Grievances & Transparency
Grievances & Transparency
New Britain Palm Oil Limited (NBPOL) is committed to transparency, accountability and responsible conduct across all operations. As an RSPO‑certified organisation, we provide clear and accessible mechanisms for employees, communities and external stakeholders to raise concerns without fear of retaliation.
Our grievance and whistleblowing mechanisms are aligned with SD Guthrie Group governance frameworks and applicable certification requirements.
NBPOL maintains a formal grievance procedure to manage concerns related to:
- People and labour matters
- Community and land issues
- Environmental impacts
- Health and safety
- Livelihoods and social impacts
Grievances may be raised by employees, contractors, communities, smallholders, NGOs and other stakeholders.
Each operating site:
- Records and tracks all grievances
- Applies site‑level communication and consultation procedures
- Assigns designated personnel to manage welfare‑related cases
- Escalates unresolved matters through defined governance channels
All grievances are monitored by NBPOL’s sustainability and management teams to ensure timely resolution and corrective action.
Given the importance of customary land in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, NBPOL operates dedicated procedures for landowner and land‑related grievances.
These are managed by:
- Site‑based lands officers
- Formal consultation processes
- Alignment with Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) principles
As of December 2024
| Nature of Grievances | Cases Raised | Closed | Open | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People | 169 | 113 | 56 | |
| Environmental | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| Human Rights | 0 | - | - | |
| Livelihoods | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| Land | 0 | - | - | |
| Health & Safety | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Encroachment by NBPOL | 0 | - | - | |
| Total | 175 | 119 | 56 | |
Grievance trends are reviewed regularly to identify systemic issues and inform continuous improvement actions.
In addition to grievance mechanisms, whistleblowing channels are available for all stakeholders to report suspected misconduct or wrongdoing.
Whistleblowing is managed under SD Guthrie Group whistleblowing policies, which:
- Allow confidential and anonymous reporting
- Protect whistleblowers acting in good faith
- Ensure independent review and investigation
Learn more about Whistleblowing:
NBPOL’s grievance and whistleblowing mechanisms are governed by Group‑aligned policies and procedures.