Catch up on the main nature policy news from August
No Plastics Treaty in sight as Geneva talks break down
A once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle global plastic pollution has been dealt a serious blow. Hopes for a legally binding Plastics Treaty collapsed in Geneva after INC5.2 talks ended in a disappointing deadlock.
Negotiations were supposed to deliver on countries’ 2022 pledge to finalize a treaty by the end of 2024, but was blocked despite calls from across society for a robust agreement.
More than 100 countries were aligned in pushing for legally binding measures to limit plastic production, especially on key elements of the treaty such as phase-outs, product design and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). A minority of countries, however, blocked adoption of the treaty, wanting to focus instead on recycling and waste management. The widening gap meant no consensus was possible and negotiations were adjourned with no clarity on next steps.
The deadlock is all the more disappointing given the strong momentum for an ambitious treaty from the private sector: Over 300 companies called for harmonized regulations that could generate economic, social and environmental value at both a global and national level.
These regulations would also create a level playing field for companies and investors, while aligning national policies and actions towards a global goal on plastic. Business for Nature urges countries and businesses to continue their leadership in the months ahead and continue to support an ambitious multilateral agreement.
Governments must explore remaining options to reach an agreement – one that’s based on harmonized regulations across the full lifecycle of plastics.
Brazil’s pioneering anti-deforestation soy pact under scrutiny but safe for now
For nearly two decades, a landmark agreement known as the Soy Moratorium has successfully protected the Brazilian Amazon from soy-driven deforestation.
However, the voluntary pact was nearly dismantled after Brazil’s competition authority (CADE) ordered companies to abandon the agreement, siding with agribusiness groups pushing to expand into the forest. This sparked a clash within the government, leading to a federal judge stepping in to suspend the order – saving the protection while the case undergoes judicial review.
The Soy Moratorium, where major companies refuse to buy soy from land cleared after 2008 in exchange for tax breaks, is a global success story that shows how agriculture and conservation could be reconciled. It enabled soybean cultivation in the Brazilian Amazon to grow by 427% without destroying more forest between 2006 and 2023, by directing farming to already-cleared land.
Preserving mechanisms like the Soy Moratorium, alongside due diligence legislation and enforcement, are therefore essential to credibly tackling both legal and illegal deforestation.
This is especially true in the case of soy, since soybean production is the second biggest driver of tropical deforestation behind beef according to WWF. Removing the moratorium would not only threaten ecosystems in Brazil, but also create wider uncertainty and risk for businesses committed to reducing deforestation in their supply chains.
With the pact’s future in the balance, the survival of this long-standing protection puts Brazil's climate leadership under the spotlight as it prepares to host COP30.
Europe continues its sustainability rollback, but civil society pushes back
As the EU heads into the final phase of negotiations on the Omnibus Package, it has confirmed that plans to scale back core sustainability laws are part of an upcoming trade agreement with the United States.
A new EU-U.S. tariff statement pledged that rules such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will be adjusted so they “do not pose undue restrictions on transatlantic trade.”
This direction is not unexpected: the EU has signaled for months its intent to simplify and soften sustainability rules - as covered in our updates from July, June and May.
But resistance is growing from the business community. Over 400 businesses, investors and organizations have warned that weakening CSRD and CSDDD risks undermining competitiveness and long-term growth.
Meanwhile, French citizens scored a win against environmental backsliding. A government bill to reintroduce the banned pesticide acetamiprid was strongly contested after a citizen-led petition reached two million signatures, becoming the most successful petition in the country’s history. France’s Constitutional Council ruled against the measure, saying it violates France's environmental charter, which constitutionally guarantees the "right to live in a balanced and healthy environment".
Caught up on August? Go back to the July news update to catch up on previous nature policy stories from around the world.