The UK has a leading role to play in supporting global efforts to tackle deforestation. Implementing an updated regime across the UK is critical to strengthen environmental protections, grow trade in sustainably produced commodities, and contribute to global efforts to halt deforestation—one of the most effective measures to address climate change and biodiversity loss.

This Government recognise that healthy forests are essential to climate stability, sustainable economic growth and the livelihoods of communities at home and abroad. Protecting and restoring these ecosystems strengthens our collective resilience, allowing us to secure supply chains, food and water resources, and long-term prosperity.

Around 90% of global deforestation is driven by agriculture, much of which is to produce internationally traded commodities. In 2023, UK consumption of agricultural commodities was associated with 29,000 hectares of deforestation worldwide and 9.4 million tonnes of associated carbon emissions.

UK companies have been global leaders in taking strong voluntary action to address deforestation in their supply chains, but they have also been clear that voluntary measures alone cannot deliver the consistency and certainty needed to tackle this global challenge.Column 18WSis located here

A mandatory due diligence framework for timber has been in place across the UK since 2013. Building on this existing framework, we now intend to go further to decouple UK consumption from global deforestation.

We will therefore launch a consultation later this year to seek views on our Great Britain deforestation policy proposals from businesses, civil society and international partners.

We will consult on our aim to introduce regulations, including under the Environment Act 2021, alongside legislation that will strengthen the UK timber regulation. The aim of our proposals will be to require businesses in Great Britain with an annual turnover of over £1 million that use forest risk commodities and wood products, to carry out due diligence to ensure these are produced in compliance with relevant local laws.

In parallel, the Government are also confirming that the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products will apply in Northern Ireland as part of arrangements which ensure Northern Ireland’s unique access to the EU single market is maintained. The regulation is due to apply in phases from 30 December 2026.

To ensure coherence across the UK internal market, and recognising the Government’s manifesto commitment to protect the UK internal market and remove barriers to trade with the EU, we aim, subject to consultation, for due diligence requirements in Great Britain to apply to the same commodities and for businesses to be required to hold and pass down the supply chain broadly the same information as under the EUDR.

This approach is intended to avoid duplication of business burdens and disincentives to trade between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the EU, so as to ensure that the measures announced today for Great Britain operate effectively alongside the EUDR.

In due course, the Government’s ambition is to transition to a deforestation-free standard.

The Government’s aim is to strengthen the approach to tackling deforestation, ensuring that any measures support the UK’s objectives on promoting economic growth, securing sustainable supply chains and advancing our international climate and nature ambitions.

This action also helps us deliver on the UK’s commitment under the Glasgow leaders’ declaration on forests and land use, agreed at COP26, to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.

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