Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Acknowledged
Require all acquired forest-risk commodities to be certified as sustainably produced under GBS.
Recommendation
We recommend that the GBS require all acquired forest-risk commodities (in addition to palm oil, timber and paper) to be certified as sustainably produced. (Paragraph 41) The UK’s proposed due diligence system under the Environment Act 2021
Government Response Summary
The government will focus statutory reviews on scheme effectiveness and is exploring how to address the role of indigenous peoples in forest preservation within the independent evaluation of the scheme.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
As the objective of our due diligence legislation is to reduce deforestation linked to UK commodity supply chains, statutory reviews of Schedule 17 will focus on evaluating the scheme’s effectiveness in meeting this objective. However, we are aware of the crucial role of indigenous peoples in the preservation of forests and appreciate the relevance of this issue to our core policy objectives. We are exploring how it may be possible to address this within the independent evaluation of the scheme.