Wilmar International Limited (“Wilmar” or “the Group”) has maintained its reputation as a global sustainability leader, earning its fourth consecutive inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) World Index 2024.
This also marks the fifth year of Wilmar’s recognition on the DJSI Asia Pacific Index, making it the only Singapore-based Food Products company on the prestigious global list.
Wilmar achieved a score of 69 in the 2024 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, excelling in key ESG pillars: Environmental (75), Social (72), and Governance & Economic (59). Compared to the previous year, Wilmar’s score improved by 2 points.
With a total score of 69 out of 100, Wilmar also secured its place in the 95th percentile of all Food Products companies reviewed.
Jeremy Goon, Wilmar’s Chief Sustainability Officer said, “Sustainability has been at the core of Wilmar’s business strategy and operations since introducing our No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) Policy a decade ago. We are humbled to be included in the DJSI World Index for four years consecutively and five years for the Asia Pacific Index.
“Our success in achieving these significant milestones is a direct result of our long-term vision and the steadfast dedication of our teams across our operations around the globe. We’re grateful for this inclusion that recognises our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint and our responsibility to the communities we serve.
“As we continue to strengthen our ESG performance and ensure our position as a leader in sustainable practices, we remain committed to leading the way in responsible and sustainable agribusiness practices,” he added.
Wilmar has not only set a benchmark for the agribusiness sector with the first No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) Policy back in 2013, but also demonstrated how meaningful action can drive positive environmental and social outcomes through various initiatives.
The Group’s milestones highlight the strategic integration of sustainability into its business operations, showcasing the Group’s commitment to addressing some of the most pressing global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequities.
Some of the impactful initiatives include, but are not limited to:
- Advancing commitments to net-zero emissions under the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and made a commitment to establish emission targets in the short term as well as aligning with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C pathway.
- Wilmar is continuing sectoral collaboration through the Palm Oil Sectoral Roadmap which was introduced during COP27.
- Wilmar is amongst the pioneers to have a standalone NDPE Annual Implementation Report which is published annually alongside the Sustainability Report to maintain transparency in reporting.
- Over 23.27 million hectares of land in Wilmar’s operations are monitored via satellite monitoring in palm-producing countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.
- Wilmar has set aside close to 33,000 hectares as conservation land from its oil palm and sugar plantations alongside restoring riparian zones to enhance ecosystem resilience and support endangered species.
- A significant 53 per cent of overall energy consumption at the group level is sourced from renewable energy and reduced water intensity in Wilmar’s palm oil mills in Indonesia and Nigeria, achieving a target of below 1.30 m³/MT Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB).
- Wilmar has conducted assessments to ensure that 100 per cent of their employees and contractors receive a living wage.
- Wilmar was awarded a perfect score in the Global Child Forum Global Benchmark 2024 for efforts in safeguarding children’s rights, demonstrating a commitment to child welfare in its supply chain. The Group supported the education of 12,093 children of compulsory school-going age, covering 89.5 per cent of the children in the plantations.
- Wilmar maintains a diverse and inclusive workplace in accordance with the policies like Equal Opportunity Policy, Women’s Charter, and Sexual Harassment, Violence and Abuse, Reproductive Rights Policy.
- Adopted an updated Board Diversity Policy which includes quantitative gender diversity targets of increasing female representation on the Board to 25 per cent by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030.
The DJSI, including the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), first launched in 1999 as a pioneering series of global sustainability benchmarks available in the market. The index family is comprised of global, regional and country benchmarks. The DJSI are float-adjusted market capitalisation weighted indices that measure the performance of companies selected using ESG criteria.
About Wilmar’s sustainability
As a leading agribusiness group, Wilmar recognises that we have a fundamental role to play in developing quality products required by the world while ensuring we have a responsible and sustainable manner of production. We adopt a holistic approach to sustainability that is fully integrated with our business model.
Guided by the philosophy that our business must enhance stakeholder value while minimising our environmental footprint, our business practices are aligned with universally acceptable social and environmental standards. Wilmar’s No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) Policy and NDPE Sugar Policy, introduced in 2013 and 2021 respectively, underpin our aspiration to make a positive impact and drive transformation across the palm oil and sugar sectors.
For more information, please visit www.wilmar-international.com/sustainability.
MEDIA CONTACT
Chow Zhi En
Sustainability Engagement
zhien.chow@my.wilmar-intl.com
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