New partnerships to strengthen the reliability of palm oil sustainability claims

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) are partnering to strengthen the reliability, effectiveness, and visibility of sustainability claims associated with the MSPO Certification Scheme.

This collaboration comes at a critical time, when such claims are increasingly subject to regulatory scrutiny, due diligence requirements, and heightened expectations for verifiable and transparent information across global supply chains.

IISD and MSPO recognize that the future of sustainable consumption and trade will depend not only on certification coverage, but on the quality, clarity, and reliability of claims made to markets, regulators, and consumers.

IISD, an independent think tank headquartered in Canada, brings more than 30 years of expertise in policy and standards research, benchmarking, and evidence-based analysis. MSPO, Malaysia’s national certification scheme, plays a central role in advancing sustainable palm oil production in Malaysia and ensuring responsible supply chains.

Through this technical collaboration, IISD and MSPO will work together to

• benchmark MSPO against international best practices and conduct a pilot to test selected recommendations to strengthen the reliability of MSPO’s claims,
• develop clear and effective ways for MSPO to communicate its sustainability claims to support informed decision making among consumers and build trust among market actors, and
• contribute to global efforts to advance reliable, evidence-based sustainability frameworks.

“This collaboration signals a clear commitment by IISD and MSPO to raise the bar for sustainability systems, ensuring that claims are not only made but are reliable, verifiable, and trusted in global markets,” said Mohd Hasbollah Suparyono, Officer in Charge at MSPO.

“Trust is a crucial component of any market-based sustainability initiative. Without clear evidence to substantiate their claims, there is no way for consumers and value chain actors to distinguish real impact from greenwashing,” said Cristina Larrea, director of agriculture, food, and sustainability initiatives at IISD. “We are delighted to be working with MSPO to help them deliver and disclose progress in making palm oil production in Malaysia more sustainable.”