Seventh Generation believes that growing global palm oil use is:
- The leading cause of deforestation in South East Asia.
- A climate change nightmare - fully one fifth of greenhouse gas emissions globally comes from deforestation.
- A biodiversity issue - deforestation and peatland degradation is causing rapid habitat loss for critical species like the orangutans, tigers, rhinos, and elephants. In fact, deforestation has reduced the elephant population by almost 90 percent and threatens to drive orangutans into extinction over the next five years if greater controls are not established.
- A land rights issue for indigenous communities, who are competing for land rights with large palm oil plantation owners, and losing. Treatment of workers' rights and working conditions are also an issue.
Indonesia is the third largest emitter of GHG globally, behind only the United States and China, exclusively from deforestation.