With members of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) accounting for about 50% of global natural rubber volume, a set of detailed sustainability reporting parameters have been approved that all members will be required to complete annually from 2022 onwards, it was noted in the recent annual General Assembly. This will standardise sustainability reporting in the natural rubber industry, as many GPSNR member companies have already included strong sustainability commitments in their natural rubber production and procurement policies.
With this ability to transparently report on the same sustainability standards, it will aid a structural change in the industry to ensure harmonised sustainability reporting becomes the norm.
“This is a tremendous milestone for the Platform and for the natural rubber industry. In our third annual General Assembly, we have moved further towards developing a model that helps our members ensure that their products and services are delivered in alignment with GPSNR’s principles, and can be monitored for continuous improvement. The reporting requirements have been agreed upon by upstream and downstream industry stakeholders as well as civil society players to ensure accountability. This serves as a testament to our model of driving sustainability, equity and fairness through multi stakeholder collaborations.’’ said GPSNR Director Stefano Savi.
GPSNR’s third virtual General Assembly drew more than 120 attendees, including members of the Platform, partners and invited guests. In addition to voting on resolutions like the reporting requirements, GPSNR members also elected representatives to the 2021-2022 Executive Committee, which comprises representatives from each of the membership categories.