Publications

News, Briefing Notes

Fern’s analysis of the European Parliament's rapporteur's draft position on the EU Regulation on deforestation-free products

On 24 March 2022, the EP rapporteur Luxembourgish Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Christophe Hansen of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) released his draft report on the proposed EU Regulation on deforestation-free products. This short document is a follow up of Fern’s rapid assessment of the Commission’s proposal.

20/04/2022

Briefing Notes

Six problems with BECCS

The ongoing Fit For 55 discussions aim to increase Europe’s ambition in the fight against climate change, including the role of land in contributing to these efforts. As part of a larger debate on the role of negative emissions to...

11/03/2022

Briefing Notes

Using tariffs to incentivise sustainable palm oil

Read the briefing note Read the full report

This briefing is also available in Bahasa Indonesia.

The European Union (EU) and Indonesia have been negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), known as the Comprehensive Economic...

03/02/2022

News, Briefing Notes

Fern’s response to the proposed Regulation on deforestation-free products

After decades of trusting companies to tackle the problem voluntarily, on 17 November 2021, the European Commission released their proposed Regulation on deforestation-free products. This is a watershed moment in the battle to end Europe’s major role in destroying the world’s forests.

07/12/2021

Briefing Notes

The Rights Path to Restoration

The world needs a great global forest restoration. But for that to work climatically, socially or ecologically it also needs a global restoration of land rights for forest dwellers. By Fred Pearce.

28/10/2021

Briefing Notes

Including smallholders in EU action to protect and restore the world’s forests

In Mid-December 2021 the European Commission is due to release a regulatory proposal to minimise the European Union’s (EU) deforestation and forest degradation footprint. In advance of this draft proposal, six NGOs have come...

21/09/2021

Briefing Notes

What does ‘Fit for 55’ mean for forests?

Why the European Commission's 2030 climate and energy proposal is unfit for forests.

27/07/2021

Briefing Notes

A brief guide to the European Union

What is the European Union (EU), how does it work and, most importantly how can activists, civil society representatives and NGOs influence EU decisions and policies?

These are the questions answered by our new EU guide, written...

23/06/2021

Briefing Notes

Unsustainable and Ineffective: Why EU Forest Biomass Standards won't stop destruction

There has been intense criticism of the European Union (EU) Renewable Energy Directive (RED) for leading to adverse impacts on forests in Europe and beyond. To tackle these concerns, the EU developed sustainability criteria that...

19/05/2021

Briefing Notes

Putting the Environment in Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence

Ensuring corporate accountability for environmental impacts

in the upcoming EU directive on sustainable corporate governance

17/05/2021