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2017_49: Changing Palms: Designing Strategies for Positive Institutional Behaviour Change to Address Land-Use Change and Mitigate Climate Change in the Palm Oil Industry Supervisors: Dr Andrew Knight ([email protected]) Department: Life Sciences Deforestation is the second largest source of anthropogenic CO2 emissions after fossil fuel combustion (van der Werf et al. 2009). Reducing deforestation and promoting forest regeneration are among the most cost-efficient ways of mitigating CO2 emissions (IPCC 2014) and regenerating secondary forests hold massive carbon sequestration potential (Poorter et al. 2016). As such, reducing deforestation will play a key role in addressing climate change. In recent years, efforts to reduce deforestation have often focussed on the palm oil industry. Palm oil is a vegetable oil used in food and oleochemicals manufacturing (Mba et al. 2015). Over 90% of global production is accounted for by Indonesia and Malaysia (FAO 2016). Palm oil is economically important for both of these countries (World Growth 2011). However, expansion of oil palm plantations has been linked with deforestation. Plantations replaced 3.0 million hectares of forest in Indonesia between 1990 and 2005 (Fitzherbert et al. 2008) and deforestation is ongoing (FAO 2015). In recent years, many palm oil companies adopted policies committing them to eliminating deforestation from their supply chains (Pirard et al. 2015). Unfortunately, ongoing deforestation suggests that implementation of these commitments is failing (Greenpeace 2016). The complex systems involved in the production and consumption of palm oil mean that collaboration between the public, private and civil society sectors must be coordinated if deforestation is to be addressed (Rautner et al. 2013). Voluntary certification schemes provide a platform for collaboration between private sector and civil society stakeholders, but recent research has found that certification schemes are insufficient to address deforestation; increased public sector support is also required (Castka et al. 2016). Recent research has investigated barriers to the implementation of corporate nodeforestation commitments in the palm oil supply chain. It was found that supply chain complexity prevented companies from guaranteeing the implementation of commitments, while inadequate government support and low demand for sustainable palm oil in major Asian markets were also barriers. The proposed research will build For more information on how to apply visit us at www.imperial.ac.uk/changingplanet Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet upon these findings by using a systems approach to identify key leverage points to promote institutional behaviour change, thereby shifting the palm oil industry to a state better disposed to the implementation of no-deforestation commitments (Meadows 2008). This will require developing an understanding of the interrelationships and perspectives that characterise the industry as a system (Cook et al. 2016). By characterising the system in this way, it will become possible to define the problems that give rise to deforestation, thereby allowing the identification of possible solutions and leverage points that afford opportunities for behaviour change (Moon et al. 2014). The proposed research is both necessary and timely. In order to effectively identify leverage points to change behaviour in the palm oil industry, an understanding of the complexity, diversity and dynamism of the system is required in the broader ecological, economic and social context. The proposed research represents a novel, multidisciplinary, systems-led approach focussing on industry-wide transformation. Ultimately, this will improve policy effectiveness to achieve deforestation reduction goals, with important implications for emissions reductions. For more information on how to apply visit us at www.imperial.ac.uk/changingplanet