Concerns about the EU Omnibus, smallholder farmers and the EUDR
Global Canopy
Data for nature. Global Canopy provides world-leading data to assess, track and act on deforestation and nature loss.
EU must reject Omnibus amendments that weaken crucial laws on sustainability and human rights
Global Canopy has joined more than 360 other organisations calling on the EU to reject the proposed ‘Omnibus' package, which would severely undermine the effectiveness of pioneering environmental laws introduced under the EU’s Green Deal - the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Taxonomy Regulation and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
The European Commission says the proposed measures will simplify and streamline these laws on sustainable finance reporting, sustainability due diligence and the taxonomy. But as our latest Insight explains, rather than just simplifying, the changes would weaken and jeopardise the EU's green ambitions. For example:
The new proposals remove 80% of the companies from the scope of the CSRD's reporting requirements.
Restricting CSDDD due diligence to just direct suppliers ignores a major proportion of companies' environmental and social impacts.
Removing the requirement for companies to put their Climate Transition Plans into effect reduces the drive and urgency for climate action.
Putting smallholder farmers at the heart of EUDR implementation
Under the EUDR, companies trading commodities in the EU will need to know where they were produced to prove that they are not linked to deforestation or illegal practices. Cocoa accounts for around a third of the EU’s deforestation exposure, most of which is linked to forest loss in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
Our latest Trase insight explores Tony's Chocolonely’s ‘Tony’s Open Chain’ initiative, which offers a best-practice example of how companies could engage with their suppliers in a way that protects and supports the livelihoods of smallholder farmers while also ensuring EUDR compliance.
And on 2 April Tony’s Chocolonely join our event in Oxford, ‘Unlocking data to end deforestation and human rights abuses’, as part of The Marmalade Festival. You’ll hear an expert panel discuss the use of data to accelerate the transition to more transparent, sustainable and equitable agricultural supply chains. Following the event, Global Canopy is holding an Open House at our office in the heart of Oxford for you to meet our team and learn more about what we do.
Other upcoming events Aligning Financial flows with global goals to halt and reverse forest loss: a ‘how to’ for client teams
24-25 April, London
Financial institutions are invited to join a day and a half of private workshops, organised by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), to help you achieve deforestation and conversion-free finance and seize the opportunities associated with the agricultural transition. The workshops will provide essential training to help the financial sector understand commodity supply chains, manage risk, and achieve growth through empowered client-facing teams.
Global Canopy will lead a session for institutional investors, focused on toolkits for mapping deforestation risks for investment decisions.
Nature Finance Forum Europe 2025
28 April, Paris
Join the Nature Finance Forum in Paris for a day of collaboration and innovation towards a nature-smart economy. The Forum aims to catalyse capital flows to nature markets by bringing institutional investors together with specialist nature funds, corporations and project operators developing investable, nature-regenerative solutions on the ground. Freya Bannochie, Forest IQ lead, will be speaking at the event. Find out more.
See all upcoming events on our website, and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram or Bluesky for the latest updates.
Best wishes, Global Canopy