On 28 October 2025, IEEP UK hosted a webinar exploring the future of the UK’s proposed Forest Risk Commodity (FRC) regulation and the potential for alignment with the EU’s Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR). Coming shortly after the announcement of simplifications to the EUDR, this timely discussion assessed the state of play and what alignment – or divergence – could mean for the UK’s role in tackling global deforestation.

Chaired by IEEP UK chair Malini Mehra, the session opened with Pippa Heylings MP, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Energy Security & Net Zero, who emphasised that the UK Environment Act 2021 committed to banning illegal deforestation in UK supply chains, though uncertainty remains over which commodities are covered and how due diligence will be enforced. Heylings underlined the urgency of robust legislation to protect biodiversity and indigenous communities, warning that loopholes risk making the UK a backdoor for commodities that fail to meet EU standards. 

IEEP UK researcher Ed Worsdell outlined the UK FRC’s current status: four years on from the passing of the Environment Act, the necessary secondary legislation for the implementation of FRC regulations has not yet been introduced. Its provisional scope is also limited: the regulations outlined by the previous Conservative government would cover only four commodities – soy, cocoa, palm oil, and cattle – and would apply only to businesses with turnover above £50 million. Worsdell argued that effective UK FRC regulation would include both legal and illegal deforestation, and apply to businesses of all sizes to align with the EUDR. 

Nora Hiller, Senior Policy Analyst at IEEP, provided an overview of the EUDR, which covers a wider range of commodities – cattle, wood, soy, rubber, cocoa, palm oil, and coffee – and prohibits both legal and illegal deforestation. She explained recent EU delays and simplifications of the law, and highlighted the wider political tensions surrounding the regulation’s rollout. While some of the EUDR’s latest changes may simplify compliance, they risk undermining the EUDR’s ambition and credibility with trading partners. 

Highlighting perspectives from the private sector and civil society, WWF-UK’s Nicola Brennan drew on WWF’s Tipping Points report to stress the need for urgent and coordinated action, noting that while UK retailers are showing leadership, voluntary measures alone cannot halt deforestation. Joe James, Sustainability Manager at Sainsbury’s, described the supermarket’s commitment to deforestation- and conversion-free supply chains but noted the practical limits of voluntary action and the benefits of regulatory alignment for cost, transparency, and supply chain resilience. 

During the panel discussion, speakers examined the implications of EUDR changes for UK alignment and smallholder farmers. Participants also raised the need for stronger financial support mechanisms for producer countries and smallholders, noting that opaque supply chains continue to disadvantage vulnerable communities. Questions from the audience covered the Tropical Forest Forever Fund, the status of UK–EU political dialogue on deforestation, and the need for traceability measures that enable smallholder inclusion.

You can watch the full recording of the webinar below, or by following this link. You can download the slides from the session below.