Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Deferred
Paragraph: 78
Schedule 17 due diligence system insufficient due to exclusion of legal deforestation.
Conclusion
The due diligence system established under Schedule 17 will prohibit the use of illegally produced commodities with reference to compliance with local laws. This means that products of legal deforestation will not be within the scope of the system, unlike comparable EU legislation. This is regrettable. Only 31% of deforestation globally is illegal; the wide variation in the strength of local laws on deforestation is a weakness of this approach, and there is the possibility of deregulation in response to the UK’s due diligence requirements.
Government Response Summary
The government stated the FCDO is developing a business case for a follow-on 10-year forest governance programme that will have a broader remit, looking beyond timber to illegal deforestation, but did not commit to amending Schedule 17 to include legal deforestation.
Paragraph Reference:
78
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
FCDO is currently developing the Business Case for a follow-on 10-year forest governance markets and climate programme. It will adopt a phased approach allowing the programme to adapt to new threats and challenges for tropical forests and have a broader remit looking beyond timber to illegal deforestation.