Transnational vs. national sustainability standards in China's palm oil sustainability governance

Abstract

As China’s average income and concerns about sustainability increase, will it adopt Western practices promoting sustainability in global value chains? I address this question by examining the trends of affirmation of palm oil sustainability governance in the country. By combining literature on transnational voluntary sustainability standards (TVSS) with analytical tools from Global China scholarship, I investigate the attempted diffusion in China of TVSS sponsored by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (hereafter RSPO) and the reactions of key actor groups to this process. Research findings reveal a diversity of responses from various actors, underpinned by a trend of rejection of TVSS and an overall stance of non-intervention in palm oil sustainability. The existence of producer countries’ national and state-led standards concerning sustainable palm oil, notably those of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil, has directly contributed to shaping this stance by weakening the RSPO’s claim to be a ‘global’ standard and lowering the perceived need for buyer-driven initiatives.