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Industries and sectors driving deforestation: what you need to know

We recently did a deep-dive into the industries and sectors driving deforestation. We were curious: do all sectors contribute to deforestation? And which industries have the biggest impact? 
We learned that<a href="https://forest500.org/"> every six seconds</a>, an area of forest the size of a football pitch is destroyed to make way for the production of commodities such as soy, beef, timber and palm oil. Here’s the full scoop.

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Forests cover <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/ca8753en/CA8753EN.pdf">31% </a>of the land on our planet and they are critically important for stabilising our climate. They regulate ecosystems, protect biodiversity, support livelihoods, and play an important role in taking carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere. Approximately <a href="https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/forests-and-climate-change#:~:text=Approximately%202.6%20billion%20tonnes%20of,America%20%E2%80%93%20offer%20opportunities%20for%20restoration.">2.6 billion tonnes of CO2</a>, one third of the CO­2 released from burning fossil fuels, is absorbed by forests every year, and the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/">2019 IPCC special report of Climate Change and Land</a> stated that planting forests and protecting existing forests is a key component of all pathways seeking to  limit average global temperature increase to 1.5°C. 
Forests are also home to <a href="https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/forests-and-climate-change#:~:text=Approximately%202.6%20billion%20tonnes%20of,America%20%E2%80%93%20offer%20opportunities%20for%20restoration.">80% </a>of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, and provide critical ecosystem services that are important to both people and the planet, such as healthy soils, clean water sources, erosion control, crop pollination, and flood control.
Globally about <a href="https://www.un.org/esa/forests/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/UNFF13_BkgdStudy_ForestsSCP.pdf">1.6 billion people</a> (nearly 25% of the world’s population) rely on forests for their livelihoods, many of whom are among the world’s poorest. Over<a href="https://www.un.org/esa/forests/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/UNFF13_BkgdStudy_ForestsSCP.pdf"> 200 million people</a>, including many indigenous people, directly depend on forests for their survival. Forests produce more than 5,000 types of wood-based products and generate an annual gross value add of just over<a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/forests"> $600 billion</a>.

As we’ve seen, forests are critically important and must be protected. However, they are being cleared and degraded at a rapid rate, causing carbon loss as well as negative impacts on ecosystem services. Deforestation is the second largest source of anthropogenic emissions on the planet, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/28/deforestation-emissions-far-higher-than-previously-thought-study-finds-aoe">second only to the burning of fossil fuels</a>, causing <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation-and-forest-degradation">15% of global greenhouse gas emissions</a>.
The clearing of forests also leads to the loss of habitat, and brings humans and wildlife into closer contact, increasing the risk of transmission of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola and HIV from animals to humans.
Global forest loss continues <a href="https://research.wri.org/gfr/forest-extent-indicators/forest-loss#how-much-tree-cover-is-lost-globally-each-year">at a rate of around 25 million hectares a year</a>. This is an extremely alarming rate, and studies have found that even when all other anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are phased out, ‘business as usual’ deforestation alone could still drive global heating above <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa836d">2°C by 2100</a>.

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Globally the loss of tropical forests has continued to increase. This is largely driven by the commercial production of four commodities: cattle, soy, palm oil and timber. 
Cattle ranching to produce beef, leather, gelatine and tallow is the leading driver of deforestation in Latin America, and deforestation for cattle ranching alone is responsible for the release of <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/amazon_threats/unsustainable_cattle_ranching/">340 million tonnes of CO2 each year</a> &#8211; about 3.4% of global annual emissions .  Soy production is another of the key drivers of deforestation in Latin America. This soy is used for personal care and medical products, fuel, food, and <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/food_practice/sustainable_production/soy/">most significantly as animal feed</a>.
Palm oil is a vegetable oil that is derived from the fruit on the African oil palm tree. It is used in a wide range of food, personal care, and household products, as well as to produce biofuel. The production of palm oil is linked to deforestation and climate changes as well as other issues such as habitat degradation, animal cruelty, and indigenous rights abuses. Palm oil production is the largest cause of deforestation in SouthEast Asia and other tropical regions.A recent study found that palm oil contributed to more than <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837717301552">14% of forest loss</a> over 2005-2015.
The production of timber is another major driver of deforestation and forest degradation across the globe and is used for a variety of products from construction and furnishing, to paper and fabric goods.

Often, people only associate deforestation with agriculture or food production. However, the four forest-risk commodities described above are found in many value chains, across a large number of sectors. For the average company, <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/research/global-reports/global-forests-report-2016">24%</a> of their revenue is dependent on these four forest-risk commodities. 
These products are used as key ingredients across a range of products from burgers and lipsticks, to construction materials and car seats. However, the link between deforestation and the goods we buy are often hidden by the structure of global supply chains.
A recent report by CDP (a charity that runs the global disclosure system, allowing companies to report and manage their environmental impacts) found that some companies report they are still unaware of the presence of the four main forest commodities in their supply chain or operations, or they are unaware of their impact. Below we highlight a number of sectors, and how they use these products.

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Agriculture 
The single largest cause of deforestation and forest degradation globally is agriculture, with large-scale commercial agriculture accounting for <a href="http://www.fao.org/state-of-forests/en/">40% </a>of tropical deforestation, and local subsistence agriculture for another <a href="http://www.fao.org/state-of-forests/en/">33%</a>.
Forest is cleared at alarming rates to grow crops, particularly soy and palm, and to provide grazing land for livestock, especially cattle. Agriculture is the clear cause of deforestation to produce the four forest-risk commodities. However, the sectors in which these commodities are used is often less clear.
Both export-driven, large-scale agriculture and small-scale agriculture have impacts on deforestation. If you take the Amazon rainforest as an example, commercial, large-scale agriculture, particularly for animal feed, and biofuels using soy and palm oil, is a key pressure that has been responsible for the <a href="https://wwfeu.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_living_amazon__report_2016_mid_res_spreads_1.pdf">largest losses of natural habitat</a> in the Amazon rainforest in recent decades. However, small-scale agriculture and legal and illegal settlement of small-scale farmers is expanding and is also impacting on forest loss.

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Food and beverage
The majority of deforestation in this sector is linked to meat, soy, and palm oil. Meat production is the most significant driver of deforestation, because as well as the vast clearance of land for grazing livestock (particularly cattle), huge amounts of forests are removed so that the land can be used to grow soy to feed the animals that we eat.
Soy is one of the four major forest-risk commodities, and more than <a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/2017-10/Risky%20Business%20-%20October%202017.pdf">80%</a> of soy grown globally is used to feed animals, particularly poultry, pigs and dairy cows.  Therefore, deforestation is at the core of many animal products that we consume: meat, dairy and eggs.
Soybeans also contain approximately <a href="https://www.bothends.org/uploaded_files/document/Soy_Barometer2014_ENG.pdf">18%</a> oil which is refined and used as vegetable oil for cooking in a wide variety of processed food. A valuable by-product from crushing soy is lecithin. This is an emulsifying agent in food products such as chocolate, cookies, peanut butter, and coffee creamers. About<a href="https://www.bothends.org/uploaded_files/document/Soy_Barometer2014_ENG.pdf"> 6%</a> of the global soy production is directly used in food products, predominantly in Asia: soy sauce, tempeh, tofu, soy flour, soy milk, textured vegetable protein and edamame. 
The most well known cause of deforestation within the food sector is palm oil. This is the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet, and is found in margarine, chocolate, pizza dough, instant noodles, ice cream, cookies, packaged bread and much more!
Food packaging is also a culprit, as the pulp and paper used to make them come from timber. Not all items appear on the shelf in cardboard packaging, but almost all will have arrived at the supermarket packed in a cardboard box. Wood is also used in the processing of some foods, for example smoking.
Automobile
Leather for cars comes from cattle. The non-profit organisation <a href="https://phys.org/news/2020-09-european-carmakers-leather-fuelling-deforestation.html">Earthsight</a> has revealed that some of Europe’s biggest car makers, including BMW and Jaguar Land Rover, use leather linked to deforestation in South America. These automakers buy leather for vehicle industries that is originally sourced from cattle ranches on illegally razed land in Paraguay.
The automotive and tyre industry is also the biggest consumer of rubber. Almost <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/forests">90%</a> of natural rubber is produced in South East Asia, where it has become a leading driver of deforestation.

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Textiles
The leather from our shoes, bags and belts comes from cattle. Often the word ‘cattle’ is synonymous with ‘beef’, leaving leather to be labelled as just a by-product of the meat industry and meaning that the environmental impacts of the leather industry avoid scrutiny.
A report from <a href="https://forest500.org/sites/default/files/forest500_annualreport2019_final_0.pdf">Forest 500 </a>in 2019, found that 81% of the 64 most influential companies assessed for leather had no commitment to source deforestation-free leather, including Prada, Zara and Michael Kors.
Deforestation is also a factor in the supply chain of materials made from plant-based cellulose, such as viscose, rayon, bamboo and lyocell fibres. These fibres are made from timber, by processing wood until it forms pulp, adding inorganic fibres and spinning it until it forms fibres. Over <a href="https://forest500.org/analysis/insights/hidden-deforestation-fashion-industry-how-sustainable-sustainable-fabric">150 million trees </a>are logged annually for cellulose fibres for clothing.
Chemical
Many perfumes and flavourings, drugs, and cleaning products contain palm oil or soy. A valuable by-product from crushing soy is lecithin. This is an effective emulsifying agent used in paints, coatings, and waxes.  Palm kernel oil is also used in many chemicals for industrial use.  
Personal care
Many personal care products such as toothpaste, soap, and lipstick contain soy or palm oil. Lecithin, made by crushing soy, is an emulsifying agent that is used in cosmetics. Palm kernel oil is also used for making soap, toiletries, and cosmetics. Tissues, toilet paper, sanitary towels, tampons, and diapers are all made from wood.

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Retailers
Most retailers will sell items that have some of the four forest-risk commodities within them, whether that is furnishings, clothes, noodles, meat, dairy or confectionery.
An example is retailers that sell furniture. Most furniture is made from timber, varying from softwood furniture (e.g. pine) and plywood/laminate flat pack furniture to luxury hardwood (e.g. mahogany). These all have the potential to include damaging deforestation in their supply chain, unless it is ensured that they are sustainably sourced.
The same goes for leather furniture, sourced from cattle. Timber is also used to make musical instruments, tool handles, decorative items and for the packaging that most products will come in (e.g. pallets, cardboard boxes).
Forestry
Perhaps the most iconic symbol of forest destruction is wood production. Products made from wood can be divided into two categories: pulp and timber. Pulp is made from tree fibres and used to produce paper and related products. This is particularly an issue in Indonesia, where native forests are cut down for monoculture plantations of fast-growing tree species.
Timber is used for construction or high end-products like furniture and is linked to forest degradation, where valuable tree species are harvested, and the rest are left. These degraded forests are then <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01338.x">more likely</a> to be targeted for deforestation and conversion to other land use.

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Print Publishing
The print publishing industry uses paper made from timber in newspapers, books, magazines, office paper, packaging tissues and labels. Timber is also often used to create advertising billboards.
Construction
The construction industry uses timber for both interior and exterior materials including timber frames for houses. Timber is also widely used as a construction material in flooring (solid wood; laminate or parquet blocks), window frames, doors and doorframes, skirting, decking, garden buildings, telegraph poles, fencing, boat building, and railway sleepers.
Energy
Worldwide, <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/our_work/our_focus/forests_practice/forest_publications_news_and_reports/living_forests_report/energy_forests/">2.6 billion people </a>use traditional biomass, mainly wood and charcoal, as a source of energy. Most wood fuel is used in its country of production, particularly in rural areas and in developing countries, for heating and cooking, usually on open fires or in simple cookstoves. In recent years, there has been an expansion of ‘bioenergy’ in industrialised countries, where biomass such as timber is burnt to generate energy.
Finance
Many investments directly or indirectly fund forest clearance. Data from the latest <a href="https://forest500.org/sites/default/files/forest500_annualreport2019_final_0.pdf">Forest 500 assessment</a> of the 150 biggest financial institutions investing in companies in forest-risk supply chains shows that two thirds do not have policies in place to address this risk. 
Fuel
Biofuels are fuels that can be used to drive our cars and other forms of transport that are made from biomass. This has the benefits of reducing emissions associated with fossil fuels, however there are associated risks, including the effect on the world’s forests.  Biodiesel is a type of vegetable oil that is produced from crops. Most biofuel is made from soy or palm oil, both of which are leading causes of deforestation.
Pharma
Soy, palm oil, and even timber are found in a number of medical products. An example is aspirin, which is made from the bark of the white willow tree. The pharmaceutical industry is also an industry that is likely to be affected by deforestation. Of the 50,000 known medicinal plants, which are the basis of more than<a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/01/13/la-deforestacion-un-dolor-de-cabeza-para-la-medicina-natural"> 50% </a>of all medications, up to a fifth are at risk of extinction at the local, national, regional, or global level due to deforestation.

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Deforestation is a corporate responsibility issue that companies must address. The first step is to understand the risks in your business’ supply chain. Could your suppliers be linked to deforestation? Companies need to be more transparent about how they are using cattle, soy, palm oil and timber to enable the deforestation embedded in global supply chains to be publicly tracked. These risks can be addressed by working with your direct and indirect suppliers to ensure they are not driving deforestation and to promote sustainable production.
The Paris Agreement states that since companies are responsible for such a large percentage of emissions, they are also responsible for delivering the necessary reductions. By eliminating deforestation, the business community can deliver emissions reductions equivalent to <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/575ecca7b654f9dd886dec23/t/576c39fdd2b857d28be73608/1466710526653/The+Business+End+of+Climate+Change.pdf">0.5-1.2 billion </a>metric tonnes.

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Deforestation is a global problem; its reach extends far and wide into many sectors and industries. However, by recognising this issue and working with suppliers, businesses can ensure that they are promoting sustainable production.
We also need to work to restore the forests that have been degraded and destroyed. Ecologi is a subscription service that is focused on planting trees to restore forests worldwide, as well as investing in <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/about">certified carbon reduction projects</a>, and we have already planted over 5 million trees!  Our goal is to avoid 50% of all global greenhouse gases by 2040, through tree planting and carbon reduction Gold Standard climate solutions. Learn more about <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business">carbon offsetting for business.</a>

Ready to make a difference for our planet? Get in touch, and let’s chat about how we can help you on your climate journey. 

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How can businesses avoid greenwashing

In this guide we’ll cover…
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#controversial">Why is greenwashing so controversial?</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#greenwashing">What is greenwashing?</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#greenwishing">What is greenwishing?</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#greenhushing">What is greenhushing?</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#toptips">Top tips to avoid greenwashing</a> </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#commsguidelines">Our toolkit for helping businesses communicate</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#ourapproach">Ecologi’s approach to avoiding greenwashing</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>What is greenwashing &#8211; and why is it so controversial?</h2>
There’s no doubt about it, Greenwashing has become a very dirty word. It’s been a hot topic for the past decade, but it’s really been put under the spotlight over the last couple of years, and it even made it onto the COP27 agenda.

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And here’s the thing: Greenwashing detracts from the genuinely great work that many businesses are doing. It also erodes trust and creates cynicism towards the whole idea of climate action. And this can have real consequences for the environment.
Here are just a few of the problems that come from greenwashing:
<ul>
<li>It’s deliberately deceiving</li>
</ul>
When businesses and other organisations exaggerate or make false claims about their sustainability efforts, the deception can mislead consumers and undermine trust. 
<ul>
<li>It exploits genuine concern</li>
</ul>
Greenwashing takes advantage of people’s growing concern for the environment. Many people genuinely want to support eco-friendly products and businesses, and greenwashing takes advantage of this. 
<ul>
<li>It undermines legitimate efforts</li>
</ul>
Greenwashing diverts attention and resources away from businesses that are actually committed to sustainability. This creates an unfair advantage, and means the bad apples get all the publicity.  
<ul>
<li>It can cause environmental harm</li>
</ul>
When companies falsely claim their products are sustainable, it can lead to consumers making choices that aren’t actually that great for the environment. They might think they’re making a greener choice, but are unknowingly making the issue worse.  
<ul>
<li>It can lead to legal action </li>
</ul>
Those accused of greenwashing can now face regulatory and legal challenges. Regulatory bodies like the <a href="https://greenclaims.campaign.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Green Claims Code</a> have guidelines and rules against false advertising, and greenwashing can result in fines and legal action. 
<ul>
<li>It creates scepticism </li>
</ul>
If people find out they&#8217;ve been misled, they might stop trusting the business, and possibly the whole idea of environmental marketing altogether. Their guard goes up, and scepticism towards legitimate eco-friendly products and businesses is the result. 
<ul>
<li>It hinders progress</li>
</ul>
By creating a false sense of achievement, greenwashing can hinder environmental efforts. That’s because it gives businesses and consumers a sense that they’re doing enough, when really much more is needed.
<h2>Greenwashing vs greenwishing vs greenhushing &#8211; what’s the difference?</h2>
Greenwashing isn’t the only spanner in the works. Greenwishing and greenhushing have also emerged as issues blighting the climate cause. So what’s the difference? 
<h3>Greenwashing</h3>
Greenwashing means misleading. It’s when a product, service or business is presented as being more sustainable than it really is. It tends to involve exaggerated claims of eco-friendly features and benefits.
For example, a company stamps &#8220;100% eco-friendly&#8221; all over its product packaging, but that product still contains harmful chemicals.
<h3>Greenwishing</h3>
Greenwishing is about insufficient action. It’s when a business has well-intended efforts as well as some delivered sustainability action, however, this work is unrepresentative compared to their size of business or the scope of change required to genuinely move the needle on decarbonising or creating sustainable change in a business.
For example, a business of 100 employees advertises that their only climate initiative is to plant a tree for every product they sell, without having any other carbon reduction initiatives to reduce their organisation’s emissions.
<h3>Greenhushing</h3>
Greenhushing means downplaying. It’s when a business keeps quiet about its environmentally-friendly initiatives (often through fear of greenwashing). It tends to involve businesses doing good things, but in a low-key way. 
For example, a business gives £10,000 to a climate charity but chooses not to publicise it because they fear being criticised by their customers for their charity choice, or not investing in alternative opportunities for climate action.
In summary, greenwashing involves deceptive practices, greenwishing involves insufficient actions, and greenhushing involves under-communicating sustainability efforts. All three are problem areas for sustainability communications, whether they stem from inaccuracy, insincerity, or modesty.
<h2>Top tips to avoid greenwashing </h2>
So how can your business avoid the greenwashing trap? Here’s our top tips:
<ul>
<li>Use specific language to communicate impact and goals</li>
</ul>
For example: “Over the last five years we’ve made a 57% reduction in carbon emissions across our facilities. But we’re not stopping there, we’re aiming for 95% by 2026.”
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Back up claims with third-party certification</li>
</ul>
For example: “The climate projects we support through our partner, Ecologi, are certified by the Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard.”
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Make sure initiatives are supported by wider operational changes (and share the details)</li>
</ul>
For example: “Switching to recycled plastics is just the start of how we’re reshaping our entire business and supply chain. Visit our sustainability web page to find out more.” 
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Be honest about your sustainability journey (and areas for improvement)</li>
</ul>
For example: “We were proud to commit to net-zero operations by 2025, but now we’re raising the bar even higher and aiming for net-zero across our products and supply chain by 2040.”
<h2>Toolkits helping businesses communicate their impact</h2>
We’ve helped over 20,000 businesses with their climate action journey, and part of that is showing them how to communicate their impact in the right way. We’ve put together several toolkits to help businesses share their good work:
Business Toolkit
Our Business Toolkit is the one-stop-shop for everything companies need to communicate their work with Ecologi. It’s full of eye-catching visuals that you can share across your website or social channels.

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Badges 
Earn badges for climate impact. Once you’ve hit key milestones, including trees funded and carbon avoided, we’ll give you a shiny digital badge that you can share with your audiences online.

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Communications Guidelines
We’ve recently published <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LRTOYVIPLp5PN5C0mBhl35OjhQNqpCnZtOQMaAkpb1E/edit#slide=id.g2954c42f7e5_0_0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new communications guidelines</a> to help businesses with the right terminology to use when sharing their progress. 
<div class="ecologi-video-full-width"><iframe src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20240118155901/Ecologi-Communication-Guidelines.pdf" width="960" height="900" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>

<h2>Our own approach for avoiding greenwashing</h2>
It’s important we lead by example, and our unique position in the environmental sector means we need a clear stance on greenwashing. Here’s how we stay committed to being an organisation of high integrity: 
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Trust through transparency</li>
</ul>
We strive to keep things out in the open, from our financials to our board meeting minutes. You can see the evidence of the impact you’ve funded in our Public Impact Ledger, and thanks to our expert panel you can rest assured that we only fund high quality climate projects. Find out more on our <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/transparency" rel="noopener">Transparency page</a>.
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">No partnerships with companies that don’t share our values</li>
</ul>
At Ecologi, we believe in inclusivity when it comes to funding climate impact through our self-serve tools and subscription plans. We&#8217;ve intentionally made this choice to ensure climate action remains accessible, guided by our belief that progress is more important than perfection. 
But in striving to be an ethical organisation, we rigorously evaluate prospective communication partners, including press releases, through a scorecard that checks they align with our values. This includes their sustainability credentials and the way they communicate about climate initiatives. 
We also maintain a commitment to not engage in relationships with organisations directly associated with the fossil fuel industry, as well as those in industries that don&#8217;t align with our values, such as weapons manufacturers and gambling companies.
We really want to help our amazing community avoid any accusations of greenwashing, and a big part of that is using the right terminology. When you <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/our-products">sign up</a> to Ecologi, our expert colleagues give you access to our helpful language guidelines to help avoid the greenwashing trap!

Speak to our friendly team of experts to find the right climate solution for your business and for our planet

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What happened at COP28

This year’s annual Conference of the Parties (COP28) took place between 30 November -12 December. Our team here at Ecologi monitored the events daily to bring you analysis and reaction of the developments as this 28th session of the parties to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) took place.
What was COP28? Scroll down past our daily updates (or <a href="#whatiscop28">click here</a>) for a comprehensive guide to all things COP28.
What happened at COP27? <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/what-happened-at-cop27" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read our blog</a> for a full report on the event in 2022.

COP28 - our daily updates

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<h2>COP28: what, where and when?</h2>
<a id="whatiscop28"></a>COP28 is the 28th <a href="https://unfccc.int/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC</a> &#8211; the UN’s primary climate change body. All United Nations member states are Parties to this treaty, as well as the European Union and other non-UN member states. That makes the COPs a huge event in the political calendar, where world leaders come together once per year to discuss, negotiate, and make commitments on climate change.
<a id="whereandwheniscop28"></a>This year’s COP takes place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30th November to 12th December 2023. The two-week conference will cover a number of crucial climate topics, including <a href="https://www.cop28.com/en/thematic-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate finance, youth, agriculture, and more</a>.
We’ve previously covered events at <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/whats-happening-at-cop27" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh</a> and <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/what-happened-at-cop26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COP26 in Glasgow</a>, so do revisit our articles on those if you need a refresher on how it all takes place.

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<h2><a id="keytalkingpoints"></a>What are the key talking points in the run up to COP28?</h2>
<h3>The hosts</h3>
As ever &#8211; or perhaps more than ever &#8211; this COP is mired in controversy before it’s even begun. As a nation, the host country, the UAE produces the <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/co-emissions-per-capita?tab=chart&amp;country=ARE~GBR~CHN~AUS~USA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sixth-most emissions per capita of any country</a> in the world (21.8 tCO2e per capita in 2021, excluding land use change). It is one of the world’s ten largest oil producing countries, with <a href="https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/united-arab-emirates-oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">around 30% of its economy</a> based on oil production. The COP President is Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64240206" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who is CEO of ADNOC</a>, the Emirati state-owned oil company.
The UAE has also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/01/leak-uae-presidency-un-climate-summit-oil-gas-emissions-yemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been accused of attempting to whitewash</a> (and greenwash) its reputation ahead of the conference, including hiring a number of PR and lobbying agencies to promote the country’s image, which is often associated with strict restrictions on freedom, and <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/united-arab-emirates/report-united-arab-emirates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allegations of human rights violations</a>.
<h3>Fossil fuel phase-out</h3>
The ‘High-Ambition Coalition’, a loose group of around 15 Parties including France, the Marshall Islands, Sweden and the UK, has started preparing negotiations to phase out fossil fuels. This is notable because countries and multilateral groups are not always up-front about their negotiating stances prior to the conference, and even more seldom are those stances ambitious enough to meet the challenge of the climate crisis.
You may remember this was a key flashpoint back at COP26, where at the last minute the language of phasing out fossil fuels <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/13/cop26-countries-agree-to-accept-imperfect-climate-agreement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was disappointingly changed to phase down “inefficient fossil fuel subsidies&#8221;</a> in the final cover decision.
Whether the High Ambition Coalition can maintain this phase out stance throughout two weeks of negotiations remains to be seen. What is certain is that this issue has become the most glaring elephant in the room for the international climate conferences: we all understand that <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/09/1126931" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the burning of fossil fuels must end</a>. But the politics of the COPs has so far meant that a commitment (even a non-binding one) to end fossil fuel use for good has still not been delivered.
<h3><a id="whoisattending"></a>Who’s going (and who’s not)</h3>
In a first, Pope Francis <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/pope-francis-to-attend-cop28-climate-change-conference-in-dubai-16c50cd5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has announced</a> he will be attending COP28 this year, making him the first Pope to do so. He and the Vatican have been happy to speak out on climate change in recent years, including vocally backing the Paris Agreement and <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/donald-trump-pope-francis-slap-face-paris-agreement-climate-change-vatican-global-warming-a7767751.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticising the US for withdrawing from it</a> under Donald Trump in 2020 (the US rejoined the Agreement under Joe Biden in 2021).
Biden himself will <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/biden-unlikely-attend-dubai-cop-climate-meeting-sources-say-2023-10-31" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly not be in attendance</a> this year, though he did attend COP 27 last year, and his administration is known for changing the President’s plans to make appearances last-minute. 
During his speech a few weeks ago where he announced the slackening of some of the UK’s climate commitments, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66871073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced</a> that he would be attending COP28. In addition, we now know that King Charles will also be attending, and <a href="https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2023-11-01/the-king-will-attend-cop28-uae-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delivering an opening address on 1st December</a>. The King has been very vocal about environmental issues over the years, including <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV9n0LM63Bc&amp;t=12s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking part in our very own virtual festival of climate action</a> back in 2020.

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<h2><a id="whattoexpect"></a>What to expect during the COP</h2>
As is always the case, we can expect lots of talking points, controversies, and politicking to take place throughout the two weeks of the COP. 
Because of the fact that the conference host and key organising figures are so heavily associated with the fossil fuel industry, it seems unlikely that this COP will deliver much in the way of substantive commitments on reducing fossil fuel use. We can probably expect a lot of high-profile speeches and announcements early on, with the legal and policy commitments then steadily being watered-down over the two weeks.
There are other factors too, like a recent history of disappointment from the COPs, which so far have failed to halt annual increases in emissions &#8211; let alone begin reducing them. In the UK, with the conference being later than usual and finishing only two weeks before Christmas, we can probably expect relatively little cut-through into television and news media.
Throughout the conference, we’ll be bringing you regular updates as we follow along with the negotiations and announcements.

<h2>Partner with us for COP28 and beyond</h2>
Over the next 12 months we want to support as many businesses as possible to measure their footprint and help reduce their emissions.
If your business is interested in a brand partnership to help scale climate action or starting its climate journey during COP28 or beyond, get in touch 🌍

Speak to our team. We're here to help find your perfect climate solution.

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Meet 6 SMEs leading the way on climate action

In 2020, Sir David Attenborough said that “saving the planet is now a communications challenge”; a campaign worth embracing for any business..

Use these handy quick links to jump straight to a specific story&#8230;
<ul>
<li>Leading in sustainability: <a href="#ecosurety">Ecosurety</a></li>
<li>Helping businesses build low carbon websites: <a href="#complex">Complex Creative</a></li>
<li>Selecting clients who walk the walk: <a href="#remarkably">Remarkably</a></li>
<li>Revolutionising maritime decarbonisation: Ocean Infinity</li>
<li>Going all-in for sustainability: <a href="#climbing">Climbing Trees</a></li>
<li>Going beyond being sustainable &#8211; to being regenerative: <a href="#avery">Avery &amp; Brown</a></li>
</ul>

Sustainability can help Small- and medium-sized businesses (SME) fulfil their environmental responsibilities while enhancing client engagement, employee satisfaction, and commercial performance. It&#8217;s no longer a niche consideration; it&#8217;s a mainstream issue that&#8217;s compelling businesses to address their environmental impact.

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Regulators are cracking down on greenwashing. The European Parliament voted to support new rules to improve product durability by combating greenwashing and misleading claims on consumer labels, such as &#8216;CO2 neutral&#8217; or &#8216;carbon neutral.&#8217; Meanwhile, in the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority is pursuing stricter enforcement on adverts claiming carbon neutrality through offsetting.
<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/climate-commitments-survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our recent survey</a> of 1,000 SME business owners and decision makers, conducted with the British Business Bank and One Poll, revealed that 76% of SMEs believe that having an environmental strategy is good for business. A significant 98% of SMEs that have taken steps to reduce their environmental impact have seen benefits to their business.
These range from improved brand image (43%), attracting more eco-conscious customers (38%), increased productivity and innovation (37%) and employee loyalty (34%). Over a third (31%) also say that they have benefited from increased revenue.

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Discover more about our <a href="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20230328090053/Ecologi_BBB_Report_V6.pdf">SME climate commitments survey here</a>. 
SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) account for 99.9% of the UK business population With <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/business-population-estimates-2023/business-population-estimates-for-the-uk-and-regions-2023-statistical-release">5.6 million</a> private sector businesses in the UK, their superpower is their collective power to champion protecting our planet and tackling the climate crisis. Here are 6 SMEs taking significant steps toward climate action.

<a href="https://www.ecosurety.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecosurety</a>, based in Bristol, UK, is a sustainability leader, supporting UK recycling projects with transparency and innovation. They are the first B Corp certified compliance scheme in the UK. Through working with Ecologi’s <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/carbon-accounting-101-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-do-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carbon accounting</a> and ESG advisory partner <a href="https://eightversa.com/services/net-zero-carbon/carbon-footprint-for-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eight Versa</a> to assess their carbon footprint, they achieved Carbon Measured certification from Natural Carbon Solutions. Ecosurety has set an ambitious Net Zero target for 2030. As part of their beyond value chain mitigation whilst working to their reductions strategy Ecosurety funds impactful climate action through Ecologi. Their commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility showcases their dedication to a greener future.

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Helping businesses build low carbon websites: Complex Creative

<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/complexcreative" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Complex Creative</a> is a sustainable web design agency, helping businesses build low carbon websites through optimising for reduced file sizes, cleaning up drives, servers and databases and so much more, which in 2022 helped save 148 trees from websites alone. 
They are also a Million Tree Pledger business, an <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/climate-positive-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecologi Climate Action Workforce</a>® and have signed up to One Percent for the Planet to donate 1% of gross sales every year to their non-profit partners. Complex Creative is also one of the hundreds of businesses that have calculated their carbon footprint with <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/zero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecologi Zero</a> for free. Find out more about their story in the video below:
<div class="ecologi-video-full-width"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PZxtOw6_pNY" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>

Selecting clients who walk the walk: Remarkably

<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/remarkably" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Remarkably</a> is a creative, brand, marketing and learning consultancy. Their purpose  &#8211; building brands for a remarkably better world.
Now in its third year, Remarkably has been climate positive from day one, achieved B Corp certification in 2021, and invests in a number of impact innovation projects globally.  As a Beta partner of <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/zero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecologi Zero</a>, the consultancy has been able to fully quantify its carbon footprint for the first time last year.

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If that is not enough, Remarkably has pledged to plant one million trees by 2030, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/remarkably" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with 250,000 already planted</a>. 
Remarkably’s commitment to the triple-bottom line also extends to careful decision making for which clients to work with. A first analysis was shared in its inaugural impact report for 2022.

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Revolutionising maritime decarbonisation: Ocean Infinity

Ocean Infinity, a pioneering maritime robotics company, is leading the charge in environmental sustainability. The company deploys cutting-edge technology and AI to reduce fuel consumption and minimise waste production. Ocean Infinity have started their climate journey with Ecologi by funding tree planting through the <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/impact-shop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Impact Shop</a> and are working with <a href="https://eightversa.com/sustainability-insights/eight-versa-partners-with-ecologi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our partner Eight Versa</a> for a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for their robotic ships.

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Going all-in for sustainability: Climbing Trees

<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/climbingtrees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climbing Trees</a> is an SEO, Google Ads and Social agency with a mission of reducing emissions across their entire organisation. They have already moved to sourcing 100% renewable energy; changed their bank to a more planet-friendly supplier; reduced travel emissions with less commuting and more home working and increased use of public transport.
They use <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/zero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecologi Zero</a> to calculate their emissions, and what they cannot reduce is offset. Climbing Trees are also a <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/climate-positive-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecologi Climate Positive Workforce</a>® and a Million Tree Pledger, as well as a B Corp.
<div class="ecologi-video-full-width"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6DLHI1FSgro" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>

Going beyond being sustainable - to being regenerative: Avery & Brown

<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/averybrown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Avery &amp; Brown</a> is a sustainable marketing agency for the built environment. They’re a signatory of the Sustainable Marketer Manifesto, supporters of The Better Business Act as well as members of Business Declares and the Climate &amp; Ecological Emergency Bill Alliance. 
Having pledged to halve their emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero before 2050 while disclosing their progress every year &#8211; they have a deep commitment to restoring and regenerating our planet. They’ve also referred over 19 other businesses to join our community!

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