As the world’s top importer of agricultural commodities, China’s financial sector holds unique power to combat deforestation in global supply chains. Green finance offers a market-driven solution to address environmental risks in key commodities like palm oil, soy, and beef – major drivers of tropical forest loss.
In March, GEI released a new study report (English link; Chinese link) which outlines current policies and practices domestically and internationally, and provides recommendations urging financial institutions and businesses to establish clear forest-risk management targets, develop sustainable financial products, strengthen regulatory incentives and standards, and foster cross-sector collaboration to improve transparency.
On a consultation meeting on February 21st, experts from government, finance and research sectors provided reflections and suggestions on the report, and jointly explored practical implementation pathways.