Eighteen cross-party MPs and members of the House of Lords have signed an open letter to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs calling for the government to introduce regulations to end the import of commodities grown on illegally deforested land.
The MPs and peers make the case that regulating on forest risk commodities is good for business. Uncertainty over the regulations has been dragging on since the passing of the Environment Act in 2021.
The Environment Act was meant to put a stop to the import of commodities grown on illegally deforested land. Nearly five years on, little progress has been made to bring forward strong secondary legislation to enforce the Act’s due diligence obligation for forest risk commodities.
Led by Alex Sobel, MP and Pippa Heylings, MP, the letter says,
“Regulating the use of forest risk commodities in the UK is good for business and good for growth.”
Alex Sobel, MP and Pippa Heylings, MP, are co-chairs of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global Deforestation. The group raises the profile of the need for forest risk commodity regulations as a move that supports business and protects the environment.
Chocolate producers and retailers in the UK have made it clear that they want robust forest risk commodity regulations that address the UK’s impact on deforestation and associated human rights abuses.
Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose, and chocolate manufacturers Ferrero, The Hershey Company, Tony’s Chocolonely and Barry Callebaut have called for the UK government to end the current uncertainty over the entry into force of the UK forest risk commodities regulation.The UK is lagging behind the EU in regulating the use of forest risk commodities.
The letter says,
“We want an end to deforestation and associated human rights abuses in cocoa and other commodity supply chains.”
The letter points out that there is widespread public support for forest protection. Polling shows that 70% of British citizens, irrespective of age or political affiliation, back the UK government taking action to stop the import of commodities tainted by deforestation overseas.
The full letter is available here.
NGO Forest Coalition 