Zero Waste Australia

The European Union's environment head has embraced goals to halve global deforestation by 2020 and reduce net forest loss to zero by 2030. Announcing a policy proposal on forest sustainability, the EU environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, proposed using proceeds from the sale of emissions allowances in the EU ETS to pay for forest preservation in developing countries via a Global Forest Carbon Mechanism.

The proposal follows an EU-commissioned report released last week by Johan Eliasch that recommended similar goals.

The Commission is also proposing a law to stop illegal timber imports into the EU by demanding timber suppliers produce guarantees of their wood's sustainable production. A study by environment group WWF in July claimed that a fifth of all timber imported by the EU, more than 20 million cubic metres, is illegally harvested. It says the latest EU proposal does not go far enough in eliminating unsustainable imports.

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