Time zones: 9am-10:15am EDT

There is no pathway to 1.5 degrees without immediate action taken to halt deforestation. Forests store carbon above and below ground, regulate weather patterns, secure water supplies, and host a vast variety of biodiverse plants and animals.  In tropical regions, forests are home to 50% of global biodiversity and provide the highest carbon sequestration rate per hectare. Yet the world is falling short in protecting these vital assets.  In 2021 alone, the tropics lost 3.75 million hectares of primary forest, which is equivalent to the loss of 10 football pitches every minute.

Nearly 90% of tree cover loss in the tropics is due to agricultural expansion including commodity-driven deforestation.  Much of this clearing is to produce seven main commodities: palm oil, soy, cattle, wood fibre, cocoa, coffee, and rubber. Agricultural commodities are often traded internationally, which distributes the responsibility of deforestation globally. A large share of deforestation-related carbon emissions is embodied in international trade and destined for markets, particularly in Europe and China. New analysis from The Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) shows that between 2005 and 2017, G7 members (including EU member states) were responsible for 30% of tropical deforestation linked to internationally traded agricultural commodities, contributing over 2.7 billion tCO2. This is equivalent to the annual emissions of India.

Addressing deforestation and forest loss in supply chains are high on the international agenda, including in the G7. The G7 Environment, Climate and Energy ministers meeting in May signaled some progress with members reconfirming their collective commitment to halting and reversing deforestation and land degradation by 2030. Ahead of September’s G7 trade ministerial, join us to learn more about FOLU’s latest report, commissioned by the German G7 Presidency, on the G7’s international deforestation footprint and what more members could do to tackle it. This webinar will explore some of the regulatory developments amongst G7 members and what else needs to be done.

Moderator:

  • Ed Davey, Director International Engagement and Policy, The Food and Land Use Coalition at World Resources Institute

Speakers:

  • Dani Gent, Policy Director, The Food and Land Use Coalition
  • Luke Pritchard, Nature Based Solutions Lead, We Mean Business Coalition
  • Fitrian Ardiansyah, Global Envoy for Nature-based Solutions and Country Director for Indonesia and Malaysia, IDH-The Sustainable Trade Initiative
  • Shenggen Fan, Professor Chair, China Agricultural University
  • Naoko Ishii, Executive Vice President, University of Tokyo, Professor at Institute of Future Initiative and Director, Center for Global Commons
  • Bojan Grlaš, Team Leader – International Forest Issues, DG for Environment, European Commission
  • Izabella Teixeira, Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel
  • Dr Christiane Paulus, Director General for Nature Conservation, Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, Nature-based Solutions for Climate and Biodiversity, German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection