What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure the widest possible number of deforestation risk commodities are phased out of supply chains in Wales?
The Welsh Government has updated its Sustainable Risk Assessment for procurement. The updated version has drawn content from a wide number of sources, including Size of Wales, who promote actions to be taken to address global deforestation and alert buyers to the sustainability risks relating to Forest Risk Commodities (FRCs) and the mining of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs).
The demand for both FRCs and CRMs contribute to tropical deforestation and/or land use change, which contribute to climate change risk and public health risks of increased zoonotic transmission of infectious disease outbreaks.
The Welsh Government is working with the UK government on implementing world leading legislation to implement provisions around due diligence for forest risk commodities.
The legislation will make it illegal for larger businesses operating in the UK to use key forest risk commodities (e.g. cattle, cocoa, coffee, maize, palm oil, rubber, soy) produced on land illegally occupied or used. It requires them to undertake a due diligence exercise on their supply chains to assess and mitigate the risk of this taking place.