This week in the House of Commons, Shadow Environment Minister Dr Neil Hudson MP urged the Government to do more to tackle the threat deforestation creates for our planet, both in the UK and in collaboration internationally, during a Commons Debate on the issue.
Deforestation presently has damaging impacts on climate change and biodiversity, being equivalent to a nearly equal amount of carbon emissions as that produced by all vehicles combined worldwide. For animals, deforestation is a real threat to the existence of species across the animal kingdom, including orangutans, tigers and elephants.
The previous Conservative Government worked hard to drive global change on this crucial issue to our planet, including the delivery of the Environment Act 2021 that set out key targets for nature, and used the Act’s provisions to introduce due diligence provisions that would have sought to eliminate illegal deforestation being used in the supply chain behind commodities connected to it, including palm oil production, beef and soy.
It also ensured global collaboration to tackle this global challenge, securing a commitment of 141 countries, covering 90% of the world’s forest, to reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 during the UK’s Presidency of COP26.
Despite this, it is currently estimated that every hour rainforest land equivalent to nearly 300 football pitches is being lost to deforestation for use of palm oil production, and the UN has found that even with a reduction in deforestation, the climate change it contributes to is making forests more susceptible to wildfires and pests.
Dr Hudson therefore pushed the Government to make haste with passing the necessary secondary legislation to tackle ‘forest-risk’ products like palm oil’s contribution to deforestation, and to set out what its priorities will be to address the issue internationally, including what funding it will commit to.
Supporting the highest environmental and animal welfare standards at home and abroad is a core value of Dr Hudson’s approach to his Shadow Ministerial role and as a Member of Parliament. He attended COP26’s Climate Change Summit on Nature Day to support the previous Government’s commitments to reduce deforestation and carbon emissions and has pushed for the UK to defend its high environmental and animal welfare standards in all trade deals with international partners.
He also defended our animal welfare standards specifically in this week’s debate, highlighting the need for red line importation bans on chlorine-washed poultry, ractopamine-fed pork and hormone-treated beef and dairy, that some concerningly believe could be conceded in a government trade deal with the US.
You can view Dr Hudson’s contribution to the debate at the following links:
Watch at parliamentlive.tv from 10:31:09: https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/6c35caf8-e386-48ab-ac82-2de31141a169
Following the debate, Dr Hudson commented:
“Our precious Epping Forest here in our constituency brings close to home how precious our forests are for all of us, and the duty governments across the world, including ours, have to protect them.
The previous Conservative Government did so much to champion our environmental and animal welfare standards around the world, passing our landmark Environment Act and its ambitious targets for nature and wildlife including tackling deforestation, agreeing joint action with countries across the world and to double spending on International Climate Finance to address this problem.
This record demonstrates clearly that our influence can make us a force for good in the world driving positive change, which makes it all the more disappointing the current Labour Government has refused to listen to us and has failed to commit to a timetable to introduce Conservative-proposed due diligence legislation.
I will be strident in pushing the Government to be truly ambitious in tackling global deforestation and in protecting our natural world.”
