
EIA report on weak assessments and audits in RSPO
A report released by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) report on weak assessments and audits in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) HCV assessments
An EIA report released at RSPO's annual roundtable meeting criticizes certification bodies and assessors. Case studies such as those featured in the report helped lead to the creation of the HCV Assessor Licensing Scheme (ALS). The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) requires that any new oil palm plantings from November 2005 must not have replaced primary forests or any area required to maintain or enhance any High Conservation Values (HCV). Additionally, for any new oil palm plantings from 1stJanuary 2010, growers are required to follow the New Planting Procedure (NPP). As part of the NPP, several assessments and studies are required, including a Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA), HCV assessment, soil suitability study, land use change analysis and identification of greenhouse gas emissions and areas of high carbon stock. In addition to these technical studies, a robust Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process is required. A report put out by EIA shows, there have been weaknesses identified in this system – including poor quality HCV assessments. It was partially in response to these kind of weak HCV assessments, that the HCV Resource Network launched the HCV Assessor Licensing Scheme (ALS)in 2014. The HCV case studies provided in the EIA report pre-date the creation of the ALS.The objective of the ALS is to improve the competency of HCV assessors and the quality of HCV assessments over time. The ALS does this by:
- Issuing licences to HCV assessors with relevant qualifications and experience
- Providing normative guidance, such as an HCV Assessment Manual and reporting templates, and
- Evaluating all HCV reports produced by licensed assessors – with peer reviews and a quality panel check
In RSPO, for all New Planting Procedures (NPP) companies are required to hire a licensed HCV assessor who must follow the ALS procedures. This is to ensure there is a mandatory minimum standard for the acceptable quality of HCV assessment reports. If assessors submit HCV assessment reports to the ALS which are found to be unsatisfactory, they will lose their licence. The titles of all HCV assessment reports received from licensed assessors are listed on our website. Public summaries of satisfactory HCV assessment reports (those that pass the ALS quality control) are posted on our website. If there is no public summary, it means that either the assessor did not go through the ALS quality control (either because the HCV report was produced before 2015 or because the assessor has evaded the system – which is a violation of the NPP), or that the HCV assessment report was deemed unsatisfactory after quality control. Though there are many factors involved in sustainable palm oil production, theaim is that the ALS will contribute to the improvement of HCV identification. This must be accompanied by strong SEIA and other assessments, as well as a robust FPIC process. Beyond the NPP stage, any HCVs identified must be maintained through good management and monitoring overtime by companies, growers and land managers. For queries on HCV assessment reports or licensed assessor performance, please contact qualitymanager@hcvnetwork.org.
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Alongside many global initiatives, our work with partners promotespractices that help meet the global Sustainable Development Goalsand build a greener, fairer, better world by 2030.


Femexpalma
In April 2022, FEMEXPALMA and the HCV Network signed a 5-year cooperation agreement to promote sustainable production of palm oil in Mexico. FEMEXPALMA is a Mexican independent entity that represents palm production at the national level and promotes the increase of productivity in a sustainable way.
With global markets becoming stricter, for Mexican producers to be able to export to key markets such as the European Union, they must meet strict requirements such as certification by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). To be certified by RSPO, the HCV Approach must be applied prior to the establishment of any new oil palm plantations. With this cooperation agreement, the HCV Network will support FEMEXPALMA’s members and allies to design better strategies to identify, manage and monitor High Conservation Values and support smallholders to achieve RSPO certification and implement good agricultural practices.


High Carbon Stock Approach
The High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA) is an integrated conservation land use planning tool to distinguish forest areas in the humid tropics for conservation, while ensuring local peoples’ rights and livelihoods are respected.
In September 2020, HCV Network and the HCSA Steering Group signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their collaboration to conserve forests and uphold community rights in tropical forests. The HCS and HCV Approaches are cornerstones of corporate no deforestation and conservation commitments, and increasingly for actors working at different scales. The collaboration aims to further support effective implementation of these commitments through increased uptake of the HCV and HCS tools.
Through this MoU, HCSA and HCVRN are pursuing two main strategic goals:
- Strive to promote the application of the two approaches in tropical moist forest landscapes and explore further opportunities for collaboration.
- Ensure that, where the two approaches are applied together, this happens in a coordinated, robust, credible, and efficient manner, so that HCS forests and HCVs are conserved, and local peoples’ rights are respected.


World Benchmarking Alliance
From May 2022, the HCV Network is an ally at the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA). WBA is building a diverse and inclusive movement of global actors committed to using benchmarks to incentivise, measure, and monitor corporate performance on the SDGs, and will assess and rank the performance of 2,000 of the world’s most influential companies against seven systems of transformation by 2023.
The scope of WBA’s circular transformation was expanded to cover nature and biodiversity as recognition of the need for greater understanding, transparency and accountability of business impact on our environment. The WBA Nature Benchmark was launched in April 2022, which will be used to rank keystone companies on their efforts to protect our environment and its biodiversity. As HCV Areas are recognised as key areas important for biodiversity, companies that publicly disclose their actions to identify and protect HCVs will contribute to the assessment of their performance against the benchmark.


Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures - TNFD
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) is a global, market-led initiative, established with the mission to develop and deliver a risk management and disclosure framework for organizations to report and act on evolving nature-related risks, with the aim of supporting a shift in global financial flows away from nature-negative outcomes and toward nature-positive outcomes.
In April 2022, the HCV Network joined the TNFD Forum. The TNFD Forum, composed of over 400 members, is a world-wide and multi-disciplinary consultative network of institutional supporters who share the vision and mission of the task force.
By participating in the Forum, the HCV Network contributes to the work and mission of the taskforce and help co-create the TNFD Framework which aims to provide recommendations and advice on nature-related risks and opportunities relevant to a wide range of market participants, including investors, analysts, corporate executives and boards, regulators, stock exchanges and accounting firms.


Aquaculture Stewardship Council
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is the world’s leading certification scheme for farmed seafood – known as aquaculture – and the ASC label only appears on food from farms that have been independently assessed and certified as being environmentally and socially responsible. In 2021, the HCV Network and ASC formalised their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU represents the first step in a fruitful relationship aimed at conserving HCVs in aquaculture. Although, existing guidance on the use of the HCV Approach currently focuses mainly on forestry and agriculture, the HCV Approach is however generic, and in principle also applicable to aquatic production systems. Through this MoU, this is recognised by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) in their ASC farm standard, in which the protection of HCV areas is mentioned in the context of expansion


Accountability Framework Initiative
The Accountability Framework initiative (AFi) is a collaborative effort to build and scale up ethical supply chains for agricultural and forestry products. Led by a diverse global coalition of environmental and human rights organizations, the AFi works to create a “new normal” where commodity production and trade are fully protective of natural ecosystems and human rights. To pursue this goal, the coalition supports companies and other stakeholders in setting strong supply chain goals, taking effective action, and tracking progress to create clear accountability and incentivize rapid improvement. In July 2022, the HCV Network joined AFi as a Supporting Partner. AFi Supporting Partners extend the reach and positive impact of the AFi by promoting use of the Accountability Framework by companies, industry groups, financial institutions, governments, and other sustainability initiatives, both globally and in commodity-producing countries.


Biodiversity Credit Alliance
The Biodiversity Credit Alliance (BCA) is a global multi-disciplinary advisory group formed in late 2022. Its mission is to bring clarity and guidance on the formulation of a credible and scalable biodiversity credit market under global biodiversity credit principles. Under these principles, the BCA seeks to mobilize financial flows towards biodiversity custodians while recognising local knowledge and contexts.
The HCVN joined the BCA Forum in August 2023 to learn more from the many organizations already coming together to find effective pathways to opening up credit-based approaches, and how to contribute our knowledge and experience of years of working in a practical way, often with global sustainability standards and their certified producers, to protect what matters most to nature and people.
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Nature Positive Forum

Get Involved
Our Mission as a network is to provide practical tools to conserve nature and benefit people, linking local actions with global sustainability targets.
We welcome the participation of organisations that share our vision and mission to protect and enhance High ConservationValues and the vital services they provide for people and nature. By collaborating with the Network, your organisation can contribute to safeguarding HCVs while gaining valuable insights and connections that support your sustainability goals.
We are seeking collaborative partners to help expand and enhance our work, as well as talented professionals who can join the growing Secretariat team, and for professionals who can contribute to the credible identification of High Conservation Values globally.
Join us in securing the world’s HCVs and shaping a sustainable future.