Philippa Nuttall

The latest edition of our Sustainable Views newsletter Dear reader,

After months of speculation and attempts to water down the regulation, the EU institutions have agreed the EUDR will come into force at the end of December 2025 At a glanceProposals by the centre-right European People’s Party to add a “no risk” category of countries to the law were rejectedEuropean Commission has committed to deliver information and benchmarking systems six months before law comes into force, and simplification measures could be adopted after a review scheduled for 2028Companies urged to act as if the law is already in force

The latest edition of our Sustainable Views newsletter Dear reader,

The latest edition of our Sustainable Views newsletter Dear reader,

The latest edition of our Sustainable Views newsletter Dear reader,

By voting in favour of a ‘no risk’ category, the EUDR risks discriminating against non-EU countries At a glanceMEPs vote to back an amendment by the centre-right European People’s party to add a “no risk” category to the EU Deforestation RegulationThe category may be incompatible with World Trade Organization rulesThe EPP insists the amendments will reduce bureaucracy, but observers suggest the opposite may be true

Amendments ‘would likely cost millions’ to companies that have prepared for the law’s implementation At a glanceImplementation of the EUDR has already been delayed until the end of December 2025Fifty companies have issued statements warning of the impacts of continuing uncertainty around the regulationSurvey shows 84 per cent of citizens in seven EU member states want to see the law implemented

Non-profits say decision penalises companies that have already made significant investments to comply with the EUDR At a glanceThe European Commission has proposed a 12-month delay to the EU Deforestation Regulation after months of lobbying by certain governments and companies.The EU executive has also published additional guidance on the regulation. Environmental organisations said the proposal was unacceptable when so many companies have invested time and money to be ready for the original end-of-year deadline.

The latest edition of our Sustainable Views newsletter Dear reader,

The latest edition of our Sustainable Views newsletter Dear reader,

The latest edition of our Sustainable Views newsletter Dear reader,

The latest edition of our Sustainable Views newsletter Dear reader,

The final report of the EU strategic agriculture dialogue concludes that nature, social justice, climate and economic concerns should drive farm policies The European Commission revealed on Wednesday the final results of its strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture, launched by president Ursula von der Leyen in January amid protests and deep divisions.

Sultan al-Jaber, president-designate of COP28, has promised to make adapting and transforming food systems a priority at the climate talks in Dubai. Food systems create one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN, and the more frequent extreme weather that these emissions can cause also destroy harvests and affect food supplies around the world. So news of Jaber’s pledge was welcomed as “fantastic” by Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of the restaurant chain Leon and lead adviser…

Today’s enlightened consumers may shun plastic straws and avoid plastic bags — indeed, legislators give them no choice in many jurisdictions — but they are swimming against a mighty tide. Plastic’s cheapness, lightness and versatility make it economically irresistible, even though the environmental downsides are severe. According to the OECD, global plastic production reached 460mn tonnes in 2019. Of that, three-quarters ended up as waste — with most going into landfill, but 22mn tonnes leaking…

Cars were a novelty once; so were oil wells, plastic bottles and coal-fired power stations. Novelty wears off, though — and, as the industries concerned acquired global heft, the environmental downsides became ever clearer. But it is not only the giants of the fossil fuel era that must confront the loss of innocence that comes with scale. The huge increase in renewable energy in recent years — a doubling of capacity since 2013, with COP28 expected to produce a push for a tripling by 2030 — mean…

News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication

Environmentalists say unified messaging and policy are vital for behavioural change

Extreme weather forces unprepared Europe to focus on climate adaptation

Alok Sharma likes to think of himself as a “green growth climate warrior” after nearly three years as president-designate, and then full-time president, of COP26. In a world of high emotion, he won a reputation as a calm and effective influence ahead of last year’s COP summit in Glasgow, and has retained it ever since. “Sharma was not known as a political heavyweight but he was willing to put in the countless hours, and air miles required to build the understanding and trust necessary to broke…