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.

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.

Sponsored by Sen. Liz Krueger (D-28) and Asm. Kenneth Zebrowski (D-96), the legislation builds on New York’s climate and justice leadership and is based on the state’s decades-long success of implementing commonsense procurement reforms. The bill ensures that state and local government procurement does not fund climate destruction by ending state funding that drives tropical deforestation, tropical primary forest degradation and associated abuses of the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local tropical communities. The bill passed the State Senate in late April. Once signed, New York will be the first state in the country to end tropical forest-destroying procurement. 

“Passing this legislation sends a message that New York will not contribute to the deforestation of tropical forests, a practice that greatly contributes to climate change and impacts a vast number of species. I am proud to have worked with my colleagues and advocates from around the world to pass this bill, and hope to see it signed into law,” said Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski. 

“The New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act passing is a shot heard around the world. Climate change and wildlife know no borders. This legislation is a great byproduct of cooperation with partners across the globe, especially Indigenous, Black, and communities of color who are first and worst impacted by climate change and deforestation,” said Marcus Sibley, Northeast director of conservation partnerships for the National Wildlife Federation. “With the leadership of Senator Krueger, Assemblyman Zebrowski, overwhelming and bipartisan senate and assembly votes, we are one signature away from a historic and critical law that will protect NYers from the ravages of climate change and promote justice here and abroad.”

“The New York legislature has taken definitive climate justice action by passing the New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act,” said Jeff Conant, Senior International Forests Program Manager at Friends of the Earth. “When the Governor signs this bill into law, it will signal a new era in which public spending can protect our earth’s precious ecosystems rather than allowing them to be destroyed through reckless consumption. We thank the bill’s visionary sponsors and the huge majority of the legislature that voted to bring about this tremendous victory for people and the planet.”

“This is a historic moment in climate action. New York is now poised to become the first state to leverage its buying power to safeguard the Earth’s tropical forests, and we are doing so in a way that strengthens our economy and grows our businesses,” said Bob Rossi, Executive Director of the New York Sustainable Business Council. “We applaud the sponsors and the many legislators from both parties who supported the passage of the New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act. We now look to Governor Hochul to sign this bill into law and create a model for other states to follow.”

About S.4859/A.5682

• Requires state contractors who deal in tropical forest-risk commodities to certify that their products don’t drive tropical deforestation or degradation, by providing data to the state and the public demonstrating supply chain due diligence to their products’ points of origin.

• 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. This program will be administered by Empire State Development.
• Requires a minimum of two representatives from indigenous tropical communities within the geographic areas to be part of a Stakeholder Advisory Group.
• 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.

Read more about the fight to stop New York’s funding of climate destruction here.

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

The post The New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act Passes Assembly and Heads to Governor appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

Sponsored by Sen. Liz Krueger (D-28) and Asm. Kenneth Zebrowski (D-96), the legislation ensures that state and local government procurement does not fund climate destruction—specifically tropical deforestation, tropical primary forest degradation or associated abuses of Indigenous Peoples and local tropical communities. More than 600,000 people across the world have signed a petition urging lawmakers to end state funding of tropical deforestation. 

“Activists and advocates all across the world have been fighting to save their land from exploitation. Many have been beaten, jailed, or worse and I am here today to urge the New York Assembly to lend a hand and help indigenous people across the world by refusing to fund the destruction of our forests. There is no time to delay–every year millions of acres of tropical forests are destroyed,” said Human Rights and Environmental Lawyer and Activist Alfred Brownell. “The world is calling on New York to lead on climate and justice–the time to act is now!”  

“Deforestation has a tremendous impact on climate change while destroying the homes of a vast number of species. New York can take a stand against this practice by closing loopholes that allow for the sale of tropical hardwood and not doing business with contractors that contribute to tropical deforestation. I’m proud to sponsor this bill in the Assembly and will continue to work with my colleagues to move this bill forward,” said Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski.

“The days are long past when New Yorkers can pretend that what goes on in another part of the world has no impact on us,” said Senator Liz Krueger. “The Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act will ensure that New York’s taxpayer dollars are not driving the tropical deforestation that contributes to the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, and the plundering of Indigenous lands across the globe. It puts New York at the forefront of a global movement to end humanity’s self-destructive level of deforestation. 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.”

“For too long New York has supported climate destruction through the purchase of products that directly cause tropical deforestation. Deforestation not only destabilizes our climate, it endangers the species and Indigenous People that live there. What happens there affects us here. And the decisions we make here harm people and forests across the planet,” said Marcus Sibley, Northeast director of conservation partnerships for the National Wildlife Federation. “New York’s current procurement process undercuts the great work our state is doing as a leader on climate change, clean energy and justice.”

“New York can build on its climate leadership by becoming the first state in the country to use its purchasing power to halt the destruction of climate-critical forests and the corresponding epidemic of human rights abuses. This policy is both necessary and doable–the EU has already implemented a similar policy–and it will make a significant difference for the climate, for biodiversity, and for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights. People around the world are calling on the Assembly to act, today,” said Jeff Conant, International Forest Program Manager at Friends of the Earth. 

“The New York State Council of Churches is in full support of A05682, the New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act. We know that care for the earth and care for our neighbors, especially those who are more and most vulnerable, go hand in hand,” said Reverend John Paarlberg, New York State Conference for Churches. 

“Today we deliver a letter signed by 72 global investors with $2.5 trillion in assets under management supporting the passage of the NY Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement bill. This bill will not only ensure that NY procurement does not contribute to deforestation of tropical forests, but it would encourage meaningful corporate action on eliminating deforestation from supply chains,” said Mary Beth Gallagher, Director of Engagement at Domini Impact Investments. “This will have ripple effects, providing disclosures so investors can evaluate company progress in meeting deforestation commitments, with system wide economic and climate impacts.” 

About S.4859/A.5682

• Requires state contractors who deal in tropical forest-risk commodities to certify that their products don’t drive tropical deforestation or degradation or abuses of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, by providing data to the state and the public demonstrating supply chain due diligence to their products’ points of origin.
• 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, administered by Empire State Development.
• Requires a minimum of two representatives from Indigenous tropical communities within the geographic areas to be part of a Stakeholder Advisory Group.
• 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 contact: Brittany Miller, Friends of the Earth, (202) 222-0746, bmiller@foe.org

The post New York Lawmakers and Environmental Advocates Urge Assembly to Stop Funding Climate Destruction appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

Indonesian forest-dwelling communities have a question of their own: “If a destructive palm oil company is suspended by consumer goods giants for land grabbing and human right abuses, will we finally get our land back?” 

This is exactly what farmers in the provinces of Central and West Sulawesi want to know after six of the world’s largest consumer goods companies suspended Astra Agro Lestari (AAL), Indonesia’s second largest palm oil producer, from their supply chains. The suspensions by L’Oréal, Nestle, Hershey’s, Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and Danone follow a report by WALHI and Friends of the Earth U.S. earlier this year and an independent investigation confirming that AAL subsidiaries are operating on communities’ lands without their consent and criminalizing environmental human rights defenders.  

But suspending AAL – whether partially or entirely – is a means, not an end. Communities on the frontlines of AAL’s palm oil operations have had their land forcibly taken. Local farmers’ livelihoods have suffered from soil and water pollution due to the improper disposal of palm oil waste. And those who have resisted the violent takeover of their lands have been repeatedly thrown in jail. Companies that enabled these abuses – including multibillion consumer giants that source from AAL – have an obligation to ensure that justice is now delivered through remedy for harm done. 

Communities impacted by AAL’s operations are demanding land back that was taken without their consent. They are calling for compensation as restitution for the loss of their livelihoods. And they want a formal apology. 

Consumer goods companies have an important role to play here. After all, these companies for years have published policies committing to end deforestation, respect communities’ land rights, and uphold human rights in their supply chains. Unilever states in its policies that it has “zero tolerance for land grabbing” – yet maintains sourcing from AAL. Notably, AAL has refused to acknowledge the reality on the ground, calling the documented evidence of ongoing land grabbing “baseless.” 

Despite these paper commitments and promises of transparency and traceability, these companies’ business operations and supply chains continue to drive the worst aspects of the climate crisis. In 2010, the Consumer Goods Forum – a consortium of the world’s largest retailers, including many that source from AAL – pledged to achieve zero-net deforestation by 2020. But 2020 came and went, and they failed. Meanwhile, deforestation and associated land conversion – largely driven by the production of industrial agricultural commodities – is still the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions causing the climate emergency. 

Large retailers and brands that market everyday household products continue to source from agribusinesses that violently evict Indigenous Peoples from their ancestral lands and criminalize and attack defenders who stand up for people and planet. A recent report documented that 200 people were killed in 2021 for protecting their land and human rights, with agribusiness being one of the deadliest sectors.  

In this larger context, the recent decisions to suspend AAL are an important first step toward accountability, but by no means should be the end of companies’ responsibility. Consumer companies should use their leverage to push for meaningful grievance redress and conflict resolution. They should also address their role in enabling the destruction of the world’s last standing forests and escalating an epidemic of violence against frontline communities and defenders.  

Keeping the world’s remaining forests standing will require companies, investors and governments alike to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Despite only comprising about 5%of the world’s population, Indigenous Peoples’ territories hold approximately 80% of the world’s biodiversity, which is essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems that sustain life across the planet.  

As for the sounds of the forest? If we want to make sure future generations can hear them, it is imperative that we shift away from the dominant model of agricultural production, which too often is predicated on environmental destruction and land theft for the expansion of monoculture plantations. Again, consumer companies, as well as policymakers and powerful investors, have a vital role to play. They should begin by articulating timebound plans for a managed, just transition away from industrial agribusiness. 

The post Will consumer goods companies ensure justice for communities that have been robbed of their lands and livelihoods? appeared first on Friends of the Earth.