31/10/2012 (Business Green) - The government and a group of leading businesses have today unveiled a major pledge to phase out the use of unsustainable palm oil by 2015 in the UK, in a bid to reduce deforestation and tackle climate change.

Environment Minister Richard Benyon today unveiled a series of commitments from 15 high profile signatories, including the government, the Food and Drink Federation, the British Retail Consortium and the Agricultural Industries Commission.

Signatories also include animal feed manufacturers, businesses in the hospitality sector, the renewable energy sector, the cleaning products industry, the speciality chemicals sector, and WWF.

Palm oil and palm kernel oil are widely used in food and cosmetics manufacturing, as well as industrial products. However, the production of palm oil is widely blamed for deforestation in Asia and the development of a monoculture, which can damage biodiversity.

According to Eurostat data, the UK imported 397,000 metric tons of palm oil and 53,000 metric tons of palm kernel oil in 2011. Defra has estimated that only 24 per cent of this was sourced from sustainably certified plantations.

"People want to know that the products they are using are not contributing to deforestation and climate change and many UK businesses are already starting to make changes," said Benyon.

"Producers, manufacturers and charities will continue working together to speed up the move to 100 per cent sustainable palm oil in everyday products."

The agreement commits central government to only purchase sustainable palm oil for food and catering by 2015, while Defra said it would also encourage the wider public sector to take up the pledge.

In addition, the government will launch an advice service for organisations that are phasing out unsustainable palm oil, including a helpline, web pages, newsletters and seminars.

Today's statement aims to create a co-ordinated effort to make palm oil production and consumption more sustainable throughout the supply chain.

However, despite signing up to the pledge, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and WWF warned that the statement may be too weak to drive a significant change in the supply chain.

The BRC, for example, said many of its members have already made more ambitious commitments. Data released by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) this week showed that some supermarkets, such as The Cooperative, Waitrose, M&S and Sainsbury's are already at or very close to using 100 per cent RSPO-certified palm oil ahead of schedule.

Retailers and WWF also warned that the statement did not commit signatories to adhere to the exact standards set by the RSPO, and that some signatories have refused to agree to a firm 2015 target date for phasing out unsustainable palm oil.

Adam Harrison of WWF International also warned that the statement did not go far enough. "The urgency of the problem needs an equally urgent response," he said. "Whilst we welcome the National Statement as significant, it does not convey clearly enough the need to take action now.

"The whole UK palm oil industry from traders and processors through to manufacturers needs to match the best actions taken by individual businesses that have already committed to using 100 per cent RSPO-certified palm oil and which are, it many cases, well on the way to achieving this commitment ahead of time."