Indonesia, with the world's third biggest rainforest area, reduced the rate of deforestation by 75% last year by controlling forest fires more effectively and limiting clearing of woodland, the Environment Ministry said.
The condition of German forests has deteriorated to record levels due to fire, drought and a bark beetle infestation, the agriculture minister said on Wednesday, prompting calls from environmental groups for greener policies.
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BRASILIA, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The free-trade treaty reached between the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur will not get signed if Brazil does not show concrete steps toward reducing deforestation in the Amazon, European ambassadors said on Wednesday.
“We need facts. If there are no advances, it will not be possible to sign this agreement,” Ignacio Ybañez, EU ambassador to Brazil, told reporters.
If that does not happen, the European Commission will not be able to present the deal that took two decades to negotiate to the European Parliament for ratification, he said.
“We will continue to be demanding with Brazil until there are concrete results. Brazil knows what has to be done,” Ybañez said.
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HELSINKI, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Brazilian pulp group Suzano and Finnish cellulose fibre startup Spinnova will build a plant in Finland to make a sustainable textile fibre from wood and waste.
The aim is to have commercial production capacity by the end of 2022, Spinnova Chief Executive Janne Poranen told Reuters.
The fashion industry is seeking sustainable alternatives to cotton, which needs large amounts of water, and viscose, whose traditional production uses toxic chemicals and polyester, blamed for pollutants such as microplastics.
Several research projects based on making cloth from wood are underway.
Spinnova has developed its technology in collaboration with fashion companies such as Bestseller, Marimekko and Bergans. It said on Thursday the world’s second largest fashion retailer H&M would also join as a brand partner.
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KUALA LUMPUR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Myanmar’s military coup and a potential ramp up in trade boycotts by foreign governments and business could fuel the risk of deforestation in the Asian nation, which is likely to turn to investors lacking environmental standards, green groups warned.
Myanmar’s army toppled the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi this month, ending a decade-long democratic transition during which international companies entered the market after earlier sanctions were lifted.
But since the coup, the United States, Britain and Canada have re-imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s ruling generals. The European Union is expected to discuss following suit on Monday.