In a move climate activists call a "slap in the face," European government officials are working to delay a groundbreaking anti-deforestation law by a year.
According to a Reuters report, the impending delay follows global criticism that the law, which focuses on imports, is too restrictive and may harm importers worldwide.
What's happening?
European officials are planning to delay the implementation of a new climate law banning the import of goods linked to deforestation. The law — known as the European Union Deforestation Regulation, or EUDR — was originally set to take effect on December 30. Now, officials want to delay the law for 12 months.
The groundbreaking climate law would require companies importing soy, beef, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, timber, rubber, and other products to prove their supply chains do not contribute to deforestation. To comply, companies would need to closely monitor their supply chains, reporting data like a product's country of origin and the exact geolocation where a product was produced. Companies would face sizable fines if their supply chains didn't meet regulations.
According to Reuters, several countries and industries internationally say the law could negatively impact millions of poor, small-scale farmers who depend on European markets. Other critics worry the regulations could disrupt supply chains and increase the price of imported goods in the EU. Some also argue the law would harm the EU's own farmers, who would be banned from exporting products grown on deforested land under the regulations.
Activists, however, see the law as a needed step in protecting forests globally, encouraging a less environmentally taxing supply chain and forcing importers to create sustainable supply chains.
"People in Europe don't want deforestation products on their supermarket shelves but that's what this delay will give them, for another twelve months," Greenpeace said in reaction to the proposed delay.
Why is the EU's anti-deforestation law important?
According to WWF data, the EU is the world's second-largest contributor to deforestation through its imports. Second only to China, the EU is responsible for 16% of global deforestation.
Sam Lawson, director of the nonprofit Earthsight, told The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that a one-year delay of the EUDR would be "devastating" for the world's forests.
"The EU's own studies indicate that some 2,300 sq km of forest will be destroyed," Lawson told ICIJ. "The consequences for the climate are huge: the resulting emissions are equivalent to those from 18 million cars."
According to United Nations data, an area of forest roughly the size of Portugal is destroyed by deforestation each year. But forests are vital to the planet, helping to address some of the devastating impacts of climate change.
Notably, forests store heaps of carbon dioxide and release loads of oxygen into the air. Forests also help remove pollutants from air and water and help to conserve and enrich soil. Lush forest environments also provide vital habitats for plants, wildlife, and even people. According to WWF, more than 70 million people worldwide live in forest regions, most of which are members of Indigenous communities.
With that in mind, Human Rights Watch calls the EU's proposed law delay "bad news for the climate-critical forests around the world as well as the human rights of Indigenous peoples and other forest-dependent communities."
What's next for the EU's anti-deforestation law?
EU member states recently approved delaying the law's implementation by 12 months. The proposal now goes to the European Parliament for a vote in mid-November. It's expected the law will indeed be delayed by one year.
This isn't the first time green laws and regulations in the EU have been challenged or watered down. According to Reuters, EU leaders have rolled back several climate laws in the past year to appease farmers and importers.
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