Publications

NGO Statements

Pitfalls and potentials: the role of bioenergy in the EU climate and energy policy post 2020

This position paper from Fern and 10 other NGOs argues that the EU should limit bioenergy use in achieving the 2030 renewable energy target, and should introduce safeguards to avoid negative impacts on the environment, people and...

28/04/2015

Reports

Fighting Fossil Fuels First Making EU climate policy work for people and forests

This study refocuses attention on the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions domestically, without offloading responsibilities onto other countries through offsets. It explores why forests cannot offset fossil fuel emissions; and...

28/03/2015

The Power of Public Purchasing: making EU public procurement policy work for people and forests

This report examines how procurement policies have been applied in timber procurement and to agricultural products in public catering and food. It finds that many EU governments require publicly procured timber and timber products...

28/03/2015

Reports

Less and Better: Making EU Consumption Policies Work for People and Forests

This report explores possible solutions to the EU's huge foodprint, including the opportunity to link health and environmental benefits in encouraging deforestation-free consumption. The study identifies action points, such as...

28/03/2015

Reports

Duty Free? Making EU tariffs Work for People and Forests

This report asks whether the EU can set lower tariffs for products identified as sustainably produced. It raises issues surrounding practical implications of doing so, such as World Trade Organisation applicability and political...

28/03/2015

WTO Compatibility with EU Action on Deforestation

This report asserts that, formulated with care, government policies and laws to prioritise sustainable products can be compatible with the WTO. It provides insight into how the WTO system works, fundamental principles such as...

28/03/2015

Reports

Catching it all: Making EU illegal logging policies work better for people and forests

This report explores how trade in agricultural commodities undermines important EU timber trade reforms. It recommends a course of action that extends Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade-like mechanisms to agricultural...

27/03/2015

Reports

Clear Cut: Making EU financial institutions work for people and forests

This report examines the activities of different financial institutions and their involvement in forest-risk agriculture. It investigates specific voluntary policies intended to address environmental, social and governance issues...

27/03/2015

Taking stock: Tracking trends in European Aid for forests and communities

Forests and forest-dependent communities are under increasing pressure due to infrastructure projects and the demand for agricultural commodities. Although there is growing recognition of the importance of forests in mitigating...

19/03/2015

Stolen Goods: The EU’s complicity in illegal tropical deforestation

Previous studies commissioned by the EU have shown that the EU has been leading the world in imports of ‘embodied deforestation’ in the form of agricultural and timber products. This study goes a step further, by showing that the...

17/03/2015