{"id":1769,"date":"2018-12-18T17:26:15","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T16:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/master.k8s.p4.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/?p=1769"},"modified":"2019-11-06T09:33:44","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T08:33:44","slug":"eu-commission-promises-to-step-up-action-against-deforestation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/issues\/climate-energy\/1769\/eu-commission-promises-to-step-up-action-against-deforestation\/","title":{"rendered":"EU Commission promises to step up action against deforestation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brussels<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 In a <\/span>roadmap<\/span><\/a> released today, the European Commission has promised to address global deforestation and cut the EU\u2019s footprint on the world\u2019s forests.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Activists prevent a giant tanker transporting palm oil belonging to Wilmar, the world\u2019s biggest and dirtiest palm oil trader, from mooring in Rotterdam harbour in late November 2018.<\/p><\/div>\n

The roadmap highlights the link between deforestation and the global trade in commodities, in particular agricultural products like soy, palm oil and beef. The Commission recognises that <\/span>\u201cthe EU, as a major importer of agricultural commodities, is part of the problem but can also be part of the solution\u201d.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The roadmap considers action to address the impact of supply chains, the role of the financial and investment sectors, and EU consumption, as well as measures to support producer countries. However, it is unclear what concrete and binding measures might be tabled by the Commission.<\/span><\/p>\n

Greenpeace EU forest policy director S\u00e9bastien Risso<\/b> said:<\/span> \u201cThe Commission has recognised that Europe needs to do a lot more to protect the world\u2019s forests. It should start by proposing legislation to ensure that the food we eat and the products we use do not destroy forests or assault indigenous peoples\u2019 rights. Scientists also warn that protecting the world\u2019s last remaining forests is crucial to avoid the worst effects of climate change and save countless species from extinction.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Earlier this year, a <\/span>Commission-funded study<\/span><\/a> set out a range of policy options, including new laws, to tackle the EU\u2019s forest footprint and support global efforts to halt forest destruction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Greenpeace calls on the Commission to swiftly table an action plan which includes new laws to ensure that neither products placed on the EU market, nor the financial sector, cause environmental and social impacts like deforestation, forest degradation, or human rights violations. Greenpeace also calls for policy proposals to help reduce Europe\u2019s overconsumption of meat and dairy products, which is a driver of deforestation.<\/span><\/p>\n

In November, <\/span>seven countries<\/span><\/a> called on the Commission to deliver an ambitious action plan on deforestation and forest degradation before the end of the year. The <\/span>European Parliament<\/span><\/a> also called for an action plan in September, which it said should include regulatory measures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Forest destruction is a major cause of climate change and species extinction, and is often associated with human rights abuses. <\/span>Scientists say the protection and restoration of forests need to play a major part in reducing global emissions and removing and storing carbon from the atmosphere.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Commission is expected to launch a public consultation on deforestation within the next few weeks, and to publish more detailed plans in a communication paper in spring 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Contacts<\/b>:<\/span><\/p>\n

S\u00e9bastien Risso<\/b> \u2013 Greenpeace EU forest policy director: +32 (0)496 127009, <\/span>sebastien.risso@greenpeace.org<\/span><\/p>\n

Greenpeace EU press desk<\/b>: +32 (0)2 274 1911, <\/span>pressdesk.eu@greenpeace.org<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For breaking news and comment on EU affairs:<\/span> www.twitter.com\/GreenpeaceEU<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. Greenpeace does not accept donations from governments, the EU, businesses or political parties.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brussels\u00a0\u2013 In a roadmap released today, the European Commission has promised to address global deforestation and cut the EU\u2019s footprint on the world\u2019s forests. The roadmap highlights the link between…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":1772,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[22,26,27,28,30,38,48],"p4-page-type":[14],"class_list":["post-1769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-energy","category-nature-food","tag-climatechange","tag-farming","tag-food","tag-forests","tag-gmos","tag-trade","tag-bioenergy","p4-page-type-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1769"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1769\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1774,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1769\/revisions\/1774"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1769"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eu-unit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=1769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}