9 ways GAR turned Collective for Impact into action in 2025

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Posted: Jun 17, 2026 • 7 minute read • GAR • 4 Likes

Every year, sustainability reports capture hundreds of pages of data, targets, and progress updates. Yet for many readers, the question is simple: what changed?

In 2025, Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) continued turning our Collective for Impact commitments into action. From advancing traceability, to supporting smallholders, and developing climate-resilient seeds, sustainability continues to shape how we grow with purpose.

Here are nine highlights from GAR’s Sustainability Report 2025.

1. Giving customers greater visibility across Indonesia’s palm supply chain

Being the partner of choice means giving customers a better understanding where materials come from and how they are produced.

In 2025, GAR achieved 99.8% Traceability to Plantation (TTP) in Indonesia, improving on the previous year’s 99.5%.

Behind that number is years of supplier engagement, mapping work, and on-the-ground collaboration. Over the past 1.5 years alone, GAR mapped more than 25,000 smallholders and over 94,000 plantation plots across Indonesia to strengthen transparency and support farmers on their sustainability journey.

99.8% TTP (Indonesia palm supply chain)

100% delivering NDPE IRF v5.8

82.6% delivering NDPE IRF v6.0

Strengthening visibility also means raising accountability. In 2025, we achieved 100% implementation of the No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation Implementation Reporting Framework (NDPE IRF) (Version 5.8). We began transitioning suppliers to Version 6.0, with 82.6% of our supply classified as ‘Delivering’ by early 2026. Version 6.0 introduces stricter traceability requirements. It also expands reporting to include independent smallholders and supplier groups.

Supporting these efforts are digital tools like SmartTrace. This blockchain-based traceability platform gives customers more secure and reliable visibility – from plantation to end-product.

2. Expanding traceability beyond palm oil

For many customers, sustainability expectations today extend beyond a single commodity. Buyers want the same level of visibility and accountability across all they source.

In 2025, we maintained 100% Traceability to the Mill (TTM) across our soy, sugar, coconut, and sunflower supply chains, covering more than 1.5 million tonnes of materials.

By applying lessons and systems developed in palm to other commodities, we build a more connected and resilient supply chain across our wider business.

100% TTM for 1.5 million tonnes (global non-palm commodities)

3. Helping smallholders grow stronger and more resilient farms

Smallholders play an important role in palm oil. With the right knowledge and support, farmers are better equipped to improve productivity, strengthen livelihoods, and adapt to changing conditions.

In 2025, our Sawit Terampil programme trained 11,250 smallholders, keeping us on track towards our target of supporting 100,000 independent smallholders by 2035.

The programme focuses on practical, on-the-ground training. Farmers learn more about good agricultural practices, responsible land management, fertiliser use, safety, and certification readiness. In Aceh, for example, our programme helped independent farmers achieve RSPO certification while improving yields and farm management practices.

11,250 smallholders trained

4. Developing climate-resilient oil palm seeds for the future

Lower yields. Weaker crops. Significant financial losses. For palm farmers in Indonesia, drought-related impacts are estimated to cost around US$4.5 billion each year.

In 2025, our new Dami Mas MTK (Moderate Toleran Kekeringan) seed became the first oil palm seed to have its superior performance under drought conditions validated and approved for sale by Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture.

Developed through our SMART Research Institute (SMARTRI), the Dami Mas MTK seeds are built on years of research that tested more than 1,800 mother palms, screened over 40,000 seedlings, and had 120 hectares of trials.

For farmers, these stronger seeds can help their plantations stay productive even in dry periods. For the wider industry, it marks another step towards a more food-secure future.

Dami Mas MTK seeds delivers at least 12% higher yields during drought-affected periods versus conventional seeds.

5. Reducing emissions across our operations and supply chain

In 2025, we reduced our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 4.6% year on year, bringing total emissions to 33.4 million tCO₂e.

This was a concerted effort across our entire business – from methane capture projects to renewable energy use, and continued engagement with suppliers and smallholders.

Our decarbonisation roadmap

Land use change and carbon removal

Renewable energy and operational efficiency

Supplier engagement and Scope 3 reduction

Read more here

But reducing emissions across agriculture is rarely straightforward.

Many of the biggest challenges still sit deeper within agricultural supply chains, with Scope 3.

“We’re being asked to decarbonise one of the most complex supply chains on Earth. But the funding simply isn’t there,” says Anita Neville, our Chief Sustainability & Communications Officer.

Addressing them will require long-term investment that is accessible to smallholders, and deeper collaboration across the value chain.

Even with clear targets and continued progress, we know we cannot do it alone. Actual change will require more partners across the value chain to move forward together. That includes co-investment, financing, and support for traceable, lower-emission products.

“GAR is proving that climate action in agriculture is possible,” says Hary Kurniawan, GAR’s Head of Carbon and Renewables. “But to go further, we need others to walk this path with us.”

6. Increasing renewable energy use across our operations

Palm oil production creates large amounts of residual biomass. Rather than letting it go to waste, we continue finding ways to turn it into energy.

In 2025, 54% of our total energy use came from renewable sources. Across our upstream operations, 93% of renewable energy came from mill residual biomass, including palm fibre and shells.

At our Tarjun refinery, we built on the site’s 2022 transition from coal-fired plant to biomass fuel by commissioning a new pelletiser that converts Palm Kernel Meal (PKM) into pellet form (PKM-P). This helps improve fuel handling and combustion efficiency.

We also installed solar panels at our Marunda refinery. Plans are underway to expand solar capacity across our refineries in phases. At the same time, we began construction of a steam biomass boiler, which will further increase the share of renewable energy in our thermal energy supply.

In 2025, we also added three new methane capture facilities, bringing our total to 11 across our operations.

7. Helping communities grow through the Bright Future Initiative

Strong communities are part of a stronger and more resilient business. They are also an important part of our social licence to operate.

In 2025, our Bright Future Initiative supported 163 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and empowered 3,164 youths across 182 villages, keeping us on track towards our Collective for Impact target of supporting 500 community-based enterprises and 20,000 youths by 2030.

Across different regions, the programme supports communities through skills training, mentorship, market access, and business development support. The initiatives range from food businesses and local crafts to waste management and community-led enterprises.

As the afternoon cools, the wooden looms begin to clatter.

In Dendang village, West Bangka, weaving is part of everyday life. Around 500 to 600 women continue weaving baskets and handicrafts from resam and nipah leaves with techniques passed down through generations. Many weave together while chatting with neighbours or watching television. But despite the strong tradition, many of the weavers faced challenges such as limited product variety, little market access, and gaps in basic business skills.

Through our Srikandi programme under the Bright Future Initiative, many of the women received support in product development, training, and market access. Today, some of their woven products have reached customers beyond the village, including in Bali.

What was once mainly a local tradition is now helping create new income opportunities for women and their families.

Read how rural women are turning tradition into sustainable livelihoods

8. Strengthening human rights due diligence across the supply chain

The bigger the supply chain, the harder it becomes to spot issues early.

In 2025, we assessed 81 third-party mills for human rights practices through our SMART ACT application, a digital tool developed to strengthen due diligence across the supply chain.

The app helps speed up information gathering and gives us a clearer picture of where suppliers may need more support across areas such as labour practices, working conditions, and responsible sourcing requirements.

But while tools like SMART ACT improve visibility, strengthening practices still depends on people spending time on the ground to work directly with suppliers and understand their challenges.

Follow Gladys Benedicta, our Human Rights Officer, on a day in her life:

9. More women shaping decisions across our business

In 2025, women represented 21% of managerial roles across GAR.

For many, the journey has meant stepping into roles traditionally dominated by men. Across warehouses, plantations, laboratories, and operational sites, women are leading teams, solving problems, and helping keep complex parts of the business moving every day.

“Capability is capability,” says Indahwati, Head of Logistics Operations at Surabaya, Indonesia. “If you can do the work, step forward.”

Different perspectives continue to shape how we work, solve problems, and grow as a business.