Canada’s ambassador to the EU complains that the laws on deforestation are burdensome.

 

 

 

The new EU regulations to stop deforestation have raised concerns from Canada’s ambassador to the EU.

Ailish Campbell said in a letter from November that the regulations introduce “burdensome” restrictions and will harm trade between Canada and the EU.

The EU law attempts to restrict the international commerce in goods associated with deforestation.

Climate activists have referred to Canada’s opposition to the guidelines as “shocking.”

Ms. Campbell claims that although Canada supports the goals of the draught deforestation legislation, it is “greatly worried” that some aspects may result in trade barriers for Canadian exporters in the letter dated November 17 that was obtained by the BBC.

 

She asks for several revisions to the regulation, including providing a delay and a clearer definition for what falls under forest “degradation” – a practice that climate advocates say is widely seen in Canada.

 

According to research, Deforestation is the permanent loss of a forest, for example, replacing it with agricultural alternatives, such as coffee or soybeans.

 

The proposed EU legislation would also cover forest degradation, which is when the forest ecosystem is eroded. Among the main causes are climate change and illegal or unsustainable logging.

 

However, it’s belived that , forest degradation can have a significant impact on things like biodiversity and climate.

 

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“It’s really shocking that [Canada is] resisting these kinds of measures in Europe to protect the world’s remaining forests,” said Shane Moffatt, head of Food and Nature at Greenpeace Canada.

 

EU member states are currently negotiating the final text of the legislation, which was passed with strong support at the EU parliament in September.

 

The EU Deforestation Regulation would force companies and trade partners to verify that goods being sold to the 27-nation bloc are “deforestation-free”.

 

Ms Campbell did defend Canada’s record on deforestation, calling the country a “world leader on forest management”, with an annual deforestation rate of 0.02%.

 

While those rates are low, Mr Moffatt said the letter ignored the higher rates of forest degradation and the subsequent impact on wildlife.

 

It has specifically affected the caribou population, which has drastically dwindled in recent years, Mighty Earth CEO Glenn Hurowitz told the BBC.

 

Canadian forestry practices have been gaining more attention from environmentalists in recent years.