Bristol Zoological Society is committed to saving wildlife together, through conservation research, working to protect species and habitats overseas, encouraging sustainable behaviours, educating tomorrow’s wildlife warriors and giving families a great day out. Our conservation science efforts are worldwide, from helping re-introduce white clawed crayfish into UK rivers to working with communities in the Philippines to save the Critically Endangered Negros bleeding heart dove.
Bristol Zoological Society
"Bristol Zoological Society is committed to shifting the demand from non-sustainable to sustainable palm oil and supports a 100% sustainable palm oil supply chain in Europe because it is essential for protecting the environment, safeguarding biodiversity and supporting people’s livelihoods."Katie Major, Conservation Psychologist and Campaigns Manager
Our success
We are most proud of how we are able to engage with stakeholders across the palm oil supply chain and positively promote the production and consumption of certified sustainable palm oil. This includes developing the Supporting Sustainable Palm Oil campaign which encourages the public to purchase products containing sustainable palm oil and email UK supermarkets asking for mandatory labelling of sustainable palm oil. Also, working with New Britain Palm Oil Limited by conducting social and environmental research on their plantations and High Conservation Value areas in Papua New Guinea. We have been working closely with local businesses in Bristol and have been helping them develop sustainable palm oil position statements and undertake audits of their supply chains, as well as developing partnerships with our local science centre, We The Curious, and organic retailer Better Foods. Together we have worked with Bristol City Council and integrated a sustainable palm oil standard in the procurement guidelines of the prestigious Bristol Eating Better Award scheme while removing any ‘palm oil free’ messaging. Finally, we are part of many global initiatives which promote the sustainable production and consumption of palm oil, including the EAZA Palm Oil Working Group, Soil Association’s Deforestation and Palm Oil Task and Finish Group and the Global Alliance for Sustainable Palm Oil. Through this work we hope to help shift the demand from non-sustainable to sustainable palm oil and create a sustainable future for wildlife and people.
Our next steps
Delivering the next phase of our Supporting Sustainable Palm Oil campaign which will further link consumers and retailers and continue driving demand for sustainable palm oil. This will be done by promoting the consumption of sustainable palm oil and encouraging the clear labelling of products containing sustainable palm oil.
Our struggle
Promoting the social and environmental benefits of sustainable palm oil when there are so many boycott messages in the public domain. Gaining internal support for sustainable palm oil was our first goal and we found that staff had many questions on the production and use of palm oil. It has been amazing to see the strong shift to supporting sustainable palm oil across the Society and it’s great to see how committed our staff and volunteers are to supporting our sustainable palm oil position statement and the work being carried out in this area.
Our UN Sustainable Development Goals
Our organisation is most concerned with the following 5 UN SDGs:
- Goal 4: Education
- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- Goal 13: Climate Action
- Goal 14: Life below Water
- Goal 15: Life on Land
Join us!
It is great to see organisations coming together in support of a fully sustainable palm oil supply chain in Europe.
Are you committed? Join the Sustainable Palm Oil Choice.