The 2024 declaration of the G20’s Taskforce on a Global Mobilization Against Climate Change expressed the coalition’s determination to accelerate and scale up climate action considering the objectives of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. In particular, the declaration reaffirmed the importance of conserving, protecting and restoring nature and ecosystems, including enhanced efforts towards halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. Also, and for the first time, COP29 established a direct link between the achievement of the Paris Agreement’s objectives and the attainment of zero-deforestation by 2030. In 2025, COP30 will to be held in the middle of the Amazon Forest in Brazil, once again drawing the world’s attention to the importance of forest protection.

Combatting deforestation is increasingly recognised as a key factor in halting climate change and biodiversity loss, as well as in ensuring benefits to local communities and Indigenous peoples. In this context, a pertinent question is what role the G20 can assume to foster dialogue to champion nature-based solutions (NBS) in accordance with UNFCCC objectives. Worldwide, several countries and international organisations are already seeking to address climate objectives through NBS or by supporting mechanisms linked to forest protection. Such is the case of the European Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR).

The EUDR is a market-based approach that indirectly supports NBS by promoting more sustainable land-use practices and reducing pressure on forests and ecosystems. It seeks to mitigate deforestation inside and outside the EU by regulating seven types of commodities in its market in order to achieve the global goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting biodiversity. However, the EUDR has also sparked considerable international debate surrounding the need to balance environmental protection with economic development and social equity in producing countries, which are mainly concentrated in developing regions. The theme has even been covered, for instance, in the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) and at the 2024 G20 summit, where it was further explored in policy briefs prepared for the T20 of that year. Researchers have also increased their efforts to contribute to both the debate and potential solutions.

As a major political and economic player, the EU wields significant influence over the international agenda, and the EUDR serves as a key tool in achieving sustainable development goals. Yet, critics worldwide have raised concerns about its potential negative impacts on the economies of producing countries owing to the costs and challenges associated with its implementation.

The G20 can serve as a forum for dialogue on the issue, contributing to the non-contentious implementation of the EUDR and, consequently, other similar NBS-supporting mechanisms. For this, it is first necessary to discuss the challenges related to the EUDR’s implementation. Among the main criticisms are the lack of dialogue between the EU and various producing countries; the potential adaptation costs in order to comply with the norm; uncertainty as to the EU’s recognition of mechanisms adopted by third countries; and EUDR conformity with WTO rules and potential impacts on international trade, which could lead to the emergence of controversies. Especially smallholder farmers and local communities are vulnerable, as the complex traceability requirements could be difficult or costly for them to meet.

The creation of a forum for dialogue in the G20 could take inspiration from other experiences. For example, the aforementioned CTE of the WTO has been used, albeit in an ad hoc and less in-depth way, to present topics relevant to the EUDR and other issues at the intersection of environment and trade. The G20 can borrow from this practice, developing dialogues and going beyond the economic sphere of discussion by encompassing, for instance, social aspects related to the EUDR’s impact on local communities.

By bringing this discussion to the table, the G20 can help to advance both the EUDR’s implementation and the international forest-related agenda. The following recommendations may help the G20 achieve these objectives. It should:

• strengthen the Task Force on a Global Mobilisation Against Climate Change to add the EUDR discussion and other NBS with a market-based approach to the G20 agenda;
• boost the alignment of its agenda on forest-related matters with those of other relevant forums, particularly considering the role of COP30 in discussing forest protection;
• foster a channel of communication with the Global South, for example through greater interaction with BRICS and IBSA, to allow their demands to have greater weight in the G20; and
• focus on establishing tangible and pragmatic goals that can be implemented jointly by member countries, thus fostering the creation of common objectives.

These recommendations may further strengthen the G20 as a platform for dialogue, reaffirming the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC and fostering NBS and supporting mechanisms that effectively address both environmental sustainability and countries’ economic needs.