Under the leadership and guiding philosophy of Sukanto Tanoto, all the companies within RGE operate in a manner which is “good for the community, good for the country and good for the company”. As such, each company operates on the basis of sustainability and high social and environmental responsibility in every sector and operation, as seen in the RGE Forestry, Fibre, Pulp & Paper Sustainability Framework. The key commitments include no deforestation, proactive support of local communities, responsible management of peatlands.

The commitment to sustainable development is not new to the RGE companies. Asian Agri and Apical, had signed the Sustainable Palm Oil Manifesto (SPOM) in September 2014, which commits them to no deforestation, to protect peat areas and to drive positive socio-economic impact for people and communities.

APRIL, who started on the sustainability journey 15 years ago, implemented a ‘chain of custody’ system in 2002 to ensure no illegal wood entered its mills, implemented high conservation assessments to protect the forests within its concessions in 2005, and introduced the Sustainability Forest Management Policy (SFMP) in 2014. On 3 June 2015, APRIL announced SFMP 2.0 which is an enhanced policy that eliminates deforestation from its supply chain and builds on its longstanding commitment to conservation.

On 16 June 2015, Sateri unveiled its Pulp Sourcing Policy, which outlines its commitment towards achieving a global supply chain of sustainable wood pulp. The policy will guide Sateri’s purchasing behavior and will influence its pulp suppliers towards its goal of eliminating deforestation from its supply chain.