Ecologists have struck a blow. Their fight against deforestation has compelled the world largest palm oil company to not destroy any more tropical forest to create its new plantations. 

“The announcement represents a vital new approach for Wilmar International, which stands astride the global palm oil industry through its control of 45 percent of palm oil trade, and is a significant player in other commodities like sugar and soybeans,” Climate Advisers and the Forest Trust said in a statement.

“The announcement sets a responsible path forward for one of the most environmentally intensive commodities on earth.”

The policy has three major areas: deforestation, development of peatlands, and human rights. The policy says Wilmar will stop using palm oil that is produced at the expense of high carbon stock forests or high conservation value areas, and will “progressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions on existing plantations.”

These are major changes, especially considering just last year the U.S. arm of Wilmar International was openly arguing with an EPA analysis that found that palm oils don’t have a low enough GHG emissions lifecycle to be included in the renewable transportation fuels mandate.

The conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which has been waging a war on clean energy, criticized the EPA’s findings at the time, stating that, “The Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to restrict the trade of tropical palm oil marks an abandonment of free trade principles that have been so beneficial to so many.”

“It is a disturbing development to see a politically motivated group like ALEC join forces with the shadowy palm oil lobby from Malaysia and Indonesia as well as with huge agribusiness companies Cargill and Wilmar to pressure the EPA to overturn what is supposed to be a science-based decision made in the best interests of the American people,” Laurel Sutherlin with the Rainforest Action Network said at the time.

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