Starling

Overview

Starling is a digital platform designed to help companies monitor and manage deforestation risks within their supply chains. It is particularly focused on commodities such as palm oil, coffee, cocoa, rubber, pulp and paper, timber, and soy.

Functionality

• Deforestation Monitoring: Starling uses satellite imagery from sources like Sentinel-2, Landsat, and Airbus to detect and monitor deforestation. Since its launch in 2017, it has utilized over 1.3 million images.
• Supply Chain Management: The platform helps companies understand the complexity of their supply chains and provides timely alerts when deforestation is detected. This enables companies to take prompt action to address these issues.
• Compliance with Regulations: Starling supports companies in complying with the upcoming EU Deforestation Regulations (EUDR) and in fulfilling their Scope 3 GHG accounting standards.

Key Features

• Forest Cover Change Mapping: Starling provides detailed mapping of forest cover changes over long periods, using scalable analytics to depict objective land use changes.
• Carbon Emissions Monitoring: The platform includes tools for monitoring carbon emissions and carbon removal, tailored to the specific needs of each company.
• Partnerships: Starling collaborates with organizations like the Earthworm Foundation to support companies in prioritizing actions and bringing about real change in their supply chains.

Use Cases

• Colgate-Palmolive: The company has used Starling to monitor a section of its palm oil supply chain, aiming to strengthen supplier engagement and develop stronger relationships based on its No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) policy.
• Nestlé: Nestlé has run a pilot of the Starling platform in its palm oil supply chain in Northwest Ecuador, combining satellite data with ground teams’ drone technology to guide action and protect forests.
• Hershey Company: Hershey uses Starling, in collaboration with the Earthworm Foundation, to monitor its palm oil supply chain and achieve a verified deforestation-free supply chain by 2025.

Benefits

• Enhanced Transparency: Starling provides objective and timely data, ensuring traceability across the supply chain and assisting in decision-making.
• Regulatory Compliance: The platform helps companies comply with upcoming regulations such as the EUDR and maintain their environmental commitments.
• Sustainability: By identifying and addressing deforestation risks, companies can work towards achieving their no-deforestation and net-zero commitments more effectively.