This letter is signed by representatives from various companies and NGOs concerned with sustainable palm oil. It is addressed to Commissioners for Energy and Climate Action at the European Commission. The letter expresses concern that the Commission's draft communication on implementing the EU Renewable Energy Directive could damage efforts to promote sustainable palm oil. Specifically, it is worried that including palm oil plantations under the definition of "continuously forested areas" is scientifically incorrect and could mislead the public and damage trust in sustainable palm oil initiatives. The letter urges the Commission to exclude palm plantations from this definition in the final communication.

1. Unilever PLC
Unilever House
100 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y ODY
T: +44 (0)20 7822 5252
Mr Gunther Oettinger F: +44 (0)2078225951/5898
www.unilever.com
Commissioner for Energy
Ms Connie Hedegaard
.Commissioner for Climate Action
European Commission
100 rue de la Loi
1049 Brussels
Belgium
Direct line: +44 (0)20 7822 6460
16 April 2010 Direct fax: +44 (0)20 7822 5128
Dear Commissioners
We are writing to you as a group of retailers, consumer goods companies, banks, energy
companies and NGOs who have come together to promote sustainable palm oil. We wish to
express our concern regarding the Commission's draft communication on the practical
implementation of the EU Renewable Energy Directive.
We are worried that the communication in its current form will be damaging to the work we and
others are doing to promote sustalnabie palm oil.
We are particularly concerned about the inclusion of palm oil plantations under the definition of
"continuously forested areas". The FAO's definition of a "forest" differs significantly from that in the
draft communication. It specifically prevents palm plantations from being defined as forests.
Equating palm oil plantations with forests is scientifically incorrect and would be rejected by the
pUblic. It would damage the public'S trust insustainable palm oil.
Uni!ever PLC
Registered in london number 41424
Registered office Port Sunlight,
Wirral, Merseyside CH62 4ZD

2. We urge you to exclude 'forest plantations and ot/Jer tree plantations sucl) as all palm' from the
definition of "continuously forested areas" in the final communication.
Yours slncereiy
Gavin Neath, Senior Vice President, Global Communications
Unilever
Pierre-Alexandre Teulie, General Secretary, Carrefour
John Buchanan, Senior Director, Business Practices, Conservation International
Pia Madsen, Vice President, Procurement Enablers, Danisco
John Sauven, Executive Director, Greenpeace UK
Geert Ritsema, International Affairs Co-Ordinator, Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth
Netherlands)
Adrie Papma, Director Operations and Private Sector, Oxfam Novib
Jakob Thoisen, Director, PaisgaanJ
Ian Bowles, CSR Manager, Premier Foods
Ruud Nijs, Director CSR, Rabobanll
Richard Z Donovan, Senior Vice President & Vice President of Forestry Division,
RaInforest Alliance
Edward Butt, Vice President Sustainability, Reckitt Benckiser
Hugo Byrnes, Director Product Integrity, Royal Ahold
Luis Scoffone, Vice President, Alternative Energies, Shell
Johan van de Gronden, CEO, WWF-Netherlands
Cc:
Mr Philip Lowe, Director General, OG01 Energy
Mr Jos Oelbeke, Diredor General, DG Climate Action
Mr Jean-Luc Demarty, Direclor General, DG Agriculture & Rural Development