This event has been made possible with the financial assistance of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Life Programme of the European Union. Rue d’Edimbourg, 26 1050 Bruxelles Belgium, 1c Fosseway Business Centre Stratford Road Moreton-in-Marsh Gloucestershire GL56 9NQ, Tel: +44 1608 652 895 Fax: +44 1608 652 878, Email our safeguarding team at complaints@fern.org. Companies will also be required … Due diligence has an important role to play in halting deforestation, fighting climate change and protecting communities. Enforcing due diligence legislation ‘plus’ 15 October 2020 Written by: Duncan Brack and Saskia Ozinga Our latest policy analysis on how to end EU imports of Forest Risk Commodities looks at the type of regulation the Commission should adopt to halt and reverse global deforestation and how it could be enforced. Companies will have to ensure … We welcome these new measures as an important first step … due diligence team, uncovered many ESG risks including environmental liabilities, poor working conditions, potential for labor disputes and unsound Board processes. Similarly, Sainsbury’s had commitments to … To spur the sector into … The proposed legislation says illegally produced commodities have no place in the UK market, but Greenpeace has … On 25 August 2020, the UK Government announced plans to introduce a new law prohibiting large businesses from using deforestation-linked products. the financial sector should also be covered by a similar mandatory due diligence obligation, undertaking due diligence in order to avoid their lending and investment activities funding deforestation. We will also discuss political will and the conditions and tools needed to exclude deforestation and human rights violations from EU supply chains. As usual, the numbers are alarming. Preventing Deforestation through Due Diligence. The TTF welcomes the Government’s proposal for mandatory due diligence legislation on key forest commodities to remove products with illegal deforestation risks from the UK market. deforestation Development Policy due diligence Energy & Environment European Green Deal Global Europe imported deforestation supply chains Sustainable Development Due Diligence The UK government held a 6-week consultation about its proposals for due diligence legislation on forest risk commodities, which ended on 5th October 2020. Through these expert groups, amfori will be able to provide timely information on the future legislation and will have the opportunity to have a say on the framing of the due diligence requirements. Due diligence is one of the policy options considered by the EU Commission in its impact assessment of regulatory and non-regulatory EU measures to minimise the risk of deforestation and … All opinions and context expressed are solely those of Fern. Only 1,400 mature individuals remain, largely due to deforestation driven by soy production … It had also committed to deforestation-free soy by 2020, but lack of progress across the soy sector has seen that deadline pushed back to 2025. Due to our expertise, amfori has been … 11.9 million hectares of tree cover were lost last year, including 3.8 million hectares of tropical primary forest, home to the majority of biodiversity and carbon storage. As presently proposed, the deforestation due diligence law will require just “ a relatively small number of larger businesses to make sure that the ‘forest risk’ commodities they use – … The ambition of such a proposal is for a mandatory due diligence obligation for all companies placing a product on the EU market linked to one of the main commodities responsible for deforestation (soy, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, beef, rubber). 11.9 million … The webinar discussed how to trace Brazilian agricultural exports to the EU and how a deforestation and land rights observatory could help EU companies perform due diligence to remove deforestation and human rights violations from their supply chains. Ahead of legislation planned for next year, the European Parliament has proposed a Regulation specifically tackling deforestation through due diligence requirements in the supply chains. We are also committed to strengthening our due diligence and management programs, while keeping the needs of our suppliers and our customers a top priority. Introduction, Nicole Polsterer, from Fern. 1 October 2020. A high-profile initiative focused on reducing forest-risk commodity (FRC) imports into the EU won’t be finalised for at least 18 months, but risk managers should take heed of broader guidance that … Timber … This followed the publication … EU Due Diligence Regulation to Reduce Deforestation and Forest Degradation An opportunity to build on and scale lasting, local solutions As a mission-driven organisation working extensively in the responsible sourcing and production of various deforestation risk commodities, Proforest supports the EU’s initiative to tackle deforestation and forest degradation. To support you in the framing of the future obligations, amfori is strengthening its advocacy efforts and timber due diligence tools. Membership information : +32 (0) 2 741 64 76 (Mon-Thu 09:00 - 18:00, Fri 09:00-16:00), Greater China office : +852 2157 3727 or  +852 2157 3722, amfori Sustainability Intelligence Dashboard, Preventing Deforestation through Due Diligence, amfori, The Gradient Building, Avenue de Tervueren 270, 1150 Brussels. In June, Global Forest Watch published data on deforestation in 2019. Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), International Rights Based Forest Restoration, Ending imported destruction: How EU due diligence regulations could protect forests and people, Selo_-_Proposta_regra_rígida_para_importações_da_UE.pdf, Tackling_deforestation_through_EU_due_diligence__2_.pdf. Watch the video of the event in Portuguese or German. As presently proposed, the deforestation due diligence law will require just “ a relatively small number of larger businesses to make sure that the ‘forest risk’ commodities they use – … Due diligence in the supply chain as an instrument to reduce the impact of products placed on the European market with regards to deforestation and forest degradation 5 th October 2020 … Due diligence has been … As usual, the numbers are alarming. deforestation target and a target to halve the UK’s global footprint. The new due diligence law requires companies to monitor and address challenges in their supply chains, including workers’ rights and environmental standards. The webinar discussed how to trace Brazilian agricultural exports to the EU and how a deforestation and land rights observatory could help EU companies perform due diligence to remove deforestation and human rights violations from their supply chains. And, it … A new multi-stakeholder platform was launched earlier this month by the European Commission to help protect and restore the world’s forests. Our research reveals that ‘ground-truthing’ can strengthen due diligence processes, thereby mitigating the risk of harmful impacts on human rights and the environment. By including a due diligence aspect, companies would be required to assess the risk of deforestation in their respective value chains and take remedial actions. Tackling deforestation through EU due diligence: lessons and proposals from Brazil. About a third of soya consumed in the EU comes from Brazil  and 10 per cent of all Brazilian beef is exported to the EU. As a result the client reduced … We hope you found our research useful, please help us spread our message by sharing this content. This would not apply to all operations of a company, but is instead aimed at a limited scope of high-risk goods. In June, Global Forest Watch published data on deforestation in 2019. Sustainably Sourced Palm Oil The Kraft Heinz Company recognizes that unsustainable palm oil production is one of the largest drivers of deforestation … Categories: Events, Sustainable Supply Chains, Brazil. - Reporting by economic magazine, Valor on the issues discussed during the webinar in Portuguese. The EU is waking up to its own responsibility when it comes to “imported deforestation” - deforestation caused by commodities destined for European consumers. One of the counter-arguments often put forward to dismiss the need for due diligence laws to cover the finance sector is that there are other mechanisms that do a better job of addressing its links to deforestation, such as climate reporting requirements. EIA response to consultation on a new UK due diligence regulation to combat deforestation The UK is acknowledging that new laws will be necessary to better protect forests and the people who … Trase’s unique data sets reveal the soy and beef deforestation risk associated with EU imports. It is estimated that EU consumption represents around … If agreed, the deal will allow 99,000 tonnes of beef to be exported to the EU tariff-free. The EU is currently considering regulatory measures to tackle deforestation in its supply chains, and the European Commission is conducting an impact assessment of regulatory and non-regulatory measures for stepping up EU action to protect the world’s forests. The deforestation report recommends a product-specific approach to due diligence. That is the equivalent of losing a football pitch of primary forest every six seconds throughout the entire year. If due diligence laws are adopted, companies like Nestle NESN.S and Danone DANO.PA might have to comply with them as early as 2024, a mammoth and costly task as they could be forced … CEO of Tesco UK & ROI, Jason Tarry described the government’s move as a first step saying, “Due diligence has an important role to play in halting deforestation, fighting climate change … The golden lion tamarin is an endangered small primate endemic to the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. Plans to clamp down on illegal deforestation and protect rainforests have been published by the government today (25 August) as it consults on a world-leading new law to clean up the UK’s … A recent peer-reviewed Science article provided the first property-level analysis linking beef and soy production with deforestation in the Cerrado and Amazon, two of the most threatened biomes in Brazil. You are currently offline. Commodity imports are set to accelerate under the Mercosur Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the South American bloc of nations which include Brazil, which was finalised in June 2019. A journey through the Amazon and the Cerrado. Deforestation is now the second leading cause of climate change globally, after burning fossil fuels, and is responsible for around 11% of all greenhouse gas emissions Reversing deforestation is key to protecting biodiversity, creating carbon sinks and sustainably supporting local communities. Alternatively, please email your response to Due.Diligence@defra.gov.uk, or post your response to: Consultation Coordinator at Defra, 2 nd Floor, Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme … amfori main office (general enquiries): + 32 (0) 2 762 05 51; How to conduct solid wood due diligence in timber value chains. Fern works to achieve environmental and social justice with a focus on forests and forest peoples' rights in the policies and practices of the European Union. Deforestation accounts for about 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Likewise, if China and the US’ new trade agreement is implemented, a larger quantity of Brazilian soy currently exported to Asia is likely to be sold to the EU instead.