Delaying deforestation policy won’t delay its impacts

The authors argue that policy delays regarding deforestation do not mitigate the physical risks to business continuity, such as soil degradation and disrupted water cycles. They urge companies to engage with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) public consultation on Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) Guidance and to continue preparing for the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to ensure long-term supply chain resilience and market access.

• Policy delays regarding deforestation do not stop the physical consequences of forest loss, which already impact crop yields, climate stability, and supply chain reliability for food and agriculture companies.
• The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is consulting on updates to its Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) Guidance, which currently has 350 companies with targets. Proposed updates include extending the deadline for new no-deforestation commitments beyond December 2025 by two years, requiring a deforestation cutoff date before target submission, and updating the commodity list to include cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy, and timber.
• Although the European Commission has proposed potential delays in the enforcement and implementation requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the authors argue that alignment provides a strategic advantage by securing EU market access and catalyzing investments in supply chain traceability.

APA

Anderson, C., Bindon, J., & Stevenson, M. (2025). Delaying deforestation policy won’t delay its impacts. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/delaying-deforestation-policy-wont-delay-its-impacts-heres-the-business-case-for-staying-the-course/

Chicago

Anderson, Christa, Jamie Bindon, and Martha Stevenson. Delaying deforestation policy won’t delay its impacts. WWF International, 2025. https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/delaying-deforestation-policy-wont-delay-its-impacts-heres-the-business-case-for-staying-the-course/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Anderson |first1=Christa |last2=Bindon |first2=Jamie |last3=Stevenson |first3=Martha |title=Delaying deforestation policy won’t delay its impacts |publisher=WWF International |date=28 October 2025 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/delaying-deforestation-policy-wont-delay-its-impacts-heres-the-business-case-for-staying-the-course/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{anderson2025delaying, author = {Anderson, Christa and Bindon, Jamie and Stevenson, Martha}, title = {{Delaying deforestation policy won’t delay its impacts}}, publisher = {WWF International}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/delaying-deforestation-policy-wont-delay-its-impacts-heres-the-business-case-for-staying-the-course/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }