The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Sustainable Environmental Governance Across Regions (SEGAR) Activity, held a training on Remediation and Compensation Procedures (RaCP) for RSPO member companies and the USAID SEGAR team members. The RaCP is a mandatory procedure that RSPO member companies must conduct to handle land clearing and plantation development, which have been carried out since November 2005 without prior High Conservation Value (HCV) assessment. The RaCP mechanism is a good foundation for companies to highlight their efforts in protecting nature and upholding their social responsibilities in positive, measurable, and sustainable ways. RSPO and USAID SEGAR conducted the RaCP training in Jakarta on November 1-3, 2022.

This training is part of the implementation agreed on by the memorandum of understanding signed by RSPO and USAID SEGAR in August 2022. In general, this training aims to support improvements in the production chain of palm oil commodities to become more sustainable. This collaboration targets an increase in the number of certified smallholders and also an increase in the number of companies that can manage their environmental-related programs through the RaCP scheme.

"Regarding the RaCP, there are still challenges faced by RSPO member companies, including the company's limitation in knowledge and capacity in providing documents that comply with the RaCP criteria. This particular obstacle hinders and prolongs the review and approval process. The training is designed to improve the understanding and capacity of RSPO member companies as well as the USAID SEGAR team member in preparing those documents to speed up the approval process from the RSPO," said Tiur Rumondang, RSPO Assurance Director.

Through this three-day event, company representatives gained knowledge about Land Use Change Analysis (LUCA), as well as the steps needed in the RaCP process, including drafting concept notes, compensation plans, and remediation plans. The company representatives who attended and received this training were expected to become facilitators and encourage their companies to deliver high-quality RaCP. Well-made RaCP documents will expedite the RSPO Secretariat review process before they can then be ratified.

In conclusion, the businesses' participation in the RSPO and USAID SEGAR's RaCP training exhibits a steadfast dedication to environmental protection and restoration initiatives, including the preservation of ecosystems in or near their places of operation. This demonstrates a strong commitment from the business community to environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility.