SHAH ALAM – SD Guthrie Berhad has achieved a major milestone, securing the top spot in the 2025 SPOTT palm oil assessment with an exceptional score of 97.5 per cent.
The achievement marks a defining moment in the company’s sustainability journey, highlighting years of effort, transparency and commitment to responsible palm oil production.
Developed by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), SPOTT (Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit) annually evaluates palm oil, tropical forestry and natural rubber companies against more than 100 sector-specific Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) indicators to benchmark their progress and disclosure.
In 2024, Guthrie ranked third with a score of 94.8 per cent, making this year’s climb to first place a notable improvement and a reflection of strengthened sustainability governance.
According to SD Guthrie chief sustainability officer, Rashyid Redza Anwarudin, the recognition represents the company’s continued dedication to responsible growth.
“Guthrie’s climb to the number one rank on SPOTT reflects our commitment to responsible agriculture, traceability and responsible sourcing, all of which are critical in strengthening the trust of our stakeholders.
“We are delighted that our continuous effort to improve our transparency and disclosures have been reflected in this higher score,” he said in a statement.
SPOTT’s assessment measures how openly companies disclose their sustainability practices, helping investors and supply chain stakeholders evaluate ESG risks.
In the palm oil sector, SPOTT reviews 100 producers, processors, and traders on their public reporting across key ESG criteria, issuing percentage scores to track improvement over time.
Rashyid stated that achieving full transparency across a global operation of Guthrie’s scale is a significant challenge.
“Achieving transparency of sustainability practices across our entire organisation is no mean feat, given the magnitude of Guthrie’s global operations.
“This achievement reinforces our determination to continue pushing the envelope, to set standards that will catalyse positive change within the industry through engagements and collaborations,” he added.
Among this year’s top 10 companies, Guthrie holds the largest landbank, operating in 12 countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, while serving customers in more than 80 countries.
More than 46,000 smallholders are currently part of Guthrie’s supply chain, adding both depth and complexity to its transparency and traceability efforts.
By 2035, the company aims to support at least 50,000 smallholders, expanding market access for rural communities that might otherwise be marginalised.
Guthrie also stands as the world’s first palm oil company with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), reaffirming its leadership in driving sustainability and industry-wide accountability.