Restrict international trade of goods produced on recently deforested land

With deforestation accounting for 40% of global emissions from agriculture, forestry and land use, another way for governments to promote the phaseout of carbon-intensive activities is to restrict international trade of goods produced on recently deforested land. Tropical forest loss and damage is the second-largest cause of man-made climate change, and nearly 90% of global deforestation is caused by the expansion of cropping and livestock grazing, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Policymakers can therefore require that companies importing certain products into their jurisdiction prove that these goods are deforestation-free. In particular, they could target the agricultural commodities that are leading drivers of global tree-cover loss, such as cattle, oil palm, soy, cocoa, rubber, coffee and wood.