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<p>The UK Government introduced new legislation through the Environment Act to tackle
illegal deforestation in UK supply chains. Recent research estimates that around 70%
of global tropical deforestation for commercial agriculture between 2013 and 2019
was conducted in violation of national laws.</p><p> </p><p>The Government announced
further details of our Forest Risk Commodities regulations at COP28 in December. The
new law will make it illegal for larger organisations, with a global annual turnover
of more than £50m, to use key forest risk commodities produced on land illegally occupied
or used. Initial secondary legislation will focus on four commodities identified as
key drivers of deforestation: cattle products (excluding dairy), cocoa, palm oil and
soy.</p><p> </p><p>Organisations in scope will also be required to undertake a due
diligence exercise on their supply chains and to report on this exercise annually. To
ensure transparency, information about businesses' due diligence exercises will be
published. Businesses in scope that do not comply with these requirements may be
subject to fines and other civil sanctions. The secondary legislation required to
operationalise the Environment Act provisions will be laid as soon as parliamentary
time allows.</p>
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