Adopted in 2023, the EUDR requires companies bringing coffee, cocoa, soy, cattle, palm oil, rubber and wood (and many derived products) to the EU market to prove - through the geolocation of farm plots and risk-based due diligence - that the goods are deforestation-free. After facing pressure from industry organizations, including large European coffee companies, the Commission has already agreed to delay enforcement of the law by one year.
Deforestation and glacial melting are the two leading causes compounding the climate crisis in the north of Pakistan. It was a routine day, and 26-year-old Muntazer Mehdi had performed his mid-afternoon prayers. Then, after lunch, the mountains started growling. The tailor, who lived in Chogogrung village at the foothills of the Siachen glacier the world's second-largest non-polar glacier knew what he had to do: Run.
The new law widely referred to as the devastation bill passed in congress in the early hours of Thursday by 267 votes to 116, despite opposition from more than 350 organisations and social movements.
"Consumers probably expect that when buying a luxury product, the high price tag guarantees some level of ethics and sustainability," Lara Shirra White, an Earthsight researcher told DW. "They don't expect that the leather bag might be linked to deforestation and human rights violations."
In the Brazilian Amazon, ranchers face a challenging landscape marked by droughts and pressure from multinational corporations, struggling to balance profitability with environmental responsibility.
