A proposed delay to the EU’s anti-deforestation law could cause deforestation “14 times the size of Paris”, claim environmental campaigners, amid a new report that palm oil-linked deforestation has increased again after a decade.
The European Commission’s decision to postpone its flagship environmental law, originally due to come into effect on 30 December, by one year could drive at least 150,385 hectares of deforestation linked to EU trade, according to Global Witness estimates.
It calculated the emissions associated with deforestation risk exposure based on 2021-2022 data produced by the Deforestation Driver and Carbon Emission model, which uses remote sensing data on forest loss and land use, along with agricultural statistics, to attribute deforestation worldwide to the expansion of cropland, pastures, forest plantations, and the commodities produced on this land.
Global Witness added that the figures “likely underestimate the true emissions” as the dataset does not include all forest-risk commodities covered by the EUDR, such as timber.
Additionally, reliable deforestation estimates for more processed products are not available and are not reflected in the data, the eco-campaign group said.
Read more: The deforestation regulation clock is ticking for food and drink
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is a first-of-its-kind regulation that would require businesses to prove that certain commodities – including palm oil, soy, cattle and cocoa, as well as its derived products – sold in the EU market are free from deforestation.
Last week, the European Commission proposed a delay to the deadline, over fears that both farmers in producer countries and businesses trading in the bloc were not prepared for the requirements.
Global Witness suggested the proposed one-year delay could “seriously jeopardise the EU’s Green Deal agenda”. It described last week’s proposals as a “setback” for climate action and urged the European Council and EU parliament, which have to greenlight the plans, to reject them and instead require implementation as planned from the end of this year.
“Businesses are pushing back because this law finally takes a stand against deforestation and those willing to clear priceless ecosystems to turn a profit,” said Global Witness senior EU forests campaigner Giulia Bondi.
“This law is the product of extensive negotiations, and any potential delay threatens the EU democratic decision-making process. That the European Commission is now caving in to pressure from industries who want to continue profiting from deforestation raises serious alarm about their priorities over the next five years.”
Read more: A delay to EUDR is bad news for farmers and suppliers
Meanwhile, new data out today showed palm oil-linked deforestation in Indonesia increased in 2022 after nearly a decade of decline.
The latest analysis by the Stockholm Environment Institute NGO Trase, which gathers data on agricultural commodities and deforestation, shows the levels of land clearing linked to palm oil production in Indonesia increased by 18% in 2022 – after almost 10 years of continuously falling despite expansion of the sector.
The expansion of oil palm plantations has been an important driver of deforestation in Indonesia for the past 20 years, accounting for one-third (three million hectares) of Indonesia’s loss of old-growth forest, Trase figures show.
This deforestation, alongside peatland drying and associated fires, is an important contributor to global climate change and biodiversity loss.
Palm oil-linked deforestation also contributes “substantially” to Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions – the sector emits around 220 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, almost a fifth of the country’s total annual emissions in 2022.
The Indonesian palm oil lobby was among the most vocal opposers of the EU’s anti-deforestation law.
The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) welcomed the announcement last week, with chairman Eddy Martono saying: “Indonesia has been underlining the problems with EUDR for more than a year, and our calls have been listened to.
“We also welcome the strengthened international co-operation framework and new guidance for those in the supply chain.”
“We are aware that the proposal must be approved by the EU parliament and member states, and trust they also recognise the need for the delay and the concerns of Indonesia and Europe’s other major trading partners,” Martono added.
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