Progress on the New York declaration on forests: eliminating deforestation from the production of agricultural Commodities

Progress on the New York declaration on forests: eliminating deforestation from the production of agricultural Commodities [1]

More companies have promised to cut back deforestation in their supply chains for agricultural commodities since the Paris climate change deal last December, but progress in implementing those pledges is mixed, research groups said. Under the New York Declaration on Forests, launched in September 2014, some 190 governments, companies, indigenous peoples' organisations, green groups and think tanks are aiming to help the private sector eliminate deforestation from the production of agricultural commodities by 2020. The first report to track such corporate sustainability promises said 108 companies had announced 212 new commitments since December 2015, boosting the total to 415 businesses. Levels vary between commodities: of around 630 companies assessed, 59 percent of those that source or produce palm oil had made commitments, and 53 percent in the wood and paper industry. But for soy, it was only 21 percent, and for cattle products as low as 12 percent. Those big four globally-traded commodities are responsible for 40 percent of deforestation.

Publication Date:

03/11/2016

Author(s): Charlotte Streck [2], Franziska Haupt [3], Stephanie Roe [4], & et al [5]

Source: Climate Focus [6]

Tags: