Energy and Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker, has declared that the UK has joined the Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) 2020, a public-private partnership established to reduce tropical deforestation.

Established by the US Government and the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) at the Rio+20 Summit in 2012, TFA 2020 was set up to achieve the goals of the CGF, an industry network of over 400 retailers, and ‘eliminate deforestation from palm oil, soya, beef and paper supply chains by 2020.’

According to TFA 2020, it seeks to ‘coordinate and mobilise actions by governments, the private sector and civil society to reduce the tropical deforestation associated with key commodity supply chains’.

Though not a regulatory body, TFA 2020 aims to provide a forum ‘in which to share best practice with major private companies’ committed to adopting ‘sustainable supply chains’ and to ‘encourage other governments and companies to take similar steps’.

‘Significant reduction in deforestation’ needed before 2020

The announcement of the UK’s support came during a meeting between Barker and the Deputy Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Donald Steinberg, in Washington yesterday (11 April).

It comes as environmentalists warn that unless governments take immediate action against rising global temperature levels and increasing carbon emissions, it will become impossible to prevent a ‘critical’ two-degree Celsius (3.6 Farenheit) rise in temperature.

Barker said: “The urgency of tackling climate change is clear and limiting global warming to 2°C limit will be extremely challenging – if not impossible – without a significant reduction in deforestation before 2020.

“With up to 17 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions coming from deforestation, tackling this issue is a central part of how to address climate change, support greener growth and sustainable development.”

Steinberg added: "Global challenges require global scale. Bringing together the public and private sectors and civil society through the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 demonstrates how we can tackle reducing deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions while promoting food security and economic growth."

Of the UK’s support of the TFA 2020, Barker added: “Joining the Alliance builds on the work the UK is already doing with the timber industry and rainforest countries to crack down on illegal logging, and our plans to address the agricultural drivers of deforestation”.

“The UK wants to accelerate international efforts to reduce deforestation. That’s why we are keen to work with the Alliance, and help drive this important agenda forward.”

The pledge follows the UK government’s target of sustainably sourcing all palm oil used for central government food and catering services from 2015.

Read more about the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020.