System gives our members a shared and trusted foundation for demonstrating progress across the value chain.”

Members also marked the first year of the Shared Investment Mechanism, an innovative model enabling manufacturers to equitably share the costs of large-scale capacity-building projects, ensuring long-term benefits for upstream actors, particularly smallholders.

“Sustainability cannot be achieved by one part of the value chain alone,” Savi added. “By investing together, our members are enabling more inclusive and impactful outcomes worldwide.”

Looking ahead to 2026, GPSNR will support implementation of the Assurance System through data gathering, member learning, and cross-stakeholder dialogue to ensure the system reflects on-the-ground realities and diverse business models.

The Assembly concluded with renewed commitment from members to advance equitable, resilient, and sustainable natural rubber supply chains.

About GPSNR:

The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) is a multi-stakeholder, member-driven initiative working to advance sustainability across the natural rubber value chain.

More at sustainablenaturalrubber.org

Media contact:

Bani Bains, Communications Director
bani.bains@gpsnr.org | +65 9726 8165

GPSNR Secretariat January 5, 2026