
Conservation bodies & NGOs
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity whose mission is to promote and achieve the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. Our mission is realized through science and conservation projects in more than 50 countries, and our two Zoos, ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.
ZSL’s Business and Biodiversity Programme works with business to have a positive impact on the natural world, initially by working with the palm oil industry in 2001. ZSL is an active member of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), and works closely with other organizations such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). ZSL also works globally to reduce the impacts of plastic pollution with projects such as #OneLess and NetWorks – which collects and converts discarded ocean plastics into high quality carpet tiles.
Our flagship business engagement initiative SPOTT – Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit – is an online platform supporting sustainable commodity production and trade. By tracking transparency, SPOTT incentivizes the implementation of corporate best practice. SPOTT assesses commodity producers and traders on the public disclosure of their policies, operations and commitments related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. SPOTT scores companies annually against sector-specific indicators, allowing them to benchmark their progress over time.
Investors, buyers and other key influencers can use SPOTT assessments to inform stakeholder engagement, manage risk, and increase industry transparency. A number of SPOTT indicators related to the assessment and management natural capital, and therefore incentivize better recognition, measurement and protected of natural capital in 70 of the largest palm oil producers and traders globally as well as 50 of the largest producers of timber. Through our engagement and impacts workstream we work with investors and companies globally to encourage increasingly better management of natural capital, avoiding sensitive areas, minimizing impacts and restoring habitats.
Zoological Society of London