7 March, 2022
What are the drivers, what are the impacts and how can they be addressed.
At the launch event for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global Deforestation, the co-chair Anna McMorrin MP opened the session. “The Amazon is under threat from big companies & deforestation. We want to be here to protect human rights & think of the future of our planet, we know the impact deforestation has on climate change & biodiversity”
Global Canopy’s Executive Director Niki Mardas highlighted the urgent need to maintain momentum in the wake of the latest COP26 commitments.
“There is no solution to climate change without a solution to deforestation, yet two-thirds of the financial institutions we assess as of the Forest 500 representing us$2.6 trillion in assets do no have a deforestation policy.”
“The UK can be a global leader […] by building a strong Environment Act that includes all the commodities that drive deforestation”
João Campari, WWF Global Leader Food Practice
Global Witness research shows that the UK could still be contributing to rainforest destruction the size of Berlin between now & 2030 if it keeps importing products grown on deforested land. Head of Forests, Policy and Advocacy, Jo Blackman, urged “please do all you can to ensure this world-leading legislation tackles all commodities and helps end our global deforestation footprint. Let’s not let finance off the hook.”
The Environment Secretary, George Eustice called the Environment Act “an important first step. We are the first country to introduce due diligence, if we can get Brazil and other major forest countries behind us, we can make some serious progress.” –
He also didn’t out finance sector action”[Regulation on the finance sector] is not something we rule out, I know it’s something Zac Goldsmith is exploring – but we wanted to get something across the line as a first step. But we could consider further things at a later date.”
“My country does not need anymore deforestation”
Human rights & climate defender, Claudelice da Silva Santos shares her community’s experience of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
NGO Forest Coalition 