Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of RSPO-certified and Non-certified Palm Oil – Phase II
Summary
This follow-up study provides an updated and expanded comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of RSPO-certified and non-certified palm oil. It confirms that, from a market perspective, RSPO-certified palm oil has lower environmental impacts than non-certified palm oil, including 36% lower global warming impacts, 37% lower impacts related to nature occupation, and 16% lower impacts associated with respiratory inorganics.
The results show that the main differences are driven by lower cultivation on peat soils, lower peat drainage depths and greater use of methane capture technologies at certified mills. The study also highlights important regional differences and opportunities to improve performance further, particularly through peatland management, methane capture and support for smallholders.
Background
The initial ERASM-supported RSPO LCA study compared certified and non-certified palm oil production in Indonesia and Malaysia and provided early quantitative evidence on the environmental benefits and trade-offs of certification. A second phase was initiated in 2021 to refine and expand the assessment.
The updated study, carried out by 2-0 LCA and published by Schmidt and Weidema in 2026, covers the five largest palm oil producing countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Colombia and Nigeria. Together, these countries represent more than 90% of global palm oil production. The assessment differentiates results by region, time period and grower type, including estates and smallholders.
Outcome of the research
The research confirms that RSPO-certified palm oil can deliver measurable environmental benefits compared with non-certified production, while also showing that outcomes depend strongly on local production conditions. Key improvement opportunities include avoiding further expansion into peat areas, reducing cultivation on the least productive peatlands, expanding methane capture at palm oil mills and improving yields and land-use efficiency, especially among smallholders.
Publication
Schmidt, J. & Weidema, I.H. (2026)
A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Palm Oil – Differentiated by RSPO Certified and Non-certified, Regionally, Temporally, and by Grower Type
Sustainable Production and Consumption, Volume 64, 2026, pp. 124–136.