The European Deforestation-free products Regulation (EUDR)
Starting from December 2024, the European Union Deforestation-free products Regulation (EUDR) will be implemented. This new legislation aims to prevent the sale of seven commodity products – soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee, and rubber, if sourced from areas affected by deforestation or forest degradation practices, two of the main causes of climate change and biodiversity loss.
By promoting the consumption of “deforestation-free” products and reducing the EU’s impact on global deforestation and forest degradation, the new Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 is expected to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.
Regarding pulp, which is part of wood products, the EUDR will require us to provide evidence that every quantity of pulp and face paper we purchase from outside the EU comes from areas free from deforestation. To comply with the Regulation, wood must have been harvested from land that was not subject to deforestation after December 31, 2020, and must be harvested without inducing forest degradation after the same date.
Since mid-2023, we have been taking various actions, including:
- committing to buying 100% FSC certified pulp (which will also be EUDR compliant),
- mplementing our People & Nature commitment that includes our target on Net Zero Deforestation by 2030
- engaging our main pulp and paper suppliers to assess zero-deforestation, traceability, and biodiversity topics anticipating the EUDR requirements
Glossary:
- Global deforestation’: the conversion of forest to agricultural use, whether human-induced or not, taking place worldwide (both in the EU and outside);
- Forest degradation: structural changes to forest cover, taking the form of the conversion into other kinds of forests or other wooded land.
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