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Posted: 14th December 2023

New law to reduce products made through illegal deforestation
Defra says that an area the size of the UK is ploughed each year to meet demand.
The regulations will protect important habitats.

The UK Government has announced new legislation, designed to protect the rainforests from the production of supermarket items, at COP28.

The law will mean that businesses with a global annual turnover of over £50 million which are using over 500 tonnes of regulated commodities per year will be banned from using the commodities if they are sourced from illegally used land.

Produce such as palm oil, cocoa, leather, soy and beef will all be affected by the new rules, which were announced at COP28 Nature Day. There will be a grace period before businesses will have to monitor their supply chains to ensure they are complying, and report on their results annually.

The legislation will be enforced under the Environment Act, and will aim to assure consumers that products are not sourced from deforestation which violates the laws of the countries where they come from.

Defra says that this will protect the habitats of endangered species, such as orangutans, tigers and leopards, as well as ensuring the rainforest continues to absorb harmful gases and provide a safe biome for animal and plant life.

It says that an area the size of the UK is ploughed each year, to meet the demand in the UK for commodities.

Environment secretary Steve Barclay said: “I find it heart-rending to see the way illegal deforestation is destroying the habitats of tigers, jaguars, orangutans and many other endangered species, and I know many people across the world feel the same. Globally, we lose forests equivalent to the size of about 30 football pitches every minute.

“It’s why we are cleaning up supply chains to make sure that big businesses in the UK aren’t responsible for illegal deforestation. It also means shoppers can be confident that the money they spend is part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.”

Tanya Steele, CEO of WWF, said: “We haven’t a moment to lose to bring our world back to life and these measures must be implemented in Parliament as swiftly as possible.”

Image © Shutterstock



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