UK Government Moves To Introduce Anti-Deforestation Rules

The UK government has finally announced long-awaited plans to introduce anti-deforestation rules after leaving the EU in 2020.

Under the proposed rules, businesses importing commodities sourced from rainforests would be responsible for checking their own supply chains and ensuring that they are not contributing to illegal deforestation.

Specifically, the government aims to introduce new regulations and legislation to strengthen the post-Brexit Environment Act and the UK Timber Regulation (UKTR), which were implemented in 2021 in place of the then-upcoming EUDR (2023) and EU Timber Regulation (2013), which also aim to tackle global deforestation.

If introduced, the new rules will require all businesses with an annual turnover of more than £1 million that import potentially deforestation-linked commodities to “carry out due diligence to ensure these are produced in compliance with relevant local laws.”

The rules will apply to wood, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy, and cattle, in addition to certain products derived from those commodities, such as chocolate.

Mary Creagh, the Nature Minister, said, “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.

“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.”

The UK, the EUDR, and cutting out deforestation

Photo shows a large herd of cattle grazing on a feedlot that has been clear cut. The UK government has finally announced plans to introduce its own anti-deforestation rules after leaving the EU in 2020 — Adobe Stock Cattle farming is a significant cause of deforestation

The precise details of the UK’s long-delayed anti-deforestation rules are yet to be decided, and the government plans to consult businesses, civil society, and international partners “on the substance” of the proposed policy.

While the outlined anti-deforestation rules have been broadly welcomed as a step in the right direction, they are not yet as stringent as the EUDR, which extends to all deforestation, not just that which is illegal locally. The EUDR also explicitly lists more products that are at risk of perpetuating deforestation, such as chocolate, and applies to all businesses, not just those with an annual turnover of £1 million and above.

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