Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR)
Using the Accountability Framework to align the policies of major rubber companies
The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) is an international multi-stakeholder initiative whose membership makes up over 50% of the global natural rubber value chain. When GPSNR decided in early 2020 to develop a Policy Framework that all member companies would be required to follow, they needed a starting point to align their diverse membership of car and tire makers, traders, natural rubber producers and processors, and civil society organizations. They were attracted to the Accountability Framework because it provided both a clear and consensus-based set of norms and definitions while also allowing for adaptability – meaning that goals, implementation practices, and reporting requirements could be customized to the unique characteristics of the rubber sector.
Working closely with the AFi, GPSNR members discussed each of the Accountability Framework´s Core Principles and developed an aligned Policy Framework specific to companies that produce or source natural rubber or rubber-based products. GPSNR credits use of the Accountability Framework as enabling them to move more rapidly from policy development toward implementation and are also using the Accountability Framework as a reference for the development of implementation guidance and reporting requirements. As of mid-2023, 39 companies have aligned their own policies with GPSNR´s policy framework and therefore with the Accountability Framework.
''At the outset of our work, the Accountability Framework gave GPSNR members a guidance blueprint on where to begin as they embarked on an industry-wide transition to better sustainability practices. At the same time, it has given us the freedom to dive deep into our unique supply chain, embracing its challenges and opportunities. Thanks to AFi's internationally accepted norms and definitions, we could focus on what mattered most for us: delivery and implementation.''
- Stefano Savi, GPSNR Platform Director
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