Protecting people

Empowering people

We work to empower people and communities in our operational areas, supporting good causes, building infrastructure, and providing direct and indirect employment opportunities through our operations and support for small businesses.

Through programmes like APRIL’s Integrated Farming System we help communities raise their income and minimise their environmental impact by teaching more sustainable practices and providing access to modern techniques and equipment.

Healthcare

We improve access to healthcare for communities in rural areas, especially those that are beyond the reach of public health services. Dozens of health campaigns are organised each year to engage and educate communities on health, hygiene and nutrition. Our business groups work with local health authorities to provide free medical consultation and basic medicine.

One such initiative is APRIL’s stunting prevention programme in Indonesia, delivered in partnership with the Cita Sehat Foundation and regional health agencies. Targeting 74 villages, the programme aims to improve early childhood nutrition and development outcomes through five core pillars: community education, maternal health monitoring, improved sanitation, provision of nutritious food, and regular health screening. The initiative has helped reduce infant stunting rates to below 14 per cent, demonstrating impact on child wellbeing.

RGE has trained more than 300 healthcare givers, raising the standard and quality of health check-ups. These collective efforts have benefitted over 150,000 people across our areas of operation.

Respecting consent

We adopt the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent in our engagement with local communities and indigenous peoples in the areas where we operate.

Education

With thousands of scholarships given out to date, the RGE group of companies continue to support education and higher learning across all levels – primary, secondary and post-secondary.

Our business groups partner with local authorities, non-government organisations and educational institutions to create accessible platforms for our staff and members of communities to receive and complete their education, while providing training for teachers and improved facilities for schools.

In China, Asia Symbol partnered with the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to fund and co-develop a mental health curriculum for schools. Since its inception, the initiative has reached more than 170 primary and secondary schools in six cities, trained over 680 teachers and delivered specialised mental health education to more than 13,000 students, reinforcing the importance of emotional well-being alongside academic learning.

In Brazil, Bracell partners with the Chapada Institute of Education and Research to provide classroom-level guidance and tools to strengthen educational delivery and learning effectiveness in local schools.

Infrastructure

RGE companies support infrastructure development for communities. We have provided clean water, sanitation facilities, roads and educational and sporting facilities for thousands of communities around the world. Infrastructure rewards such as clinics, bridges, mosques and day care centres have also been used as part of our Fire Free Village Programme to incentivise communities to prevent fire on their land, reducing burnt areas by more than 90 per cent since the programme began.

Human rights

Respecting and promoting human rights is a shared commitment across all RGE business groups. Through the Human Rights Policies adopted by its business groups, there is a collective focus on safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of individuals, including children, in both operational areas and the wider supply chain. Guided by international standards and stakeholder expectations, RGE’s business groups work to ensure that policies and practices are in place to support employees and local communities — such as providing access to education, healthcare and essential services — while strengthening family and community welfare. This commitment extends across sourcing, employment and community engagement, reinforcing inclusive development and the dignity of all people impacted by the business.

RGE and its business groups are committed to maintaining open and constructive social dialogue with workers and relevant stakeholders. Consistent with international human rights standards, the group engages with employees, workers’ representatives, unions and, where applicable, equivalent worker bodies to support meaningful participation on matters related to labour rights, working conditions and employee wellbeing. RGE recognises the importance of multipartite dialogue and is committed to engaging in good-faith discussions with appropriate parties in accordance with national laws and industry norms.

The Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) conducted by APRIL in 2022 mapped risks and assessed human rights impacts across its operations and supply chain. Informed by the HRIA, the group prioritised key focus areas including diversity, equity and inclusion, child protection, living and working conditions, and community livelihoods. To support implementation, APRIL has established due diligence systems, and in 2024, also launched its Children’s Welfare Code of Practice as part of a three-year action plan. This initiative ensures children in its estates, including those of its contractors, have access to education, healthcare and related services, anchored in five pillars of focus: care, education, protection, welfare, health, and nutrition.

Product responsibility

We regard product responsibility as a fundamental commitment to delivering high-quality, safe and responsibly-produced products that safeguard consumer health and safety while striving to exceed applicable regulatory requirements. Across our portfolio, we embed green and safety-first principles into product development from the earliest research and development stages.

For example, through Vinda, we implement internal standards that go beyond industry benchmarks while maintaining a strict “zero use and zero addition of prohibited substances” policy. Vinda also adopts a precautionary approach with internal safety guidelines and rigorous assessments to ensure sourcing remains controllable, manufacturing processes are well managed, and potential risks are effectively prevented before products reach consumers.

As consumer expectations and regulatory requirements continue to evolve, strong product stewardship also requires transparency, continuous improvement, and proactive risk management to ensure that our products remain safe, reliable, fit for purpose and aligned with evolving sustainability expectations, while fostering long-term consumer trust.