Europe forged its plan to curb global deforestation three years ago when more than 100 world leaders pledged at the COP26 climate conference to reverse the destruction of millions of hectares of woodland every year.
There was an aggressive timetable, but as with many of the European Union’s green plans, it proved too much for some, and the bloc on Wednesday caved to calls from countries including Brazil and the U.S. to slow down.
The decision to delay deforestation targets symbolizes the bloc’s overreach when it comes to persuading the world to follow in its green footsteps. It’s the result of ambitious environmental aims clashing with hard reality. Businesses said they needed time and money to get ready for the huge change the EU envisages, as did emerging economies.
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