Summary:
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The European Union has approved a new rule that will make it illegal to bring goods linked to destroying forests.
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Greenpeace’s environmental organisation hailed it as a breakthrough, but several nations claimed the regulations would harm global trade.
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The rules, according to the EU, would reduce carbon emissions everywhere.
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The laws apply to goods imported into the EU, including palm oil, beef, soy, coffee, cocoa, lumber, and rubber.
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According to the commission, it would also reduce annual worldwide carbon emissions by 31.9 million metric tons, or nearly the same amount as Denmark’s carbon emissions in 2021, per data from the World Bank.
The European Union has approved a new rule that will make it illegal to bring goods linked to destroying forests.
To ensure that no forests were harmed in the process of making them, household products like coffee, chocolate, and some furniture must pass stringent inspections.
Greenpeace, an environmental group, called it a big step forward, but several countries said the rules would hurt international trade.
The rules, according to the EU, would reduce carbon emissions everywhere.
The laws apply to goods imported into the EU, including palm oil, beef, soy, coffee, cocoa, lumber, and rubber.
A news release from the European Commission also encompasses everything made from these goods, such as meat.
The head of the environmental parliamentary committee for the European Union, Pascal Canfin, stated: “It’s the coffee we drink for breakfast, the chocolate we eat, the coal in our barbecues, and the paper in our books.”
Businesses that export goods to the EU must demonstrate that their products are not connected to deforestation or risk fines of up to 4% of their annual EU sales.
- Which nations continue to clear forests?
- Why is deforestation such a hot topic now?
An impact assessment by the European Commission says that the new rule will protect at least 71,920 hectares (278 square miles) of forest annually, which is more than 100,000 football fields.
According to the commission, it would also reduce annual worldwide carbon emissions by 31.9 million metric tons, or nearly the same amount as Denmark’s carbon emissions in 2021, per data from the World Bank.
The European Council and the European Parliament, where member states negotiate policy, have not yet agreed to the deal.
According to the European Commission, the law becomes effective 20 days after it is formally accepted, which is anticipated to happen next year.
Operators and traders would have 18 months to follow the new rules after they became law.
Lesser-known businesses will have 24 months to adjust.
After December 2020, businesses will have to substantiate that their products were not made on land cleared of trees.
According to a spokeswoman for the European Commission, the legislative change would have little to no effect on consumer pricing.
According to the environmental organization Greenpeace, the agreement was “a huge breakthrough for forests.”
