Palm oil is found in countless consumer products, from ice cream to lipstick, but is also often a destructive force where it is produced, leading to deforestation and social problems.
Both the French cosmetics companies and the German consumer goods manufacturer top scored in the assessment with nine points scored out of a possible nine.
Certified sustainable palm oil
Yves Rocher and L’Oréal both fall into the category range that uses between 0-1000 tonnes of palm oil in their products, whereas Henkel fall into the larger bracket, using between 1000-10000 tonnes, although this can be attributed to its wider range of industry applications.
Despite the different uses, all three companies were graded as using 75-100 per cent of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO), attributing to each of their maximum scores.
Palm oil, palm kernel oil, and their derivatives are present in about 70 per cent of cosmetic and personal care products with global demand fuelling unsustainable growth of the palm industry over the past decade.
European focus
The 2011 Scorecard focuses on European companies, as WWF explains they are leading the way in transforming the market for palm oil, and were the first to commit to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
The Scorecard revealed that there has been some progress on sustainable palm oil since the last assessment in 2009.
However, WWF notes that “new commitments are just not translating fast enough into increased use of certified sustainable palm oil.”