The proposal by the European Commission to delay the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation is “just another roadblock” when it comes to tackling deforestation and carbon reduction, a leading scientist has said.
Rob Waterworth, one of the lead scientists on the EUDR for the UN’s IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that in the years since he started working on deforestation issues, “hundreds of millions” of hectares has been lost.
‘Beyond frustrating’
“Watching plantations such as palm oil and soy march ceaselessly across landscapes, and broadscale clearing for grazing has been beyond frustrating,” he added.
“We need to be frank here: voluntary commitments and efforts have failed. Market mechanisms, both voluntary and government run, have largely failed. Regulation on landholders has worked when implemented, tracked and enforced – but this is rare and often implemented only when it is too late.”
While Waterworth doesn’t consider the EUDR to be a ‘silver bullet’ solution, it’s the “best tool we have for the moment”, he noted.
“Stopping deforestation is not going to be simple. EUDR still needs to be backed by national policies, reporting processes (such as TFND) and new innovative markets. But it is a new process, with precedent in timber regulations, that has driven a new wave of effort to stop deforestation.”
‘Take proper action’
As to what actions should be taken over the next 15 months, up to when the EUDR is finally enacted?
“Firstly, industry and industry groups need to take proper action – not just trying to redefine the issue and hiding behind motherhood statements,” Waterworth commented. “Yes, there are issues with the regulation, but these need to be addressed in a sensible and collaborative manner.
“Secondly, governments need to support these industries in their countries. Thirdly, we need frank discussion and assessment of how EUDR can be tracked – while there has been a huge focus on remote sensing, it is not the only solution, and in many cases not the best one. And finally: there will be no excuses next time. Groups that claim to have been caught unaware, are now well aware.
“Commodities that are not yet covered need to note that they likely will be sooner rather than later. So, there should be no further delays – the time for action was decades ago, and every year counts.”
Read more about the European Commision’s proposals here.
