NATURAL RUBBER
With global demand for natural rubber expected to rise, the responsible management of the natural rubber supply chain is essential in order to preserve forests, biodiversity, and to allow long-lasting development for local communities and economies.
The natural rubber supply chain – from the upstream to downstream level – includes manufacturers/farmers, dealers, processing plants, sales subsidiaries and manufacturing plants. Pirelli , as a tyre manufacturer, is the end point of this complex chain.
Pirelli’s commitment in managing natural rubber supply is on many fronts, and it is possible to learn more on this page, from the fundamental cooperation with suppliers to monitoring their performance with a view to continuous improvement, as well as collaboration on multistakeholder platforms. At the local level, we are committed to protecting biodiversity and developing community projects. We also collaborate with customers and NGOs, while promoting awareness of the world of natural rubber and, importantly, we pay great attention to the innovation of processes, including certification to ensure the materials’ supply chain from its origins.
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Policy
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Pirelli’s Sustainable Natural Rubber Policy is the result of a long drafting process based on consultations with key Stakeholders within the value chain, and knowledge sharing activities with Corporations that have a history of experience in the sourcing of natural raw materials. The Draft version of the Policy was submitted to Stakeholders in a consultation session held in September 2017, attended by International NGOs, major Pirelli natural rubber Suppliers, traders and farmers within the supply chain, Automotive Clients, and Multilateral International Organizations.
The Policy was updated in 2021 in line with the new Policy Framework issued by the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber.
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Implementation Manual
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Pirelli has drawn up this Implementation Manual to provide clarification on the underlying values, commitments and concepts expressed in its Sustainable Natural Rubber Policy. It’s a practical tool to ensure that Suppliers can draw on suggestions to implement each Policy pillar, as well as the reference standards, also taking into account the differences of operational deployment at various levels of the chain.
The Manual is the result of a multi-stakeholder engagement process lasting more than a year, which started in the field with the consultation of farmers, dealers, small plantation owners, NGOs, trade union representatives and natural rubber industry local unions. Drafts were then trialed on the ground and submitted to key International Stakeholders. Their feedbacks led to the final version of the Manual, published here.
This content of the Manual is meant to evolve and improve over time in light of experiences in the field, and following the evolution of the regulatory context and of the rubber industry itself.
The Manual is available in local languages and constitutes the basis for the training sessions that Pirelli organizes for Suppliers in their respective countries.
English Version Chinese Version Indonesian Version Malaysian Version Portuguese Version Thai Version
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For years, Pirelli has been committed to promoting a responsible supply chain through initiatives dedicated to the sustainable development of forests, safeguarding biodiversity and supporting local communities.
- Launched in 2021 and completed in 2025, the Living Rubber project, developed in partnership with BMW and BirdLife International to promote a sustainable and deforestation-free natural rubber supply chain in Indonesia, contributed to the protection of more than 2,000 hectares of the Hutan Harapan rainforest, while supporting indigenous communities and helping safeguard endangered wildlife species.
Resources:
- → Pirelli and The BMW Group together with Birdlife International initiate project to contribute to safeguarding Indonesia’s natural ecosyste
- → Safeguarding the Indonesian ecosystem with the help of female empowerment (pirelli.com)
- → R for Rubber
- → A new Alphabet with 26 words that define Pirelli. R for Rubber.
- In 2025, Pirelli and CMO International launched a two-year pilot project in the Ban Bon Khuan (BBK) Community Forest in southern Thailand. The initiative focuses on developing a sustainable forest-based natural rubber production model by combining regenerative agroforestry practices with community-led forest management. Its objective is to preserve the integrity of the tropical forest while supporting the economic well-being of the BBK community through the regenerative harvesting of natural rubber and other forest products.
The project promotes FSC™1 -certified natural rubber and compliance with EUDR requirements by integrating rubber trees with native species and complementary agroforestry crops. Activities include the definition and monitoring of ecosystem service parameters, capacity building for smallholders, the organisation of logistics to facilitate rubber production and transportation, and the implementation of an environmental and social management plan. The initiative also forms part of Pirelli’s in-kind contribution to GPSNR.
1FSC™ N003618 www.fsc.org
The certification confirms that plantations are managed in a way that preserves biological diversity and benefits the lives of local people and workers, while ensuring that it sustains economic viability. The complex FSC™1 chain of custody certification process verifies that FSC™1-certified material has been identified and separated from non-certified material as it makes its way along the supply chain, from the plantations to the tyre manufacturer.
Pirelli has worked in partnership with its suppliers in order to achieve in 2021 in providing the first tyre with FSC™1-certified natural rubber, thanks to the sole use of natural rubber coming from Rome (Georiga, USA) plant. . Pirelli’s “FSC™1” journey in Europe began in 2023 with the production of FSC™1-certified Formula 1® tyres for the 2024 season. The same year also marked the introduction of FSC™1 certification in the cycling segment with the launch of the new Pirelli P Zero Race RS. In 2024, JLR became the first automotive manufacturer to equip its vehicles with Pirelli tyres made exclusively with FSC™1-certified natural rubber. By the end of 2026, Pirelli aims to source 100% FSC™1-certified natural rubber for its European tyre production.
Resources:
- → Pirelli produces the world's first tyre using FSC™ certified natural rubber
- → The World’s First FSC™-Certified Tyre Becomes a Reality Thanks to Pirelli and the BMW Group | Forest Stewardship Council™
- → PIRELLI’S MOTORSPORT FSC™-CERTIFIED TYRES (FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL™) MAKE THEIR DEBUT IN FORMULA 1®
- → PIRELLI: FIRST STANDARD PRODUCTION TYRE WITH OVER 70% BIO-BASED AND RECYCLED MATERIALS
- → PIRELLI LAUNCHES THE FIRST MOUNTAIN BIKE TYRES MADE IN ITALY WITH FSC™-CERTIFIED NATURAL RUBBER
1FSC™ N003618 www.fsc.org
The Pirelli platform "Being Fast Takes Time" was created to promote awareness of the world of natural rubber and the importance of preserving its precious ecosystem. A voyage through images from Indonesia to Thailand taken by the photographer Alessandro Scotti, following the path on which Pirelli embarked in 2017 with the launch of its Natural Rubber Policy, which illustrate the journey from the slow process of the extraction of latex to the tyre, protagonist of the world of competitive motorsports.
Resources:
→ Being Fast Takes Time
Pirelli had an active role in developing the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber - GPSNR together with tyre manufacturers belonging to the Tyre Industry Project Group, within the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The development of the platform has benefited from the contribution, the ideas and suggestions of the main stakeholders involved in the value chain, such as tyre manufacturers, processors, car manufacturers, and the fundamental expertise contributed by the relevant international NGOs.
The platform is intended to support the sustainable development of the natural rubber sector at the global level, benefit the entire value chain, through tools and shared initiatives based on the respect for human rights and work, the prevent land grabbing, respect biodiversity and the enhancement of plantations productivity, in particular small owner operations.
The first GPSNR General Assembly was held in March 2019. In 2021, the General Assembly established, among other requirements, that from 2022 onwards members would provide annual updates on the implementation of the GPSNR Policy, with Pirelli regularly reporting its progress to the platform. In 2025, Pirelli continued to play an active role in several GPSNR working groups, including:
- the Assurance System Taskforce (ASTF), which focuses on developing an assurance system to support GPSNR in demonstrating its long-term positive impact on the natural rubber industry and enabling member companies to validate their sustainability commitments and claims. In 2025, the GPSNR Assurance System developed by the taskforce was approved following an extraordinary General Assembly of GPSNR members;
- the Carbon Calculator Taskforce (CCTF), which aims to develop and refine a carbon footprint calculation tool for sourced natural rubber, covering all stages from plantation to delivery, including land-use change and agricultural operations. The tool is intended to provide valuable support to both GPSNR members and the wider natural rubber sector;
- the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Task Force (MELTF), which seeks to consolidate GPSNR data streams into meaningful impact metrics for monitoring, evaluation and learning purposes.
Resources:
→ Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber
1FSC™ N003618 www.fsc.org