The UK government plans to curb illegal deforestation to protect the rainforests by cleaning up its supply chain. The world-leading new law, proposed August 25, 2020, would prohibit larger businesses operating in the United Kingdom from using products grown on illegally deforested land.
The businesses would be required to publish information on their supply chains, showing where essential commodities (such as palm oil, cocoa, soy, and rubber) came from and how they were produced. To be acceptable, the product would have to have been made in line with local environmental laws that protect natural ecosystems. If the business fails to carry out due diligence, they would be subject to fines.
The UK wants the world to know that illegally produced commodities have no place in its market as it builds back greener from coronavirus. The legislation is tailored to work in tandem with the producer countries’ efforts to enforce environmental laws. It’s intended to benefit law-abiding companies and nations whose governments implement such legislation.
International Environment Minister Lord Goldsmith, said:
We have all seen the devastating pictures of the world’s most precious forests being cleared, often illegally, and we can’t afford not to act as a country. There is a hugely important connection between the products we buy and their wider environmental footprint, which is why the government is consulting today on new measures that would make it illegal for businesses in the UK to use commodities that are not grown in accordance with local laws.
There has been a lot of progress already to make the UK’s supply chains more sustainable, but more needs to be done. We will continue to work closely with farmers, businesses, and governments around the world to ensure that we can protect our vital forests and support livelihoods as we build back greener from coronavirus.
Last year, the UK established the Global Resource Initiative – an independent taskforce to consider how the nation could “green” international supply chains – and this legislative proposal is one of its recommendations.
Sir Ian Cheshire, the chair of the independent taskforce, said:
Every day, British consumers buy food and other products which are contributing to the loss of the world’s most precious forests. We need to find ways of reducing this impact if we are to tackle climate change, reduce the risks of pandemics, and protect the livelihoods of some of the poorest people in the world.
I’m delighted to see the Government respond to one of the key recommendations of the Global Resource Initiative by starting a discussion on how changes in UK law could help us all to reduce our global footprint. I would encourage as many people as possible to respond to this important consultation.
The consultation on the proposal is open to all stakeholders interested. The Department for Environment, Food, & Rural Affairs said that the government would take into consideration everyone’s input on the potential impacts on businesses and other interests.
Ruth Chambers, from the Greener UK coalition, said:
This consultation is a welcome first step in the fight to tackle the loss of our planet’s irreplaceable natural wonders such as the Amazon and in the pursuit of supply chains free from products that contribute to deforestation. The evidence linking deforestation with climate change, biodiversity loss, and the spread of zoonotic diseases is compelling.
A new law is an important part of the solution and is urgently needed. The government’s flagship Environment Bill provides a timely vehicle to progress this. The proposal must now be tested thoroughly to ensure it will deliver the Government’s domestic and international environmental leadership ambitions.
However, some critics say the government’s proposal is “seriously flawed” and that prohibitions and fines are not enough.
Elena Polisano, a Greenpeace UK forests campaigner, said:
Defra’s proposal to make it ‘illegal for larger businesses to use products unless they comply with local laws to protect natural areas’ is seriously flawed. We’ve all seen the way president [Jair] Bolsonaro has championed the expansion of agriculture in Brazil at the expense of the Amazon rainforest. There is also nothing to address the fact that some commodity producers may have one ‘sustainable’ line but continue to destroy forests elsewhere, which just shifts the problem into someone else’s backyard.
We will never solve this problem without tackling demand. Companies like Tesco, who sell more meat and dairy and so use more soya for animal feed than any other UK retailer, know what they need to do to reduce the impact they are having on deforestation in the Amazon and other crucial forests. They must reduce the amount of meat and dairy they sell and drop forest destroyers from their supply chain immediately.
Mike Barrett, a WWF-UK executive director of science and conservation, said:
It’s clear businesses and consumers don’t want imports that wreck the planet, drive deforestation in areas like the Amazon and lead to devastating fires. The government must now fast-track strong, effective laws that clean up our supply chains and show the UK can take the lead in tackling the global nature and climate crisis.
Deforestation is responsible for 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions, so protecting forests is central to tackling climate change. The production of agricultural commodities causes 80% of the deforestation – with as much as 90% of that being illegal in some countries. The destruction of these vital habitats isn’t only causing global warming. It’s also driving biodiversity loss, increasing the risk of extreme weather events, and exacerbating the spread of infectious diseases.
The Amazon Rainforest may be in the spotlight when it comes to record losses, but Illegal deforestation is a global problem. Africa, Australia, and Indonesia are a few other troubled regions. However, Norway has been helping Indonesia with multi-million-dollar rewards for governmental efforts to halt deforestation. The Nordic country was also the first in the world to ban deforestation. If more developing nations would take a stand like the UK and Norway are, the future could start getting greener much faster!
