EAC Chair pushes Government to fulfil promises on deforestation

The Environmental Audit Committee has published a letter from the Chair, Toby Perkins, to the Government, pressing ministers to take urgent action on deforestation.

The previous Government proposed setting up a due diligence system to stop UK businesses from using commodities linked to deforestation even in cases when that activity was permitted by local laws. This followed a recommendation made in the predecessor EAC's report on ‘the UK's contribution to tackling global deforestation'.

However, the secondary legislation required to specify which commodities fall under the new system has not yet been brought forward.

In his letter, the Chair warns that delaying the legislation make the UK's commitments on reversing biodiversity loss and tackling deforestation harder to achieve, as well as leaving businesses with less time to prepare for the new regime.

“My Committee urges the Government to bring forward this secondary legislation as soon as possible, ideally before the New Year, to ensure it could be in place for the new financial year,” the Chair says, and asks ministers to set out a specific date for when the secondary legislation will be introduced to Parliament. 

The letter is available on the Committee's website.