Senator Liz Krueger, lead sponsor of the bill, issued the following statement: 

“I am incredibly disappointed that the Governor has chosen to veto the Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act. Just a week after the nations of the world produced the most aggressive joint statement yet from COP 28, this decision from the Governor sends a dangerous message that New York is not going to do its part. Vetoing this bill is a missed opportunity and a failure to take leadership on a critical issue that affects every New Yorker.

“Let’s be clear, this is not some esoteric issue for tree-huggers – the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis threaten the very survival of human civilization. The days when New York’s leaders can pretend that what goes on in another part of the world has no impact on us are long past. It is crunch time to make sure New York is solidly on the path to fight climate change with everything we’ve got. That means we can’t ignore the emissions we outsource to other countries through our consumer choices. State government must take the lead in ensuring our procurement dollars are not driving deforestation in our planet’s critical tropical forests, exacerbating the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, and threatening the rights and lands of Indigenous peoples.”

“At the same time, this bill would have given New York businesses a leg up on the competition by helping them clean up their supply chains. It was a win-win-win for people, planet, and New York’s economy. Unfortunately, now it’s a lose-lose-lose because of the Governor’s veto.”

Senator Krueger’s full statement is available here. 

Assemblymember Kenneth Zebrowski, lead sponsor of the bill issued the following statement: 

“As New York continues to take action to limit the state’s impact on climate change, I am disappointed in the vetoing of the Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act. This legislation received bipartisan support in both houses, and created a feasible way to ensure that New York does not contribute to deforestation and the effects of these practices. Though this is not the outcome that I hoped for, I will continue to work towards passing legislation that accomplishes this goal.”

Advocates supporting the bill issued the following statements:

“The veto of the Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act goes against New York’s commitment to combat the climate crisis and needlessly postpones crucial measures that protect both our businesses and front-line communities from its escalating hardships. This bill proposed immediate climate action that was not just vital, but completely feasible; its veto abdicates environmentally smart and just leadership to industries whose self-interest binds them to the status quo. New York can and must do better.” – Vanessa Fajans-Turner, Executive Director, Environmental Advocates NY

“Governor Hochul’s veto of this bill represents a grievous failure to meet the climate crisis with commonsense policy. The profound threat of the climate emergency is not in question; New Yorkers feel the impact with every hurricane, flood, wildfire, and heat wave. This bill would mitigate climate risk while empowering New York businesses and standing up for the rights of frontline communities. A true win-win. We are surprised and dismayed that the Governor’s office didn’t see the opportunity in front of them. But ending deforestation is far too important to give up on, and we will come back next year with an even stronger coalition to pass the bill. We thank Senator Krueger, Assemblymember Zebrowski, and the bill’s additional sponsors for their leadership.” – Jeff Conant, Senior International Forest Program Manager, Friends of the Earth U.S.

“Plain and simple, the veto of the Tropical Deforestation Free Procurement Act is a setback to address the urgent interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and social justice. We will not be deterred in our collective effort to stop the State of New York from funding climate destruction, which is causing extreme and almost all too common flooding in communities and basements across New York. The supporters of this act include Indigenous People across the globe, who are the first and worst impacted by climate change, and they share a greater burden with the loss of their ancestral lands to irresponsible multinational corporations.” –Marcus Sibley, northeast director of conservation partnerships at the National Wildlife Federation

“This bill enjoys widespread support among businesses because of the economic and climate benefits it would deliver. New York should not be in the business of awarding state contracts to multinational corporations involved in destroying rainforests, especially when such products can be produced right here at home. We’re disappointed in the Governor’s veto, and we remain committed to supporting this critical legislation again next year.” – Bob Rossi, Executive Director, New York Sustainable Business Council

“At a moment when global policy and the marketplace are undergoing a clear transformation on forest protection, Governor Hochul is holding New York back. At COP28 in Dubai, more than 190 countries resoundingly coalesced around the need to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030. This week, President Biden has announced a proposal for ending logging in old-growth forests by 2025. This is not a question of if, but when, sustainability standards like those in the NY Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act become the norm. With the stroke of her pen, Governor Hochul missed the opportunity to solidify New York State as a leader; instead, with this veto, she’s mired the economy in unsustainable practices.” –Jennifer Skene, Natural Climate Solutions Policy Manager, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)

The Governor’s veto followed calls to the Governor to sign the legislation from dozens of groups including 50+ climate and justice organizations, businesses from across the state, and investors representing over $2.5 trillion in assets under management. 

Earlier this year, advocates including Indigenous leaders visiting from South America, Indonesia, and around the globe delivered more than 600,000 petition signatures, including from thousands of New Yorkers, to Governor Hochul asking her to sign the bill. Thousands of New Yorkers called and emailed the Governor in support of the bill.  

In recent weeks, the legislation gained a higher profile in the media, with coverage in the New York Times, NYS Public Radio, New York Daily News, and elsewhere. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio endorsed the legislation to his 62 million followers on Instagram.  

About The New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act: 

• It would require state contractors who deal in tropical forest-risk commodities to demonstrate that their products don’t drive tropical deforestation or degradation.

• Would close loopholes in existing 30-year-old state law banning the use of tropical hardwoods for government projects.

• Would provide a bidding preference for small and medium-sized businesses, minority-and-women-owned businesses, and businesses fulfilling state contracts using New York products.

• Would create a supply chain transparency assistance program to support New York-based small and medium-sized businesses and women and minority-owned enterprises to achieve ethical and sustainable supply chains for forest-risk products. 

• Defines “tropical forest-risk commodities” to include soy, beef, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, wood pulp, paper and wood products, with other commodities to be considered by the Commissioner of the Office of General Services.

Communications contact: TJ Helmstetter, tjhelmstetter@foe.org

The post Legislators, Advocates Respond to Gov. Hochul’s Veto of The New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

On December 4, staff and security agents from AAL – Indonesia’s second largest palm oil company – visited two women in Rio Mukti village in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, insisting they sign a letter stating there was no land conflict between AAL-subsidiary PT Lestari Tani Teladan (PT LTT) and local communities. 

The visit came two days after WALHI (Friends of the Earth Indonesia) shared a video featuring the two women speaking about the adverse impacts of AAL’s operations and calling for the return of communities’ lands. FOE groups are calling on all concerned parties, including Indonesian authorities, to intervene and de-escalate the situation immediately. 

“Every single institution with a connection to AAL must prevent the company from retaliating against communities that are struggling for their lands and livelihoods,” said Uli Arta Siagian, Forest and Plantation Campaign Manager at WALHI National. “The intimidation carried out by AAL against women who called on the company to return their land once again demonstrates AAL’s repressive tactics. AAL is responsible for several cases of criminalization over the past few years alone. Community leaders and environmental human rights defenders have been thrown in jail multiple times due to AAL’s forceful tactics. Indonesian authorities, including the National Human Rights Commission, should ensure this does not escalate into a new campaign of intimidation by AAL.”

Evidence of environmental and human rights violations by AAL and its subsidiaries PT LTT, PT Mamuang, and PT Agro Nusa Abadi was publicly documented in a March 2022 report published by WALHI and Friends of the Earth US. Since the publication of the report, ten consumer goods companies have suspended sourcing from AAL in some capacity. Many companies with ties to AAL have committed on paper to protect and support human rights and human rights defenders. Notably, in September 2023, consumer goods giant Unilever released a policy in support of human rights defenders which explicitly stated intolerance for intimidation, attacks, or reprisals against environmental human rights defenders.

“This is a textbook case of intimidation and coercion by a powerful company against villagers struggling for their lands and livelihoods,” said Gaurav Madan, Senior Forest and Land Rights Campaigner at Friends of the Earth US. “Violence against defenders is a global epidemic. Actions speak louder than empty words, fruitless investigations, and paper policies. Now is the time for companies and investors that enable AAL to publicly demand it return land back to communities it has taken without consent. Companies and investors should cut ties with this unrepentant company, ensure remedy for the harm it’s done, and prepare for a just transition away from industrial agribusiness operations which are predicated on violence and land theft.”

Last week, AAL released a flawed report that attempted to address long standing allegations of abuse by the company. Friends of the Earth groups rejected the report for failing to examine multiple cases of criminalization, whether AAL subsidiaries ever received the free, prior, informed consent (FPIC) of communities, or the extent of environmental degradation due to palm oil operations. The report was the result of a unilaterally-dictated investigation by the company which demanded communities show documentation for their land claims, while not requiring the same level of proof from AAL.

Communities continue to call on AAL to return land back that it has taken without consent; provide compensation to farmers for loss of lands and livelihoods; conduct environmental restoration to damaged and degraded rivers; clear the names of environmental human rights defenders who have been criminalized; and issue a public apology for harm done. Notably, the amount of land back being requested by communities impacted by AAL subsidiaries PT LTT, PT Mamuang, and PT Nusa Agro Abadi is less than .1% of AAL’s entire land bank. 

Communications contact(s): 

Brittany Miller, Friends of the Earth U.S., bmiller@foe.org, (202) 222-0746
Uli Arta Siagian, WAHLI, ulisiagian@walhi.or.id, +628 2182 61 9212

The post Friends of the Earth groups denounce recent case of intimidation by Astra Agro Lestari, call for immediate de-escalation appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

Jeff Conant, Senior International Forests Program Manager at Friends of the Earth U.S., issued the following statement: 

Agribusiness is destroying the world’s forests, driving rapid species extinction and contributing to climate breakdown. Behind the brand names selling products like meat, paper, chocolate, cosmetics and junk food is a world of forest crime built on illicit financial transactions and a global assault on frontline environmental human rights defenders.  

By banning U.S. imports of commodities tied to illegal forest destruction and strengthening the ability of U.S. law enforcement to prosecute deforestation-related crimes, the FOREST Act will serve as a critical tool to curb these abuses. Friends of the Earth is grateful for the leadership of Sens. Schatz and Braun and Reps. Blumenauer and Fitzpatrick, and we urge Congress to swiftly pass this critical bill.

With backing from a range of U.S. environmental, human rights, anti-corruption and faith-based civil society organizations, as well as responsible business interests, the FOREST Act follows recent action by the European Union to halt imports of products sourced from recently deforested land. The FOREST Act also parallels state-level efforts like the New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act, which, if signed into law, would leverage New York’s public purchasing to curtail tropical forest destruction.  

 Communications contact: Brittany Miller, bmiller@foe.org, (202) 222-0746

The post Friends of the Earth welcomes bipartisan legislation to curtail global deforestation and environmental crime  appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

The bill was passed with overwhelming, bipartisan majorities in both chambers of the New York legislature earlier this year. The bill’s lead sponsors, Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Kenneth Zebrowski, both spoke at today’s press conference. 

“This is crunch time to make sure New York is solidly on the path to fight climate change with everything we’ve got,” said Senator Liz Krueger. “That means we can’t ignore the emissions we outsource to other countries through our consumer choices. State government must take the lead in ensuring our procurement dollars are not driving deforestation in our planet’s critical tropical forests, exacerbating the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, and threatening the rights and lands of Indigenous peoples. At the same time, we can give New York businesses a leg up on the competition by helping them clean up their supply chains. It’s a win-win-win for people, planet, and New York’s economy, and the only thing we need now is the Governor’s signature.” 

“This legislation sends a strong message that New York will not contribute to the deforestation of tropical hardwoods,” said Assemblymember Kenneth Zebrowski. “As a major contributor to climate change and the destruction of natural habitats for animals, deforestation continues to have serious impacts on our planet. Officials and advocates from around the world continue to recognize the importance of this issue, and New York can be a leader by enacting this important legislation.” 

“This is the most substantial climate legislation awaiting action by the Governor and the most important pending deforestation measure we know of in the world,” said Vanessa Fajans-Turner, Executive Director, Environmental Advocates NY, who kicked off and emceed the press conference. “Will Governor Hochul lead New York and model the change our country must match to build a sustainable world? We know she can, and think she must.” 

The New York leaders were joined by a diplomat from the European Union, an indigenous leader from Brazil, and other leaders who joined the virtual press conference from Dubai, where they are presently attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28). They were also joined by leaders from the business community and faith leaders. 

The press conference follows multiple calls to the Governor to pass the legislation from dozens of groups including climate and justice organizations and business from across the state of New York. 

Additional quotes below: 

“The biggest paradigm shift in the last decade is the EU’s transition to a sustainable economy in mobility, agriculture, and our energy production. You can’t just do this at home–you have to alter your patterns of behavior outside. The climate and biodiversity crisis tells us every time it’s worse than we thought–and we’re all in the same boat. But you can’t continue to say ‘only your part is sinking.’ It’s coming quicker and quicker so we have to do something. If New York passes its own law, that means it has a head start over other states.” – Tony Agotha, EU Special Envoy for Climate & Environment

“We’re living through a big crisis that’s caused by the big corporations that destroy our territories and our ways of life. We need initiatives like this to protect all the biomes in the world and guarantee the survival of humanity. This bill needs to be approved so we indigenous people can continue to protect the biodiversity of the world. The world is looking at New York–other jurisdictions have already started to act on deforestation and environmental crimes. We don’t want any more nice words–we want concrete actions.” – Dinamam Tuxa, Coordinator of the Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB)

“With this groundbreaking piece of legislation, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has the chance to lead the state, and the entire country, down a historic path towards climate justice. The legislation would hold businesses, big and small, accountable for their environmental practices, ensuring they do not contribute to tropical forest degradation and associated abuses of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, while also mobilizing resources to help smaller and women- and minority-owned companies make their supply chains greener and more resilient. The time we have left to mitigate that risk is running out; urgent action is needed at all levels.” – Jeff Conant, Senior International Forests Program Manager, Friends of the Earth U.S.

“After the Legislature, overwhelmingly and in a bi-partisan manner, passed the NY Tropical Deforestation Free Procurement Act, and dozens of NY businesses, 72 investors managing $2.5 trillion, over 50 environmental, religious, and community organizations have called on the Governor to sign this bill, time is running short for the Governor to do the right thing. We are so thankful for the leadership of our sponsors, Senator Kreuger and Assemblyman Zebrowski, and the whole coalition stands with them today and into the future to get the New York government to stop funding climate destruction.”– Curtis Fisher, Northeast Regional Executive Director, National Wildlife Federation

“This bill will strengthen New York’s economy. By encouraging procurement from New York businesses, it supports these economic anchors and creates jobs across the state while keeping procurement dollars circulating through—rather than leaving—our state economy. This is a critical step towards localizing our economy and building resilience against international supply chain disruptions. We look to Governor Hochul to make this a reality by signing this bill into law.” – Bob Rossi, Executive Director, New York Sustainable Business Council

“Tony’s success in preventing deforestation and combatting climate change through supply chain due diligence shows it can be done and can be done in a transparent, cost-effective manner.  However, in order for us to collectively succeed, individuals, civil society, the business sector and governments must act together.  This bill harnesses the purchasing power of the state of New York to help achieve that worthy goal.  We urge that it become state law as soon as possible.” – Barry Schumacher, Public Policy Lead, U.S., Tony’s Chocolonely

“Kickstarter is a New York-based crowdfunding platform that 23 million people have used to pledge over $7.7 billion to fund more than 250,000 small businesses and creative projects. These projects increasingly have climate responsibility baked into their charter or even central to their very purpose. The new business community is already stepping up to protect our climate and safeguard the future of humanity. It is time for our government to do the same.” – Jon Leland, Chief Strategy Officer, Kickstarter

“We need action and accountability–and that’s what this bill would do. We’ve seen the world mobilizing around forest protection–this bill could spark better practices everywhere. So little stands between business as usual and change, anything else would fail the people of New York and the people of the world.” – Jennifer Skene, National Resource Defense Council Natural Climate Solutions Policy Manager, International Program

“Regional Access is a New York-based food distributor committed to sourcing regionally and supporting the development of local economies across New York State since our founding in 1989. By sourcing from New York first, we can support our businesses and communities. Beyond that, our nation offers an incredibly diverse bounty. To source not simply beyond our borders but in ways that encourage tropical deforestation is unconscionable.” – Dana Stafford, President, Regional Access

“Deforestation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and a leading driver of climate change.  And it is the poor and the marginalized who will suffer most from the effects of climate change. So protecting tropical forests and defending the most vulnerable are intimately related.  Care for the earth and care for our neighbors go hand in hand.” – Pastor John Paarlberg, NY State Council of Churches

“Pope Francis tells us, The earth’s resources are also being plundered because of short-sighted approaches to the economy, commerce and production… those richly biodiverse lungs of our planet, which are the Amazon and the Congo basins …we know how important these are for the entire earth and for the future of humanity. ( Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, nos. 32 and 38, May 24, 2015)” – Sister Catherine C. Darcy, Mercy Justice Team 

Earlier this year, advocates including Indigenous leaders visiting from South America, Indonesia, and around the globe delivered more than 600,000 petition signatures to Governor Hochul asking her to sign the bill. Thousands of New Yorkers also signed the international petition. Indigenous leaders also previously called for Hochul to sign the bill. 

About The New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act: 

• Requires state contractors who deal in tropical forest-risk commodities to certify that their products don’t drive tropical deforestation or degradation.
• Closes loopholes in existing 30-year-old state law banning the use of tropical hardwoods for government projects.
• Provides a bidding preference for small and medium-sized businesses, minority-and-women-owned businesses, and businesses fulfilling state contracts using New York products.
• Creates a supply chain transparency assistance program to support New York-based small and medium-sized businesses and women and minority-owned enterprises to achieve ethical and sustainable supply chains for forest-risk products. 
• Defines “tropical forest-risk commodities” to include soy, beef, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, wood pulp, paper and wood products. Other commodities may be added by the Commissioner of the Office of General Services.

Communications contacts: TJ Helmstetter for Friends of the Earth, tjhelmstetter@foe.org
Brian Keegan for Environmental Advocates NY: bkeegan@eany.org

The post Global Leaders Join New Yorkers in Urging Governor Hochul to Sign the “Most Substantial Climate Legislation” on Her Desk appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

“Banking on Biodiversity Collapse: Tracking the banks and investors driving tropical deforestation,” maps commercial financial flows to the forest-sector operations of 300 companies within six forest-risk commodity sectors -– beef, palm oil, pulp and paper, rubber, soy, and timber –- which collectively cause most tropical deforestation globally. The report identifies which banks and investors play the biggest roles in the provision of credit, underwriting, bondholding, and shareholding. Among the largest 30 forest-risk bankers were major banks from tropical forest countries including Brazil and Indonesia, as well as those from significant import and financial jurisdictions such as the US, EU, Japan, and China.

The report further assesses the quality of bank policies governing investments in high impact sectors. The policies of banks and investors were scored on a set of 38 criteria. Discouragingly, the average policy score was just 17%, with only 20 banks and investors scoring 30% or above. Only two banks score over 50% for a policy score – revealing a massive disconnect between the amount of money being pumped into these sectors and the safeguards in place to prevent mass deforestation and rights abuses. 

The report finds that the biggest bank financiers, Banco do Brasil and Bradesco, which predominantly finance beef and soy sectors in Brazil, have minimal policies to prevent deforestation and rights abuses. Wall street giants JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup play a major role in pulp and paper, and palm oil but are failing to safeguard forests, biodiversity, or human rights in their policies. They received woefully deficient scores, with Bank of America at 22%, Citigroup at 37% and JPMorgan Chase trailing behind with just 15%.

The report findings highlight the urgent need for robust regulations that cover financial institutions to be implemented in key jurisdictions. The report emphasizes that governments and financial institutions have a responsibility under Article 2.1c of the Paris Agreement and Targets 14 and 15 of the Global Biodiversity Framework to align their financial flows to achieve public climate and biodiversity goals. While the data shows some fluctuations in annual credit and investment totals from 2016 to 2023, there does not appear to be any downward trend in capital facilitating the continued expansion of forest-risk commodity production.

“Many people may be shocked to know that in many, if not most, jurisdictions it is perfectly legal for a financial institution to finance a company engaged in environmental crime,” said Merel van der Mark, Forests & Finance Coordinator. “This data shows the blatant hypocrisy of financial institutions who are members of sustainability initiatives like the Principles for Responsible Investment or Principles for Responsible Banking, or that have Net Zero commitments but are continuing to finance companies that make these goals impossible to meet. Leaving financial institutions to set their own ESG standards will not be enough to shift financial flows towards sustainable practices. Ultimately, governments must establish the policies and penalties necessary to safeguard society and the ecosystems on which we all depend.”

In addition to recording financial flows and analysing sector policies, the report also presents several cases illustrating the impacts that this finance has on forests and communities in Indonesia and the Brazilian Amazon. The research exposes four forest destroyers that continue to rake in billions of dollars in financing even though they have been linked to extensive and well documented harmful social and environmental impacts, often spanning many years demonstrating long-term patterns of rogue behaviour: JBS, Cargill, Royal Golden Eagle, and Sinar Mas Group.

The report concludes that financial regulators and financial institutions must take urgent steps to align their financial flows to foster a just transition necessary to safeguard society and the ecosystems on which we all depend, consistent with international public policy goals. To achieve this, the Forest and Finance Coalition calls on the financial sector to adopt 5 basic principles, which include halting and reversing biodiversity loss, respecting and prioritizing the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, fostering a Just Transition, ensuring ecosystem integrity, and aligning institutional objectives across sectors, issues, and instruments.

Forests & Finance is a coalition of campaign, grassroots and research organizations including Rainforest Action Network, TuK Indonesia, Profundo, Amazon Watch, Repórter Brasil, BankTrack, Sahabat Alam Malaysia and Friends of the Earth US.

Communications contact: Laurel Sutherlin (Rainforest Action Network), laurel@ran.org, +1 415.246.0161
Brittany Miller (Friends of the Earth), bmiller@foe.org, (202) 222-0746

The post Major bank and investor policies accelerating forest destruction, biodiversity loss, climate chaos and rights violations appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

“This one-sided investigation chose to only investigate communities and failed to investigate AAL,” said Uli Arta Siagian, Forest and Plantation Campaign Manager at WALHI National. “Despite international condemnation and consumer goods companies suspending sourcing from AAL over abuses in Sulawesi, the investigation did not bother to look at how AAL subsidiaries acquired lands from communities or whether these companies are operating legally. The investigation demanded communities show documentation for their land claims, while not requiring the same level of proof from AAL. This completely ignores the power asymmetries between rural communities and powerful companies, as well as ignores the complicated reality of land rights recognition in Indonesia.”

AAL’s latest verification report notably does not look at whether its subsidiaries attempted to receive Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from impacted communities, a critical allegation documented by WALHI and FOE US in its March 2022 report, No Consent: Astra Agro Lestari’s land grab in Central and West Sulawesi, Indonesia. AAL’s new report also fails to investigate many other allegations from the March 2022 report, including whether AAL subsidiaries hold each of the required permits to operate, multiple cases of criminalization of environmental human rights defenders, and environmental degradation caused to rivers. 

“What AAL’s report doesn’t say speaks as loudly as what it attempts to justify,” says Gaurav Madan, Senior Forest and Land Rights Campaigner at Friends of the Earth US. “Let’s remember that the focus of the investigation was entirely decided by AAL – and it failed to address many of the concerns of buyers, shareholders, and civil society. How long must communities wait to have justice delivered? How many investigations must they suffer before they receive their land back? How many reports need to be published for companies to act? It’s time AAL’s buyers use their platforms and leverage to push the company to remedy the harm it’s done.” 

In March 2023, AAL announced that it had hired consultant group Eco Nusantara to conduct an investigation into the allegations of environmental and human rights violations by its subsidiaries in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Neither AAL nor its consultants consulted with impacted communities or civil society on what should be included in the TOR prior to its finalization. In June, WALHI and FOE US shared an in-depth analysis of the TOR, which included suggestions on how the focus of investigation should shift onto AAL. Despite assurances from AAL’s consultants that they would address civil society feedback and design the investigation in an inclusive way, the investigation proceeded based on the flawed TOR without taking into account any suggestions or recommendations provided by civil society. 

“AAL’s new verification report conspicuously does not mention  FPIC even once,” said Jeff Conant, Senior International Forests Program Manager at Friends of the Earth US. “Yet, FPIC is the critical factor for distinguishing between legitimate land acquisition and land grabbing. Shareholders, buyers, and consumer goods companies with supply chain links to AAL, which have all committed to respect FPIC in their sustainability policies, must take notice and suspend all sourcing from this rogue company. Paper policies are only as good as their implementation.”

Since the publication of the March 2022 report, ten consumer goods companies have suspended sourcing from AAL in some capacity. BlackRock – the world’s largest asset manager – voted against directors at both AAL and parent company Astra International’s shareholder meetings over the past two years due to this case. 

Communities continue to demand AAL return land back that it has taken without consent; provide compensation to farmers for loss of lands and livelihoods; conduct environmental restoration to damaged and degraded rivers; clear the names of environmental human rights defenders who have been criminalized; and issue a public apology for harm done. Notably, the amount of land back being requested by communities is less than .1% of the AAL’s entire land bank. 

Communications contact(s): 

Brittany Miller, Friends of the Earth U.S., bmiller@foe.org, +1 202 222-0746
Uli Arta Siagian, WALHI, ulisiagian@walhi.or.id, +628 2182 61 9212

The post Friends of the Earth groups reject inadequate, inaccurate Astra Agro Lestari report on environmental and human rights violations in Indonesia appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

When confronting the climate emergency, rampant consumption of fossil fuels is top of mind — and rightly so — as tens of thousands of activists recently reminded us in the streets of New York City. But the second leading driver of the climate crisis is the rapid destruction of our planet’s forests. Global deforestation is also a major cause of the extinction crisis and is linked to a wave of violence against Indigenous and local land defenders across the tropics. That’s why a powerful group of Indigenous leaders and climate justice organizers recently used the stage of New York’s Climate Week to build momentum for the New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act.   

With this groundbreaking piece of legislation, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has the chance to lead the state and the entire country down a historic path towards climate justice. The bill already passed both houses in the State Legislature and now simply awaits the governor’s signature. If signed into law, any company that supplies New York state agencies with products that contain “forest-risk commodities” – palm oil, soy, paper, beef, coffee and others – will be required to know and show that its entire supply chain is not linked to tropical deforestation, forest degradation, or human rights abuses in the tropical countries where most of these commodities are produced. 

The bill’s lead sponsor, State Senator Liz Krueger, recently co-authored an op-ed in the New York Daily News alongside Amazonian Indigenous leader Juan Carlos Jintiach, highlighting that deforestation has catastrophic impacts on frontline communities while also driving the climate emergency: some 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by converting natural forests to industrial farmland. Conversely, and not coincidentally, the regions with intact tropical forests are also home to the world’s greatest biocultural diversity. This means not only that demarcating Indigenous territories is critical to protecting forests, but that Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the world’s forested regions are – still — under constant threat of violence for protecting the very lands and forests we all need to maintain climate stability. That’s why the Indigenous leaders in this video have expressly called for Gov. Hochul to sign the bill.  

As part of our efforts during Climate Week, a group of climate activists from Borneo to Brazil to the Bronx hopped onto the Hoop Bus, a school bus decked out with a basketball hoop, murals and colorful banners, for a tour around Manhattan – including a stop at Governor Hochul’s office. There, we delivered over 650,000 petition signatures urging her to sign the bill. After about an hour of waiting (and several calls to political insiders), the governor’s office sent down a representative to collect the signatures and meet with representatives of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities, which brings together some of the world’s most powerful federations of Indigenous Peoples.  

Earlier in the week, I also participated in a press conference in front of the New York Stock Exchange to warn Wall Street to avoid buying stock in JBS, the world’s largest meat company, and a notorious perpetrator of both deforestation and massive methane emissions. To forge a food system that can move us away from climate emergency, it’s critical to understand the intersection of agriculture – especially monoculture plantations and industrial livestock – and deforestation. Land cleared for cattle grazing accounts for 40% of deforestation worldwide; as the New York Times reported a few days ago, one study found that JBS alone produces more emissions each year than all of Italy. That’s why we hit the streets of New York to tell Wall Street to steer clear of JBS — and yet another reason this piece of legislation sitting on Governor Hochul’s desk is so important. 

Legislation similar to the New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act has already passed in the European Union, so multinational companies are already facing the need to shift their practices to meet new legal frameworks. In a sign of how serious E.U. lawmakers are about advancing this regulation, Manuel Carmona Yebra, counselor for Environment and Oceans for the Delegation of the E.U. to the U.S., published an op-ed in the Albany Times Union voicing strong support for the NY bill: “By aligning our approach to deforestation across the Atlantic and globally, we can become trailblazers of a healthier, innovative, and more competitive green economy,” the E.U. policymaker wrote.

With every new climate disaster that floods the subways of New York or incinerates the forests of Canada or California, its clear that the short and long-term costs of inaction are far greater than the cost of re-deploying state tax dollars to deal with the crisis at its roots. Even Wall Street—the engine of the New York economy—now understands that climate risk is economic risk. To drive that point home, earlier this year, 72 global investors representing $2.5 trillion in assets delivered a letter to the NY legislature and the governor supporting the bill.

The time we have left to mitigate that risk is running out; urgent action is needed at all levels. Governor Hochul herself recently signed legislation she called “a monumental step forward in our mission to protect New Yorkers from the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events.” But such legislation only mitigates the damage; Governor Hochul has yet to take any action to actually prevent the massive storms to come. The New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act would do precisely that.

The legislation would hold businesses, big and small, accountable for their environmental practices, ensuring they do not contribute to tropical forest degradation, while also mobilizing resources to help smaller and women- and minority-owned companies make their supply chains greener and more resilient. The bill also closes a loophole in an existing state law that would ban state purchasing of precious tropical hardwood timber, which is still used in New York’s boardwalks, railroad ties, and marine pilings, despite the increased availability of more durable and cost-effective materials. As the world’s 10th largest economy, and a true microcosm of the world’s diversity, it’s past time for New York to step up to the challenge.

With this piece of legislation, Governor Hochul has the opportunity not only to forge a sensible climate action pathway for the rest of the country, but also to score a huge political win. After all, what’s more popular than saving the rainforest?

The post How New York Can Tackle Deforestation and Jumpstart A Historic Path To Climate Justice   appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

The post Land Grabbing and Ecocide: How Bunge, TIAA, and Harvard Fuel the Destruction of the Brazilian Cerrado appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

The press conference was held in conjunction with the release of a written investor briefing, which was endorsed by sixteen NGOs and distributed to known JBS investors, financiers, and other major financial institutions.

The investor briefing highlights how JBS has been repeatedly implicated in climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, human rights abuses, and corruption scandals, whether as a parent company or through its network of subsidiaries and suppliers. 

Industrial livestock production is one of the largest sources of emissions fueling climate change. Leading experts have repeatedly pointed out that we must urgently address emissions from livestock by dramatically scaling back consumption and production of animal foods and shifting to ecological agriculture practices in order to avoid climate catastrophe. 

Financial institutions provide capital for industrial livestock and meat production companies, such as JBS, Tyson, and Cargill, to continue expanding their production. Bank of America and Citigroup are some of the latest financiers to underwrite JBS bonds, issued this month. BlackRock and Vanguard are some of the top investors in JBS.

“JBS has been exposed for environmental and climate destruction for years,” said Chelsea Matthews, senior campaigner for Friends Of The Earth. “U.S. commercial banks like Bank of America and Citigroup can’t credibly implement their climate commitments if they continue to provide financial support to meat giants like JBS.”

“We are here to say JBS is enabling land grabbing and attacks on Indigenous people but also the destruction of the planet,” said Ana Paula Vargas, Brazil program director at Amazon Watch. “So we need to tell Wall Street and Citigroup and Bank of America that this company is enabling and being complicit in the destruction. We have to stop financing JBS if you don’t want to be a part of the problem.”

“Too often we see US-based banks and corporations implicated in rainforest destruction,” said Ashley Thomson, senior policy advisor for Global Witness. “JBS poses a risk to the world’s tropical forests and to human rights. With no real government action to stem the flow of deforestation, we are appealing directly to investors to urge them to consider the full scope of risks by investing in JBS.”  

“Wall Street is enabling a company that relies on stolen land, forced labor, bribery and environmental destruction to turn a profit,” said Steph Dowlen, forests and finance campaigner for Rainforest Action Network. “To avoid locking in another decade of climate chaos, forest destruction and human rights abuses, Citigroup and Bank of America must put their money where their mouth is by steering clear of JBS.” 

“Investing in the health of our planet and all animals who share it is no longer niche or optional, it is an imperative,” said Annette Manusevich, farming campaign manager for World Animal Protection.  “JBS cannot be allowed to continue misleading the public and investors.” 

Photos and video from the event available HERE. 

Background information:

Earlier this year, JBS announced a plan to restart its decade-long attempt to list shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) via a dual listing under a new Dutch parent company (“JBS N.V.”). JBS’s last attempt to execute an initial public offering (IPO) in the US in 2017 was undermined by the company’s role in “the largest corruption inquiry in history,” which resulted in a record-breaking $3.2 billion fine to settle five separate investigations into JBS’s business practices. 

JBS company leadership has said it expects the dual listing to be complete by December 2023; however, the transaction must be approved by the SEC, Brazilian regulators, and shareholders. 

Last month, Rainforest Action Network petitioned the SEC to open an investigation into JBS and urged it to scrutinize the dual listing. Last year, an audit by Brazilian prosecutors found significant “irregularities” in JBS’s beef sourcing – indicating concerns that JBS is contributing to illegal deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Earlier this summer, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee hosted a hearing investigating cattle supply chains and deforestation in the Amazon, with Senators zeroing in on JBS’s practice of “cattle laundering.” 

Communications contacts:
TJ Helmstetter, tjhelmstetter@foe.org
Brittany Miller, bmiller@foe.org

The post NGOs Warn Financiers of Risks Ahead of Meatpacker JBS’ NYSE Listing: “Wall Street: Steer Clear of JBS” appeared first on Friends of the Earth.