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The European Commission's proposed regulation aims to minimize the EU's impact on global forests by establishing a 'deforestation-free' standard for cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, soya, and wood. The framework relies on mandatory supply chain due diligence, requiring full traceability to the point of production via geolocation coordinates. While it improves upon the EU Timber Regulation by introducing objective science-based standards and stronger penalties (up to 4% of annual turnover), it contains a 'simplified due diligence' loophole for low-risk countries. ClientEarth identifies critical gaps compared to the European Parliament's 2020 INL Report, specifically the lack of mandatory human rights protections, the exclusion of non-forest ecosystems like peatlands, the omission of the financial sector, and the absence of civil liability for victims of deforestation.

Between 2013 and 2020, approximately 42% of fire hotspots in the Brazilian Amazon occurred in previously undisturbed forests, affecting an estimated 18,000 square kilometers annually. While only 11% of fire-affected forest areas transitioned to clear-cut deforestation within three years, fire serves as a strong regional indicator of risk, with high rates of subsequent deforestation occurring in the surrounding areas. This association is particularly strong in rural settlements and public land holdings, where fire may facilitate land grabbing. Regional analysis shows an intensification of this fire-deforestation link in states such as Acre, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, and Roraima, especially around 2017.

The report analyzes the spatial and temporal links between forest degradation and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from 2017 to 2020. Using INPE's DETER and PRODES systems, it finds that while direct local conversion of degraded areas into deforested land is low (10%), a significant portion of deforestation (30%) occurs within 1 km of previously degraded areas. The study highlights that degradation is more prevalent in medium and large private properties than deforestation is, suggesting that degradation can serve as a regional risk indicator for future deforestation and that policy efforts should be targeted based on land tenure categories.

WWF International outlines a framework for high-impact nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate mitigation, emphasizing that interventions must simultaneously benefit human well-being, biodiversity, and the climate. The report argues against narrowly designing projects for carbon credits, instead advocating for landscape-scale or jurisdictional approaches that align with national strategies and the Paris Agreement. It provides a hierarchy for forest-related interventions—prioritizing REDD, then improved forest management, and finally afforestation, reforestation, and restoration—and details essential safeguards, including free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) for Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs). To ensure integrity, the blueprint recommends rigorous due diligence to mitigate risks such as inflated baselines, leakage, and non-permanence.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative evaluates the effectiveness of public policies used to combat deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, consolidating academic evidence to propose a strengthened policy framework for forest protection and sustainable development.

The 2021 NYDF Progress Assessment finds that national climate pledges for forests meet only 50% of their mitigation potential, and annual government investments of USD 2.4 billion represent only 0.5–5% of the required funding. While some progress in reducing forest loss has been noted, global deforestation and degradation continue, necessitating a whole-of-society approach and the integration of forest goals into macroeconomic policy.

The report evaluates the ambition, investment, and strategic implementation of forest-related climate goals across governments. It finds that national targets in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) significantly underutilize the mitigation potential of forests, and that current financial investments are insufficient compared to the funding required for forest protection and restoration.

The document advocates for the inclusion of human rights protections in the EU's upcoming legislation on forest and ecosystem-risk commodities (FERCs). It argues that deforestation is intrinsically linked to human rights abuses, particularly against Indigenous Peoples, and that protecting these rights is essential for effective forest conservation. The briefing proposes a product-based due diligence framework with a 'negligible risk' threshold, mandatory investigation of land tenure and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), and rights of redress before EU courts. To demonstrate feasibility, it provides case studies of Brazilian beef supply chains involving JBS and Marfrig, showing that human rights risks can be identified using publicly available digital information.

The report analyzes the impact of Brazilian public policies on Amazon forest protection, highlighting the success of the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon (PPCDAM) and the use of real-time monitoring (DETER) in reducing deforestation between 2004 and 2012. It identifies a recent trend of increasing deforestation linked to weakened environmental governance and impunity. The author argues for a broader conservation agenda that includes monitoring forest degradation and secondary vegetation, as these are currently 'invisible' to official systems but critical for carbon sequestration and ecosystem restoration.

The report analyzes the intersection of corruption and organized crime within four primary drivers of environmental degradation in Colombia: illegal gold mining, illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, and land grabbing. It identifies systemic institutional weaknesses, such as deficient traceability systems and the instrumentalization of subsistence regimes, which allow 'invisible' economic and political elites to finance illicit activities through proxies and criminal networks. The document provides detailed recommendations for regulatory reform, including amending the Criminal Code to link environmental crimes to money laundering, improving the interoperability of environmental information systems, and implementing a 'traffic light' security risk assessment for territorial interventions.

Seven NGOs have called on the EU Commission to include leather as a key forest-risk commodity in new deforestation laws, arguing that cattle ranching is the primary driver of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon and that the EU is a major market for this high-risk leather. The statement highlights that leather is a multibillion-dollar industry, with the Brazilian sector valued at over US$50 billion, and that non-meat products can account for up to 26% of large meatpackers' incomes. The NGOs point to the Italian tanning industry's heavy reliance on Brazilian leather and the exposure of major European car manufacturers to deforestation through suppliers like JBS Couros. They argue that including leather in the legislation would reduce the EU's role in driving deforestation and encourage the industry to adopt zero-deforestation sourcing and traceability.

A coalition of NGOs and organisations is calling on the European Commission to expedite the adoption of two key legislative proposals: one to reduce the risk of deforestation and forest degradation linked to EU market products, and another on sustainable corporate governance. The authors express concern over reported delays extending beyond the summer recess of 2021 and a lack of official explanation from the Commission. They argue these measures are essential for the European Green Deal, human rights, and global biodiversity, noting strong support from the European Parliament, the Council, and over 1.1 million citizens in public consultations.

ClientEarth and a coalition of organisations are urging the European Commission to proceed without further delay in adopting two key legislative proposals: one to minimise deforestation and forest degradation linked to products on the EU market, and another on sustainable corporate governance. The authors express concern that these proposals, originally scheduled for the second quarter of 2021, have been delayed past the summer recess without official explanation. They argue these initiatives are essential for the European Green Deal, human rights, and biodiversity, noting strong support from the European Parliament, the Council, and public consultations, where over 1.1 million citizens supported the deforestation law and over 80% of respondents supported a due diligence framework.

The document examines the gap between legal design and operational reality regarding how logging companies share benefits with forest communities in four West and Central African nations. It highlights that while laws may exist, a lack of implementing regulations, low payment amounts, and limited community negotiation capacity often lead to poor outcomes. ClientEarth has responded by developing guidance tools, templates, and training to empower communities to negotiate more effective and enforceable agreements.

The briefing examines two European Parliament reports: the Deforestation Report and the Corporate Governance Report. It argues that while both utilize due diligence, they serve different purposes—one being product-specific for forest-risk commodities and the other being a horizontal framework for all large undertakings. The author contends that these two approaches are complementary and that deforestation should be included as an adverse environmental impact in the horizontal corporate due diligence proposal to cover sectors not captured by the product-specific rules.

The briefing argues for a mandatory product-based due diligence framework for Forest and Ecosystem Risk Commodities (FERCs) and their derivatives. It recommends that the regulation cover not only forests but all natural ecosystems and human rights violations, specifically the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The authors call for equivalent obligations for financial institutions, a robust enforcement mechanism including criminal penalties and access to EU courts for harmed third parties, and accompanying measures to support producer countries and reform EU consumption patterns.

The briefing analyzes forest degradation in the Brazilian Amazon from 2007 to 2016, defining it as the partial loss of forest biomass. It finds that degradation is more widespread than clear-cut deforestation, averaging 11,000 km2 per year, and is concentrated in the 'Arco do Desmatamento', specifically in Mato Grosso and Pará. The study highlights that the relationship between degradation and subsequent deforestation varies by land tenure category: while conversion is low in protected territories, it is higher in small private properties and rural settlements, where degradation may serve as a low-cost precursor to total forest removal. The authors argue that degradation should be used as an indicator of imminent environmental damage to better allocate scarce public resources.

The report defines forest degradation as the partial loss of forest biomass and argues that it is an increasingly relevant threat to the Brazilian Amazon, often acting as a precursor to deforestation. Analyzing data from 2007 to 2016, the study finds that degradation affects a larger area than clear-cut deforestation, averaging 11,000 km² annually. The relationship between degradation and subsequent deforestation varies by land tenure: it is lowest in protected territories and highest in small private properties and rural settlements. The authors suggest that degradation can serve as a leading indicator for imminent environmental damage, necessitating tailored public policies based on governance structures.

The document argues that wood forensic science—a suite of identification technologies—can reveal the true species and origin of timber, exposing the fraud and corruption that facilitate illegal logging. While these tools can support law enforcement and due diligence in consumer and producer countries, their effectiveness depends on political will, institutional capacity, and the expansion of global reference data sets.

The document reports that infrastructure is responsible for 9-17% of tropical and subtropical deforestation, while mining contributes to approximately 7% of global forest loss. Data from CDP's forest module indicates that while many regional governments have forest policies, there is a lack of operational management plans and risk assessments. The most frequently reported impact of mining and infrastructure-related forest loss is increased greenhouse gas emissions, which governments attempt to manage through integrated land-use planning, afforestation, and policy enforcement. Case studies highlight the Piura Region in Peru, where mining has driven deforestation and indigenous displacement, and New York State, where infrastructure and agriculture are primary drivers of forest loss.