Aviva and LGIM join investors handling more than £2.7 trillion calling for new mandatory deforestation checks in UK law

Financial institutions representing £2.7 trillion in assets are calling for the UK to introduce mandatory due diligence for the financial sector to prevent the financing of deforestation, aligning with the Environment Act 2021 and global biodiversity targets.

• Financial institutions representing a combined total of £2.7 trillion in assets under management and advice are advocating for an amendment to the Financial Services and Markets Bill to introduce a mandatory due diligence obligation to prevent the financing of deforestation.
• The call for mandatory due diligence for the financial sector follows recommendations from the government's GRI Taskforce in March 2020 and May 2022, as well as a January letter from the Taskforce Chair, Sir Ian Cheshire.
• The proposed financial sector due diligence would mirror requirements for large companies under the Environment Act 2021, which mandates systems to assess and mitigate risks of using commodities from illegally deforested land in UK commercial activities.
• The signatories argue that mandatory due diligence is necessary because the UK financial sector invests and lends billions of pounds annually into forest product value chains that are exposed to deforestation and human rights risks.
• The request for alignment of financial flows is linked to international commitments, specifically the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's goal to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Aviva and LGIM join investors handling more than £2.7 trillion calling for new mandatory deforestation checks in UK law. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/aviva-and-lgim-join-investors-handling-more-than-27-trillion-calling-for-new-mandatory-deforestation-checks-in-uk-law/

Chicago

Global Witness. Aviva and LGIM join investors handling more than £2.7 trillion calling for new mandatory deforestation checks in UK law. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/aviva-and-lgim-join-investors-handling-more-than-27-trillion-calling-for-new-mandatory-deforestation-checks-in-uk-law/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Witness |title=Aviva and LGIM join investors handling more than £2.7 trillion calling for new mandatory deforestation checks in UK law |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/aviva-and-lgim-join-investors-handling-more-than-27-trillion-calling-for-new-mandatory-deforestation-checks-in-uk-law/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalwitnessndaviva, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Aviva and LGIM join investors handling more than £2.7 trillion calling for new mandatory deforestation checks in UK law}}, publisher = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/aviva-and-lgim-join-investors-handling-more-than-27-trillion-calling-for-new-mandatory-deforestation-checks-in-uk-law/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }