From Risk to Responsibility

EIA’s recommendations to tackle the UK’s role in global deforestation and supporting producer countries

In 2023, the world lost 3.7 million hectares of tropical primary rainforest, which is equivalent to losing about 10.7 House of Commons chambers every minute.

Approximately 90 per cent of deforestation is driven by land-use change to agriculture to produce forest-risk commodities including cattle, soy, palm oil, cocoa, rubber and coffee.

Other drivers include mining, which since 2000 has increased 52 per cent due to burgeoning demand for coal, iron, nickel, other metals and minerals. Between 2001-20, mining activities led to the direct loss of nearly 1.4 million hectares of forest. Additionally, mining often leads to additional forest degradation and indirect deforestation through the development of infrastructure such as roads and settlements, which can further exacerbate forest loss.

By tackling its own consumption and by developing strong international multi-stakeholder partnerships, the UK has a critical opportunity to lead by example in global environmental governance.