What is Greenpeace asking corporations to do on deforestation?

Greenpeace is asking corporations operating in Australia to commit to no deforestation or destruction of other natural ecosystems in the key products they produce or sell by the end of 2025 at the latest.

In particular we are asking corporations to prioritise ensuring the beef they produce or buy does not come from cattle operations where forests and natural ecosystems have been recently destroyed (since 2020). This is because beef is the number one driver of deforestation in Australia so tackling this issue quickly will have a big positive impact for our forests.

Well-known corporations such as McDonalds, Woolworths and Coles have a big role to play here so we are asking them to step up and help protect our forests and wildlife by refusing beef produced from deforestation.

How does Greenpeace define deforestation in Australia?

Deforestation is the destruction of natural forest, including both never-before bulldozed forest and healthy regenerating or fully regenerated forest.

Greenpeace uses the definition of deforestation set out by a globally-recognised ethical supply chain organisation called the Accountability Framework Initiative. Major global sustainability and climate initiatives such as the Science-Based Targets Initiative also use this same framework.

Importantly, our asks of the Australian government and corporations is to halt both deforestation and the destruction of other non-forest natural ecosystems. The technical term used by the Accountability Framework Initiative to cover destruction of all ecosystem types is “conversion”. So really what we are asking for is for no more conversion of natural ecosystems, including no more deforestation of forests. It’s just that deforestation is far more understood by the public so we use this term to communicate the problem!

What are the major drivers of deforestation in Australia?

Cattle grazing for beef production is the leading cause of deforestation in Australia as forests and bushland are bulldozed to make way for vast cow paddocks. Around 70% of deforestation in Queensland – the hotspot in Australia – is for beef.

Sheep grazing is another driver, followed by logging to make paper and wood products. Mining, infrastructure and housing development are other drivers. While the local impacts of these developments can be severe, deforestation for beef dwarves all others in terms of the area of forest destroyed annually.

Why is protecting regenerated forest so important?

Much of the deforestation occurring in Australia is of regenerating or fully regenerated forest. While a never-before bulldozed forest will always be the best of the best, these recovering forests also have important values. They are slowly bringing back wildlife, stablising soils, and drawing down carbon out of the atmosphere. Allowing the bulldozers to destroy this regeneration kills the animals that have returned and sets back the clock for a long recovery once again.

It must be stressed that many types of forests are unable to recover at all following destruction by bulldozers and replacement with agricultural or other land uses. Where forests are sometimes able to regenerate, such as some Acacia species forests in Queensland, this is no excuse to start or continue bulldozing as the cumulative impacts on wildlife and the land are immense. Restoring any forest to a pre-bulldozed state is also very difficult and can take many decades, sometimes hundreds of years.

What role do farmers play in this issue?

Our Aussie farmers need to be fully supported to look after the land and protect and restore forests. This includes through government funds such as Queensland’s $500 million Land Restoration Fund and by the big corporations like McDonald’s, Woolworths and Coles who can use their vast profits to work with and support farmers to the right thing and pay a fair price for sustainable products.

Really it’s the large corporations like McDonald’s, Coles and Woolworths that need to act. They purchase the majority of beef domestically and make millions of dollars in profits and they need to take action to guarantee their products are not contributing to the destruction of Australian forests and wildlife.

Currently this is hidden from consumers, who are unaware that the beef on supermarket shelves or in their Big Mac could be contributing to the deaths of millions of native animals every year. It is imperative that solutions to this crisis are supported by companies linked to, or within, the Australian beef industry who can drive change.

What is Greenpeace asking the Federal Government to do on deforestation?

This year the Australian government will face a huge test — a once-in-a-generation reform of our national environment law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Without strong laws that genuinely protect and restore nature, the destruction of wildlife and forests will continue and countless more native animals will face extinction.

Stronger legislation to safeguard our environment is a win for everyone — so Greenpeace is urging the government to introduce the ambitious reforms needed to protect nature and to ensure a safe, liveable climate for all Australians.

The reforms must address Australia’s rampant deforestation, particularly from the beef and logging industries. This will be a key test and Greenpeace and our supporters will be pushing hard to make sure this happens.