Jakarta. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is defending the credibility of its sustainability certification as forest and land fires spread across 1.9 million hectares in Indonesia, with satellite data showing that only 0.8% of the burned area fell within RSPO-certified palm oil concessions.

Between January and September 2026, around 14,500 hectares of land affected by fires were located within RSPO-certified concessions, according to satellite monitoring data from Nusantara Atlas and TreeMap. The figure represents a relatively small share of the 1.9 million hectares affected nationwide.

Speaking at the opening of the RSPO's annual Roundtable Conference on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT2026) in Jakarta on Tuesday, RSPO Chief Executive Officer Joseph D'Cruz urged members to publicly demonstrate their commitment to preventing and addressing fires through data, facts and evidence of concrete action.

"We are not an industry that is trying to avoid scrutiny. We are a partnership that holds itself to a higher level of monitoring than anyone else holds us to," D'Cruz said.

Under the theme "Strong Foundations – Impact in Action," this year's conference aims to move beyond compliance with sustainability standards and traceability toward delivering measurable results across the palm oil value chain.

D'Cruz acknowledged continued public criticism of the palm oil industry while commending plantation workers in Sumatra and Kalimantan who have been on the front lines of firefighting efforts.

He said RSPO would investigate unusual fire activity within certified concessions. One such concession is already the subject of a complaint filed through the organization's grievance system, while other concessions would be closely monitored.

The satellite analysis also found no burned areas within RSPO-certified independent smallholder plantations, despite some smallholder groups operating in regions affected by fires.

"Importantly, to date, there is no data or evidence indicating that RSPO-certified units have deliberately engaged in land burning," D'Cruz said.

He called on members to speak up rather than remain silent when their sustainability commitments and track records are questioned.

"We must all demonstrate our willingness, individually and collectively, to stand firmly behind what we have built and be open about it when it is challenged," he said.

Remaining silent, he added, would allow irresponsible parties to shape public perceptions of the palm oil industry and undermine years of work.

"When we choose to remain silent, we allow the most irresponsible parties to shape perceptions of our industry and undermine two decades of hard work," D'Cruz said.

"We also allow a system that supports the livelihoods of millions of people to lose its value and credibility in the eyes of those who may never have truly understood it."

Indonesia's Fires Exceed 2019 Levels
The RSPO conference comes as Indonesia faces one of its most severe fire seasons in recent years, with the area affected by fires during January-September 2026 already exceeding the same period in 2019, according to Nusantara Atlas data.

David Gaveau, founder of The TreeMap and developer of Nusantara Atlas, said the number of hotspots recorded this year was 63% higher than during the same period in 2019, while the area affected by fires had increased by around 38%.

"The data we are showing indicates that fires this year are larger than in 2019," Gaveau said during a presentation on Indonesia's fire situation.

The year 2019 was among Indonesia's major fire seasons, with more than 2.6 million hectares of land burned by December.

September 2026 recorded the largest monthly impact, with slightly more than 1 million hectares affected by fires, accounting for nearly half of the total area recorded during the first nine months of the year.

Nusantara Atlas updates its data monthly, around the 10th day of the following month. Its mapping system uses images from Europe's Sentinel-2 satellites, which capture the Earth's surface, including Indonesia, every two to five days.

However, Gaveau cautioned that the monitoring system's historical comparison does not yet cover data dating back to 2015, limiting its ability to assess longer-term trends.

The fires have spread amid one of the strongest El Niño phenomena on record, adding to the challenges facing Indonesia's efforts to contain forest and land fires.

Beyond fire prevention, RT2026 also brought together global stakeholders to discuss deforestation, biodiversity protection, climate action, independent smallholder inclusion and the protection of community rights.

The conference also featured a networking event connecting RSPO-certified independent smallholders with industry leaders and RSPO credit buyers, providing opportunities for collaboration, market access and new business prospects.

The annual gathering seeks to ensure that the organization's sustainability commitments translate into tangible environmental and social progress amid shifting geopolitical conditions and changes in global markets.

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