RT RSPO 2025: TuK INDONESIA Calls for Real Action Against RSPO’s Commitment Violations

Jakarta, November 4, 2025 — The 2025 Roundtable Conference of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT RSPO) officially opened today in Malaysia. For civil society and the public at large, the event was no longer just a recurring assembly—this year’s conference would serve as a test of the RSPO’s consistency with its “sustainable palm oil” commitment; are policies truly being implemented, or does the RSPO merely serve as a stage for legitimizing ongoing corporate violations on the ground?

TuK INDONESIA sees this year’s RT RSPO as a critical turning point. After two decades since its founding, the RSPO has failed to demonstrate genuine commitment to the people and the environment. “Instead of becoming a strong sustainability standard, RSPO has functioned as a whitewashing mechanism for palm oil corporations that violate the law and fuel social conflict,” said Abdul Haris, Head of Advocacy and Public Education at TuK INDONESIA.

This year’s RSPO conference coincides with two major decisions in Indonesia concerning the palm oil sector. First, in February 2025, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry issued Decree No. 36 of 2025, revealing that 436 palm oil companies were operating within forest areas, many of which supply global buyers and are RSPO members.

Secondly, on September 25 2025, the Supreme Court of Indonesia found three major groups—Wilmar, Musim Mas, and Permata Hijau—guilty of corruption. In response, RSPO stated it would take action in accordance with its mandate and jurisdiction, but would only decide once it received the official court documents from Indonesia.

According to Haris, this “wait-and-see” stance exposes the RSPO’s lack of moral courage and internal accountability mechanisms. “Claiming to wait for an official court decision is unacceptable. It shows that RSPO lacks the internal procedures to address clear legal violations by its members. We also see no firm response from the RSPO regarding the government’s findings that hundreds of palm oil companies are operating illegally within forest areas,” he emphasized.

Haris further criticized RSPO’s silence regarding the government’s revelations. “Since 2023, TuK INDONESIA, Greenpeace Indonesia, and Pantau Gambut have condemned the RSPO’s silence toward its members operating within forest zones. Yet until today, no meaningful corrective measures have been taken,” he said.

TuK INDONESIA believes RSPO is now at the lowest point of its credibility. If the organization continues to ignore clear evidence of its members’ legal violations, the notion of “sustainable palm oil” will lose all meaning and be reduced to a “green charade” amid deepening ecological and social crises. Haris stressed, “Firm sanctions against companies that breach the RSPO’s sustainability commitments are non-negotiable. The RSPO must suspend or revoke the membership of companies proven to have violated their obligations.”

TuK INDONESIA therefore urges palm oil-importing countries to stop turning a blind eye to the RSPO’s systemic failures and to end their dependence on weak, unaccountable certification schemes. TuK also calls on civil society representatives within RSPO to speak out at RT RSPO 2025, reject compromises, and demand real action against companies that break the law. “The voices of RSPO members themselves will be crucial in driving internal pressure and shaping the RSPO’s future,” Haris concluded.

“If the RSPO remains silent once again, the world must recognize that this certification is not a tool for reform—it is a shield for industry actors to continue exploiting forests and people in the name of sustainability,” Haris warned.

This post is also available in: Indonesian