Picture this: the coffee in your morning cup, the leather in your car, the chocolate in your dessert. Each of these products carries a hidden cost—a destructive toll on the world’s forests. Deforestation is not an abstract problem: it’s there every time we shop, woven into our daily choices. Yet, as the climate emergency accelerates, the EU is backtracking on its promises, risking more devastation for forests and amplifying climate disasters worldwide.
The EU right and far right in the European Parliament joined forced today to weaken the EU’s groundbreaking deforestation law. The approved a 12-month delay and a “no-risk” status for any country that’s signed the Paris Agreement. These carve-outs are nothing short of sabotage, creating a loophole that allow for business-as-usual deforestation and erosion of any environmental accountability.
We are at a critical juncture, and the EU is wavering when it must stand strong. The urgency cannot be overstated. Catastrophic floods in Valencia, apocalyptic wildfires in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, deadly landslides in the Philippines, and destructive fires in Indonesia’s peatlands all paint a terrifying picture of what lies ahead if we allow deforestation to continue unabated. These are not isolated incidents—they are a preview of the season of disaster. Science has shown that deforestation damages ecosystems, aggravating the intensity of floods and wildfires. Deforestation doesn’t just destroy trees; it creates a cascade of environmental effects that demolishes ecosystems and communities alike.
The EU’s role in this crisis is clear. The demand for cheap beef, leather, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, timber, rubber, and soy in Europe fuels global deforestation. European consumption is responsible for around 10% of deforestation worldwide—a figure that reflects how deeply embedded our daily choices are in the broader environmental picture. In 2023, the EU took a landmark step to restrict the import of deforestation-linked products. This legislation set a global standard and garnered strong public support from EU citizens who do not want to be complicit in environmental destruction. However, as environmental catastrophes multiply, the EU Commission is backpedalling which leads to further disaster.
Instead of moving forward with the deforestation law, the EU is delaying and is doubling down on finalising the EU-Mercosur trade deal—a treaty that would directly fuel deforestation. The Mercosur agreement, which would ramp up EU imports of deforestation-driving products like beef, soy, ethanol, and poultry, risks intensifying the destruction of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest. Studies indicate that increasing beef imports alone could accelerate deforestation in the region by an estimated 5% annually for six years. And here’s the glaring reality: even as we face this mounting crisis, Brazil requested a delay in the deforestation legislation’s implementation, a demand that came suspiciously close to the EU’s renewed enthusiasm to finalise the Mercosur deal.
By delaying the regulation and encouraging deforestation-linked trade, the EU is granting companies free rein to continue clearing forests, knowing the disastrous consequences. The stakes are massive, affecting biodiversity, water cycles, and carbon sequestration. Destroying forests intensifies the climate crisis and creates a dangerous feedback loop. When forest cover is lost, habitats are destroyed, endangered species face extinction, and the planet’s lungs—the rainforests that absorb vast amounts of CO₂—are stripped away.
The EU is at a crossroads. Instead of upholding its commitment to environmental responsibility, it is succumbing to the pressures of multinational corporations and trade agreements that will lead to more deforestation, more climate disasters, and more lives lost. But let’s make no mistake: delaying climate legislation as communities and ecosystems teeter on the brink of collapse is not just reckless—it’s morally indefensible. We can’t play politics with climate legislation while communities, ecosystems, and the planet’s future hang by a thread.
As EU lawmakers, we stand against these delays and against the disastrous EU-Mercosur trade negotiations. The climate crisis demands clear, immediate, and uncompromising action. We will continue fighting for climate and economic justice. For the sake of our planet and our people.
Dear reader,
Opinions expressed in the op-ed section are solely those of the individual author and do not represent the official stance of our newspaper. We believe in providing a platform for a wide range of voices and perspectives, even those that may challenge or differ from our own. We remain committed to providing our readers with high-quality, fair, and balanced journalism. Thank you for your continued support.
