Singapore probes links between consumer products and haze, urges sustainable sourcing

Singapore's authorities have served preventive notices to ten Indonesian companies after investigations suggested their activities could be linked to fires that contribute to haze affecting the city-state. The notices include three wood-fibre suppliers to Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), the maker of tissue brands such as Paseo and Nice, whose Singapore Green Label certification is now subject to temporary restrictions. Under the new rules, APP must provide daily reports on fire hotspots and firefighting actions in the concession areas of the cited suppliers.

The move revives concerns that first emerged during the severe haze episode of 2015, when major retailers removed products tied to fire-related allegations. Experts say sustainable sourcing has progressed but remains imperfect. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) reported that 16.2 million tonnes of certified sustainable palm oil were produced in 2024, roughly one-fifth of global output, yet only about two-thirds of that volume was sold through RSPO-approved channels.

"With global supply chains, accountability is difficult, especially when you ask the question of where in the production chain does accountability come in," said Associate Professor Jolene Lin, director of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law at the National University of Singapore.

Certification, according to Associate Professor Kelvin Law of Nanyang Technological University, indicates that an independent body has verified compliance with certain standards, but it does not identify the specific plantation source or guarantee that no environmental harm occurred.

Retailers can play a larger role, experts say. Associate Professor Terry van Gevelt of Singapore Management University noted that supermarkets have significant leverage to demand supply-chain information from suppliers and to interpret sustainability labels for consumers.

Singapore's government has also expanded its investigative capacity, with the National Environment Agency seeking information from ten Singapore-registered palm oil and forestry firms and establishing a specialist panel to examine cross-border corporate relationships.

While some consumers consider avoiding palm oil, analysts warn that replacing it with other vegetable oils could require more land and potentially increase deforestation elsewhere. Independent sustainability certification remains a useful, though incomplete, tool for shoppers.

"We shouldn't expect consumers to audit a global supply chain when we are shopping for tissue paper. That's not possible," said Associate Professor Kelvin Law.

"We are the ones suffering all the health consequences. So we should have every right to ask the questions, even though we may not get the answer," he added.