Tunas Sawa Erma (TSE) Group ESG Charter
TSE Group is committed to sustainable palm oil. We have dedicated ourselves to the conservation of nature, the absolute and unconditional respect of human rights, and to sustainable economic development and growth for 30 years in Indonesia and we’re always exploring new ways in which we can advance our environmental and social responsibility standards to uphold our commitments.
We are committed to implementing practical solutions that will be beneficial to the environment and to the communities in which we live and work. These solutions will require innovation, dedication, determination and creativity.
The situation in Papua, Indonesia, is unique and fragile, and requires thorough and effective engagement. We will work with communities, different levels of governments, and domestic and international NGOs to ensure that we meet our social and environmental commitments.
Scope:
This charter applies to all current and future holdings, subsidiary companies, joint ventures, companies over which we have management control, and any third-party suppliers. For third-party suppliers, we will work with relevant stakeholders to help them apply the policy and associated commitments.
Implementation, enforcement, monitoring and reporting procedures in cooperation with the third-party verifiers will ensure compliance for all aspects of the policy and commitments. The new TSE Group ESG Progress monitoring report will be open to the public and will include up to date information.
We will ensure that all our services and operations are performed and managed with the highest levels of integrity to enhance and protect the environment and surrounding communities. We will ascertain protection and enhancement of forest and its biodiversity as well as other characteristics of forest such as flood prevention, employment generation, and recreational value provision. We will minimize carbon emissions and commit to the following:
- Utilize land that has been zoned for development by different layers of the Indonesian Governments to produce timber, plywood, or palm oil;
- Cease development on areas deemed to be High Conservation Value (HCV) or High Carbon Stock (HCS). Since November 2016, all natural forest clearance has been suspended while assessments were being conducted;
- Continue with our zero burning policy and no burning to clear land in any of the company’s operations;
- Maintain our no development policy on peat lands of any depth;
- Continue our efforts, through measurements and initiatives, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
- Establish conservation plans.
We conduct our business in a manner that respects the rights and dignity of individuals and communities. We are committed to aligning our community actions with global priorities linked to poverty reduction, health, education, climate change prevention, and environmental degradation. We are committed to improving our procedures with regards to respecting the customary rights of communities and recognizing the need for food security in new developments. We also seek to improve the living conditions of everyone in the communities. We will do the following:
- Proactively engage with communities and undertake robust free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) processes through sustained engagement to ensure that customary and cultural land rights are respected;
- Establish effective and transparent conflict resolution frameworks, which are communicated to all relevant stakeholders and community members, including effective access to advocates and to remedy with a resolution;
- Create participatory mapping prior to any new development to establish stakeholder boundaries and land uses;
- Establish plasma plantations that promote sustainable livelihoods and contribute to the economic growth of the local community;
- Commit to effective and implementable Corporate Social Contribution (CSC) activities and programs, which include development of infrastructure, healthcare, education, and other social empowerment programs.
We will ensure that the rights of all people working in any operation in our supply chain are respected according to local, national and international laws. We are also committed to complying with international requirements as defined in the UN Declaration of Human Rights and core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO). We will do the following:
- Ensure that the people employed in our operations understand their rights and work responsibilities.
- Not tolerate forced labor and uphold the rights to freedom of association, assembly, and collective bargaining;
- Provide fair and equal employment opportunities for all employees to be treated with respect and dignity. Ensure that no person shall be discriminated against in professional environment, including in recruitment, promotion, training, disciplinary action, termination or retirement, on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, gender identity, nationality, social group or any other form of discrimination;
- Commit to establishing fair working conditions, including wages that meet or exceed legal requirements, taking into account reasonable and lawful production targets and working hours. Other focus areas include workplace accident insurance and documented employment contracts;
- Protect minors and children under any and all circumstances. We will not employ anyone under the age of 18, unless in vocational and/or formal and structured apprenticeship, educational or training programmes and only with modified work requirements that protect young workers’ health and safety.
- Implement zero tolerance policy against exploitation, sexual harassment, and abuse;
- Provide accommodations in conditions that are suitable as per regulations;
- Provide a healthy and safe work environment, which includes accident prevention and risk minimization, and handling of hazardous chemicals;
- Provide free and adequate protective equipment to establish a safe work environment.
We commit to resolving complaints and conflicts through an open, transparent and effective process. We seek to engage and collaborate with the local, regional and national governments, certification bodies, regional projects, and NGOs to help better manage our operations. We will do the following:
- Work with key stakeholders and independent verification bodies to implement sustainable growth and promote industry transformation;
- Maintain an ESG monitoring and assessment program to communicate information, progress toward policy compliance, complaints resolution, and supplier engagement and verification;
- Publish progress reports on implementation of sustainable growth;
- Resolve grievances promptly, responsibly, responsively, and proactively.
