Overview

• Major chains including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Lidl have written to ministers demanding secondary legislation under the Environment Act 2021 to bar products linked to illegal deforestation.
• They say four years of delay has left businesses unclear on due diligence obligations for commodities such as palm oil, cocoa, beef, leather and soy.
• Retailers caution that failure to publish rules risks supply chain disruptions, threatens food security and could incur millions in export losses to the European Union.
• Businesses are urging the government to mirror upcoming EU deforestation regulations and recognise European due diligence standards to maintain post-import supply chain transparency.
• Environmental organisations warn that enacting these measures is essential to hitting UK climate targets and protecting global biodiversity.