Nature Canada welcomes the European Union’s provisional adoption, on the eve of COP15, of a ground-breaking law to stop the import or export of wood and other products linked to the destruction of forests.

“This law will change patterns of consumption and incentivize big exporters like Canada to take stronger action to stop deforestation and forest degradation,” said Graham Saul, Executive Director of Nature Canada. 

The EU law, when ratified, will require companies to show that wood and agricultural products are not linked to deforestation or forest degradation in order to sell them on the EU market. It also requires companies to respect the free prior and informed consent of Indigenous people in their operations, where FPIC laws exist.

Last week, the BBC revealed that the Government of Canada, through its EU Ambassador, was opposing this law, and seeking to remove or delay its inclusion of forest degradation. 

“This new law is a clarion call to Canada to reduce the forest degradation caused by widespread clear-cutting of primary and old-growth forests – not only to protect climate and biodiversity, but also to ensure the economic future of the forestry industry,” said Michael Polanyi, Policy and Campaign Manager at Nature Canada. 

Each year, the logging industry clearcuts more than 550,000 hectares of forests in Canada – an area equivalent to six NHL hockey rinks a minute. 

For information please contact

Michael Polanyi

mpolanyi@naturecanada.ca

343-553-6060