Singapore Environment Council imposes stricter monitoring as APP suppliers face haze-related legal notices.
The regional haze has begun affecting environmental certification in Singapore. Asia Pulp & Paper now faces tighter scrutiny over suppliers operating fire-affected concessions in Indonesia, with its enhanced green label at risk of suspension if stronger fire controls cannot be demonstrated.
APP Placed Under Temporary Restrictions
The Singapore Environment Council, or SEC, issued Asia Pulp & Paper a Notice of Temporary Restrictions on October 19 concerning its enhanced Singapore Green Labelling Scheme, or SGLS+, certification. The measure requires APP to submit daily fire-response reports and subjects the company to stricter monitoring of fire prevention and suppression measures at concessions operated by its suppliers in Indonesia. The measure is a temporary restriction, not a suspension of APP’s certification.
Three Suppliers Face Daily Reporting Requirements
SEC specifically requires APP to provide daily fire-response information for concession areas managed by PT Bumi Mekar Hijau, PT Bumi Andalas Permai, and PT Sebangun Bumi Andalas Wood Industries. The three South Sumatra companies supply wood fibre to APP and were among firms issued preventive-measure notices by Singapore’s National Environment Agency under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act on October 16.
More APP-Linked Suppliers Under Scrutiny
NEA has issued notices to 10 Indonesian companies during the latest haze episode, requiring measures including stopping burning and submitting plans to extinguish fires. The Straits Times identified four of those companies as APP suppliers: Bumi Andalas Permai, Bumi Mekar Hijau, Sebangun Bumi Andalas Wood Industries, and Buana Megatama Jaya. The first three had also received notices during the 2015 haze crisis, with those cases remaining open.
Green Label Could Be Suspended
APP’s SGLS+ certification could be suspended if its additional reporting fails to demonstrate that strengthened monitoring, fire-prevention, and suppression measures are being implemented effectively. If suspended, products covered by the certification would no longer be permitted to display the SGLS+ logo. Introduced in 2017 following the 2015 haze crisis, the enhanced scheme requires certified pulp and paper companies to adopt zero-burning commitments, improve peatland management, and maintain measures for early fire detection and suppression.
APP Faced Similar Consequences in 2015
During the 2015 haze crisis, SEC suspended the green label on APP products after NEA identified the company as one of those under investigation for possible links to haze-causing fires under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act. Singapore supermarkets subsequently removed APP products, including Paseo paper products, from their shelves. APP received the enhanced SGLS+ certification in May 2019. The latest temporary restrictions have placed its certification under renewed scrutiny as Singapore investigates companies potentially connected to the current haze.
The restrictions on APP show that Singapore’s response to the current haze is extending beyond government investigations into environmental certification and corporate supply chains. For Indonesians, the action places additional scrutiny on plantation companies operating in fire-affected areas of South Sumatra. For Singaporeans, the SGLS+ process provides another mechanism for assessing whether products carrying environmental credentials meet fire-prevention and sustainability requirements.
Sources: Straits Times (2026) , Mothership (2026)
Keywords: Asia Pulp And Paper, Singapore Haze, SGLS Plus, APP Suppliers, Transboundary Haze, Green Certification
