Our Planet Climate and Geopolitics
Landmark legislation that aims to curb global deforestation was to be implemented in December but with less than three months to go, the European Commission has proposed a 12-month delay. The hiatus marks a fresh setback for Europe’s green push, and a win for global agriculture heavyweights from Brazil to China which have been united in their stance against the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Indonesia, which contributes 31 per cent of the EU’s palm oil imports, is critical of the regulation and its impacts on small-scale farmers who lack the equipment to make sure their farms comply. The delay gives countries time to prepare for the incoming law, but smaller developing economies may still struggle to upgrade tracking and monitoring systems along their supply chains without sufficient investment.
