European consumption accelerates global deforestation

European consumption of cocoa, coffee, soy, palm oil, beef, leather and rubber led to the disappearance of 149 million trees worldwide between 2021 and 2023, according to a report published by WWF Europe and cited by EFE. The pace is equivalent to cutting down about 100 trees per minute to meet demand in the European Union. The document, produced together with the Swiss data analysis company AdAstra Sustainability, shows that almost 50 million trees per year are lost solely to satisfy EU consumption.

In absolute figures, Germany is responsible for the disappearance of about 13 million trees annually, followed by Spain (6.5 million) and France (6.3 million). Relative to population, the Netherlands leads with 272 trees cut down per 1,000 inhabitants, followed by Luxembourg (226) and Finland (177), indicating a disproportionate pressure exerted by small states with high consumption.

• Chocolate and beef - among the products with major impact

The report shows that chocolate consumption alone in the EU generates the loss of over 10 million trees annually. A comparable impact is associated with the consumption of beef and leather, the related raw materials - cocoa, coffee, soy for animal feed - continuing to support deforestation in tropical regions. WWF criticizes the EU's intention to relax the obligations set out in the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the application of which has already been postponed until December 30, 2025. "The price of postponement is catastrophic, and our climate cannot afford it," warns Beatrice Wedeux, senior policy officer at WWF. The EUDR is designed to prevent products from deforested areas from entering the European market. Globally, a forest area larger than the European Union disappeared between 1990 and 2020, and around 10% of this loss is attributed to European consumption. The EUDR targets raw materials such as cocoa, coffee, soy, palm oil, beef, timber and rubber, as well as derived products such as chocolate, furniture and leather. Importers will have to demonstrate, through geolocation, that these products do not come from areas affected by deforestation. According to WWF, any delay amplifies the impact on the climate. Delaying the implementation of the EUDR by one year would generate an additional 16.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, and in a scenario with increasing imports, up to 17.4 million tonnes. In the long term, full implementation of the regulation could avoid the release of 387 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2035 - the equivalent of the annual emissions of 50 million households.

• Europe, between consumption and responsibility

The WWF report highlights the direct link between European consumption of everyday products - from coffee and chocolate to leather and furniture - and the accelerating pace of global forest loss. While member states discuss adjusting requirements, deforestation continues to seriously affect biodiversity and the EU's climate goals. Strict enforcement of the EUDR could represent a turning point. Without it, Europe risks remaining one of the main drivers of global deforestation.