Companies warn EU anti-deforestation law delays are endangering forests, and other climate and nature news
- This round-up contains the key nature and climate news from the past week.
- Top nature and climate news: EU law delays threaten forests; Jane Goodall passes age 91; EU earmarks $1.1 billion in disaster aid for Spain.
1. Major agri-food companies warn against EU anti-deforestation law delays
Last month the EU delayed the launch of its anti-deforestation law for a second time, after it revealed that its IT systems weren’t prepared yet for the changes.
This law requires businesses selling goods including soy, beef and palm oil into EU markets to provide proof that their products did not cause deforestation.
If the law is delayed as currently planned, it could postpone the ban on imports of commodities such as palm oil linked to forest destruction for another year, Reuters reports.
“The proposed delay puts at risk the preservation of forests worldwide, will accelerate climate change impacts and undermines trust in Europe’s regulatory commitments,” the signatories explained.
“Companies need to know what to prepare for, and by when,” the letter concluded.
Discover
What’s the World Economic Forum doing about deforestation?
Halting deforestation is essential to avoiding the worst effects of global climate change.
The destruction of forests creates almost as much greenhouse gas emissions as global road travel, and yet it continues at an alarming rate.
In 2012, we brought together more than 150 partners working in Latin America, West Africa, Central Africa and South-East Asia – to establish the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020: a global public-private partnership to facilitate investment in systemic change.
The Alliance, made up of businesses, governments, civil society, indigenous people, communities and international organizations, helps producers, traders and buyers of commodities often blamed for causing deforestation to achieve deforestation-free supply chains.
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The Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 is gaining ground on tackling deforestation linked to the production of four commodities: palm oil, beef, soy, and pulp and paper.
2. Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist, passes at the age of 91
Dame Jane Goodall, the pioneering primatologist and conservationist, has died aged 91. A UN Messenger of Peace, she inspired millions through her tireless advocacy for a more compassionate world.
She was renowned for her groundbreaking research in the 1960s at what is now Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park.
Her patient observation led to the transformative discovery that chimpanzees make and use tools — a finding that challenged the scientific definition of humanity itself.
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Dr Goodall’s message was one of empowerment and hope: “What you do makes the difference, and you have to decide what difference you want to make.” It is now up to all of us to continue her legacy of compassionate action.
Learn more about Dr Goodall’s remarkable life and teachings in this article from the World Economic Forum’s Gill Einhorn, or listen to her Meet The Leader episode below.
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3. News in brief: Other top nature and climate stories this week
Flood relief: The EU has earmarked an aid package of $1.1 billion (€945 million) to help Spain recover from the Valencia flash floods. “This commitment reflects our determination to help member states build greater resilience and withstand future crises,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.
Deadly wildfires: Wildfires are becoming more costly in every sense. From 1980 to 2023, 43% of the 200 most damaging wildfires have occurred in the last decade, a study published in the journal Science has found. The chart below outlines the annual global area burnt by wildfires over the past 13 years.
Financing gap: A coalition of 34 governments has launched a plan to close the $67 billion gap in financing to halt tropical forest loss. It identifies six priority solutions to bridge this finance gap, from aligning fiscal policies to establishing innovative financial mechanisms.
Resilient trees: A new study has found that Amazon trees are showing surprising resilience, with both large and small trees growing larger as the positive effects of increased CO2 currently outweigh the negative impacts of climate change. Professor Oliver Phillips from the University of Leeds told The Guardian: “The Amazon forest is remarkably resilient to climate change. My fear is that may count for little, unless we can stop the deforestation itself.”
Typhoon Bualoi: The estimated damage from Typhoon Bualoi, which struck Vietnam in early October, has now doubled to $600 million, according to an updated government report. The new figure follows a preliminary assessment of $303 million, with the human toll standing at 51 dead and 14 still missing.
4. More on the nature and climate crisis from Forum Stories
Ocean acidity: Acidification of the ocean has crossed its safe limit for the first time. It is one of the nine natural processes that help to regulate Earth’s biosphere. Watch the video below to learn why exceeding this boundary is significant:
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Disaster equality: The climate crisis is increasing the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. Despite being at the forefront of the impacts of these events, women’s voices are often excluded from disaster committees, which runs the risk of overlooking essential priorities for aid, recovery and flood resilience. Forum Global Shaper, Aarti Lila Ram, outlines three gender-responsive strategies to flood management in this article.