The UK government has announced that it plans to institute rules to ensure products sold in the UK are not linked to illegal deforestation.
Under these rules, businesses importing deforestation-linked commodities into Great Britain will need to check that said supply chains are not contributing to illegal deforestation.
This announcement comes as the deadline for the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) fast approaches.
The rules will cover commodities such as coffee, cocoa, soy, palm oil and rubber.
The details of the rules are yet to be decided – the UK government will consult business, civil society and international partners later in the year while deciding the specifics of the policy.
Nevertheless, this upcoming consultation will propose that the law covers the same commodities and information requirements as the EUDR, in order to prevent administrative duplication and ease the burden of compliance.
The new rules will apply only in Great Britain, the UK’s largest island composed of England, Scotland and Wales. This is because in Northern Ireland, the EUDR will apply. Northern Ireland has had dual-market access to both the UK internal market and the EU single market.
These changes have been pushed for by several major supermarkets, which have called for stronger regulation.
“Tackling global deforestation is one of the most effective ways we can address climate change and protect some of the world’s most unique and precious wildlife,” says Mary Creagh, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature.
“That is why we are leading by example and scrutinising our own supply chains. Eliminating products linked to illegal deforestation not only helps to protect precious ecosystems but is good for our collective resilience and long-term prosperity.”
Eventually, the government hopes to produce a standard that will require the relevant commodities to be produced free of any deforestation.