Under Schedule 17 of the UK Environment Act, certain businesses will be required to prove that their products are “deforestation-free” and compliant with local laws, but respect for indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights – in particular their land rights - has not been expressly required.

Commodity supply chains are trashing forests and trampling human rights. Clare Oxborrow from Friend of the Earth explains why the government’s new Environment Act will fail to protect communities and why it must take effective action to regulate UK companies.

Tesco, John Lewis and others say it would prevent scandals such as poor conditions at Boohoo suppliers.

The UK's new Environment Act 2021 (the "Environment Act") introduces a prohibition on the use of "forest risk commodities" in UK commercial activities, unless those commodities have been produced in compliance with local laws. It also introduces due diligence and reporting obligations in relation to "forest risk commodities".

Almost 30 organisations have joined forces to call for the UK to follow in the footsteps of its European partners by introducing corporate accountability laws requiring companies to undertake human rights and environmental due diligence across their supply chains.

Nick Beighton, chief executive of Asos, comments on the need to strengthen the Modern Slavery Act. The UK must go further and introduce new laws to compel businesses to take meaningful actions to prevent modern slavery. The UK must adopt mandatory human rights due diligence legislation.

It’s abundantly clear that despite repeated scandals and inquiries — and share prices fluctuating in line with each new development — the problems of Boohoo and other companies tackling abuses in supply chains, whether in the UK, China or anywhere else, remain far from solved.