UK Environment Bill – Joint NGO Briefing on Due Diligence and Deforestation

UK NGOs urge government to strengthen due diligence measures in Environment Bill

We welcome the Government’s ambition to tackle the UK’s contribution to global deforestation, and we support the Government’s proposal to establish a legal framework to address the environmental footprint of the UK’s consumption of forest risk commodities. Halting the global loss of forests and other natural ecosystems is essential for tackling the climate and nature emergencies we all face, preserving the capacity of the natural world to sustain our economies and well-being, as well as protecting the human rights of the estimated 1.3 billion people who depend directly on forests for their livelihood.

However, the current proposal, set out in Schedule 16 to the Environment Bill, needs improvement if it is to deliver on its recommendations and live up to the expectations of UK consumers and businesses. For the Government to deliver the ambitious leadership needed to tackle global deforestation, climate change, and biodiversity loss – at the G7, COP26 and other key events this year – Schedule 16 should be improved.

Read the full NGO briefing, including recommendations on Due Diligence and Deforestation.

Download the briefing