ISO Certification Initiatives Prove the Commitment to Sustainability

Abstract: Malaysia's palm oil industry is growing in complexity and successively to succeed on the global level by accounts for about 36% of the word production of palm oil (Foreign Agricultural Service, 2012). But, Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) issues are still problematic areas that need to be addressed by all parties concerned in this industry. In the olden days, unlike other sectors, palm oil industry was green in EHS management system. However, due to stringent in the legislative enforcement in the past few years, it has led some of the plantation companies to develop EHS management system, which are based on Environmental Management System (EMS) and Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS), towards corporate sustainability. Sustainability is not about paying lip-service to the latest corporate buzzword; neither is it about superficially meeting minimum requirements for the sake of compliance. Rather, sustainability is a core value that lies at the heart of the companies' business conduct. In practical terms, this means strive to operate with due consideration for the interest of all stakeholders by minimizing any potential impact on the environment and making the health and safety of all workers a priority. This paper describes the certification of ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and MS 1722 in Genting Plantations Berhad (GENP) proved the commitment to sustainability by forming guiding principle on EHS management.