Updates on the GPSNR Baseline Reporting Requirements Pilot Test

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In early June 2020, GPSNR member companies were invited to participate in pilot testing a set of draft Baseline Reporting Requirements developed by the Policy Toolbox and Implementation Guidance Working Group. Along with the newly approved Policy Components, the Baseline Reporting Requirements will constitute a key requirement for GPSNR membership.

“By having robust reporting requirements and a system to transparently report on progress, GPSNR member companies will be able to demonstrate leadership, monitor and further the effective implementation of their sustainability commitments, and ultimately drive positive impacts in the natural rubber value chain,” explained Amy Smith, Policy Toolbox Working Group Co-Chair.

The Working Group proposed pilot testing the Baseline Reporting Requirements with a group of volunteer member companies to better understand any constraints companies may have in obtaining and sharing certain information. The goal of the pilot was to refine and finalize the Baseline Reporting Requirements based on company feedback.

“In addition to pilot testing with member volunteers, we will also be assessing and evaluating the potential of existing certification schemes and reporting systems to adopt as part of GPSNR reporting requirements,” added Policy Toolbox Working Group Co-Chair, Pierre Bois d’Enghien. “This evaluation, together with the feedback we received from the pilot, will help us build a reporting system that is credible and useful for all stakeholders.”

We are pleased to announce that a total of 11 GPSNR members volunteered for the pilot test. These members, who include Continental AG, Ford Motor Company, Halcyon Agri Corporation Limited, Hevea-Tec Indústria e Comércio LTDA, Industrias de Exportacion Universal, S.A., ITOCHU Corporation, Michelin, SIPH, Socfin SA, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd, and The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., represent all the membership categories to which the Baseline Reporting Requirements would apply.

In mid-July, the reporting platform was opened to the pilot participants, who were given three weeks to submit the required data. Concurrently, the Secretariat conducted one-on-one interviews with the participants to gather feedback about their experience using the baseline reporting platform as well as their suggestions on ways to improve the process.

“Our volunteer member companies were instrumental in helping to refine the Baseline Reporting Requirements and ensuring that the platform’s reporting mechanisms are relevant and meaningful for all our members,” said GPSNR Director Stefano Savi. “This improvement will help us achieve our shared objectives of ensuring a sustainable and equitable natural rubber supply chain.”

Following the approval of the policy requirements at the General Assembly in September, the Policy Toolbox Working Group will review the compiled company feedback from the pilot and the member consultation process conducted earlier this year, and will refine and finalize the Baseline Reporting Requirements for Executive Committee approval by the end of 2020. Once the Executive Committee has approved these requirements, ordinary company members will submit their baseline reporting data for 2020 to GPSNR in Q1 of 2021.

The Baseline Reporting Requirements will enable GPSNR to understand what its member companies currently know about their natural rubber supply chains, and what they are doing to move towards sustainable practices. Having a rigorous and transparent reporting process in place will strengthen the credibility of GPSNR and contribute to the development of a robust Assurance system for the platform.

November 25, 2020

More To Explore

Members

From Strategy to Implementation: Next Steps for Capacity Building (Members Version)

One of the key strategies identified by GPSNR to achieve our vision of a fair, equitable and environmentally sound natural rubber value chain is to ensure that there is capacity amongst smallholders and industrial plantations to adopt best practices in natural rubber production.

In 2020, the Capacity Building Working Group, through various stakeholder interviews and Working Group discussions, proposed a set of country-specific capacity building activities for four countries as a start: Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand. In developing these strategies, the Working Group sought to first identify threats to the sustainable production of natural rubber within the different local contexts, as well as the underlying causes for these threats. From this initial research, the working group developed proposed capacity building actions, along with main objectives and rationales for each chosen action. The approach adopted by the Working Group in designing these actions is to allow for immediate engagement and implementation on the ground.

Following the Executive Committee’s endorsement of the Working Group’s capacity building proposals, the Working Group will be conducting a sharing session for all GPSNR members, during which more details about each national capacity building strategy will be presented.

Recruiting Members to Capacity Building National Sub-Groups

Now that the capacity building strategies are in place, the Working Group is inviting interested GPSNR members to join the soon-to-be-created National Sub-Groups that will be mandated to oversee, guide and implement the national capacity building strategies and to promote GPSNR policies and initiatives.

The development of the National Sub-Groups recognizes existing local capacity building initiatives in the rubber sector and their independence of GPSNR and aims to cooperate with local efforts and stakeholders to achieve mutually agreed outcomes.

To learn more about the Working Group’s strategies and about how to participate in their operationalization, please register for the webinar which will be held on Wednesday, 17 February at 8:00pm (GMT+8).

Click here to register for the webinar.

GPSNR Staff January 27, 2021

News

Smallholders Representation Working Group Update – August 2019

Smallholders account for 85% of world rubber production. To come up with sustainable rubber production solutions, it is crucial for GPSNR to include the voice of rubber smallholders into our governance model. Realizing the challenges in language and cultural differences, the power game between different players in the rubber value chain, the perception of and by smallholders, the working group has decided to organize regional workshops. The 5 workshops to be held in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Africa (TBC) and Latin America (TBC) will be tailor made to ensure that smallholders can play a meaningful role within GPSNR. A combination of smallholders, smallholder organizations, smallholder representation working group members (reflecting the mix of the group members) and, where possible, a representative of the GPSNR Strategy & Objectives Working Group will come together to join those regional workshops. Main aim of the workshop is to be a 2-way communication platform for conducting research, with the farmer’s needs at the center.

The primary objectives of the workshops will be to:

Understand the local needs and motivations of the smallholder farmers;
Understand and recommend solutions to the barriers for smallholders and their representative organizations to join and actively participate in the GPSNR;
Observe and explain the interaction and chemistry between farmers and representative organizations.

Translation and moderation will be available to ensure a smooth communication.

Those first 5 workshops are to be held between October and November 2019 and possibly extended to other regions in a second step.

If you are a rubber smallholder or an organization that represents rubber smallholders, promoting the interests of rubber smallholders, having a mission/vision that aligns with GPSNR’s 12 principles, believing in a bottom-up approach as a solution to solve the issues, please feel free to contact the GPSNR Secretariat. For more information, contact kobrat@gpsnr.org.

GPSNR Staff August 15, 2019