The UK government has confirmed plans to introduce new rules in Great Britain requiring businesses trading in forest-risk commodities, including coffee, to check whether their supply chains are linked to illegal deforestation.

Announced during London Climate Action Week, the proposals will use powers in the Environment Act alongside legislation to strengthen the UK Timber Regulation. The measures are intended to reduce the UK market’s exposure to products associated with forest loss and land clearing.

Under the plans, companies trading in commodities sourced from rainforests, such as coffee, soy, palm oil, cocoa and rubber, would be required to carry out due diligence on their supply chains. These commodities are used across a wide range of consumer goods, from coffee and chocolate to cooking oils, shampoo and cosmetics.

The government said the rules would help businesses identify and reduce the risk that imported products are linked to illegal deforestation, while giving consumers greater confidence that everyday purchases are not contributing to forest destruction.

Rainforests and other forests play a critical role in storing carbon and supporting biodiversity, but remain under pressure from agricultural expansion. The government said around 90% of global deforestation is driven by agricultural expansion, much of it linked to internationally traded commodities.

In 2023, UK consumption of these goods was associated with approximately 29,000 hectares of deforestation worldwide and 9.4 million tonnes of related carbon emissions.

Nature minister Mary Creagh said: “Tackling global deforestation is one of the most effective ways we can address climate change and protect some of the world’s most unique and precious wildlife".

“That is why we are leading by example and scrutinising our own supply chains. Eliminating products linked to illegal deforestation not only helps to protect precious ecosystems but is good for our collective resilience and long-term prosperity.”

The government will consult businesses, civil society and international partners later this year on the details of the proposed Great Britain deforestation policy. The consultation will cover mandatory due diligence requirements for businesses, including the use of powers under the Environment Act targeting illegal deforestation.

The move comes as the EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products is set to apply in Northern Ireland in phases from 30 December 2026, under arrangements designed to maintain Northern Ireland’s access to both the UK Internal Market and the EU Single Market.

To reduce administrative duplication across the UK, the government said the upcoming consultation will propose that the Great Britain regime covers the same core commodities and underlying information requirements as the regulation applying in Northern Ireland. This would help businesses operating across the UK and those exporting to the EU meet more consistent traceability and data standards.

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said retailers welcomed the announcement, adding that the sector had “long called for UK deforestation regulation” to support forest conservation across retail supply chains.

He added: “However, with the EU regulation due to take effect in Northern Ireland at the end of the year, it is important that the government takes a pragmatic approach to enforcement to minimise disruption for businesses and consumers.”

Gavin Crowden, director of advocacy at WWF, said there was “no excuse for further delay” in extending stronger protections to shoppers across the rest of the UK.

The government said its longer-term ambition is to move towards a deforestation-free standard, under which relevant products would need to be produced without any deforestation, rather than only avoiding links to illegal forest clearance.