Protecting Our Forests

Globally, forests are under threat of clearance from agriculture, timber extraction, mining and other pressures. If the loss of forests and other ecosystems is not stopped, it will not be possible to meet global UN climate and biodiversity targets, and the impact on people and nature will be severe.
 

There is an urgent need to protect these vital ecosystems and the species they contain, both for their intrinsic value and to preserve the benefits they provide to humanity for future generations, including livelihoods for local and indigenous communities, climate and water system regulation and their biological resources.
 

As a purpose driven business, we are committed to playing our part to help protect forests and other ecosystems. The most significant ways in which we can do that is through responsible sourcing of the raw material we procure, working with other businesses and organisations to transform supply chains and enabling people and nature in forest landscapes to thrive together. 

To this end, we have made a commitment to deforestation-free sourcing in supply chains for Waitrose and John Lewis own-brand products that covers our key forest risk materials.
 

Deforestation free by the end of 2025: 

• Soya
• Palm oil
   

Deforestation free by the end of 2028:

• Cocoa
• Timber
• Leather
• Man-made cellulosics
   

The definitions and cut-off dates used for these deforestation targets align with the best-practice guidance of the Accountability Framework Initiative. Further details on specific commitments, progress and activities can be found in the links to information about each raw material above.
 

We have been a long-term advocate for the need for a market-wide transformation in sourcing to achieve 100% deforestation-free supply chains in the most efficient, impactful and fair way possible, sharing the effort across all users of forest-risk commodities, and have publicly called for legislation to help deliver this outcome in the UK and EU. We are currently working to achieve compliance to EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by the end of 2025 deadline and await further guidance as to the timing and requirements of UK secondary regulations based on the powers provided for in the Environment Act 2021.
 

We were also the first UK retailer to set a Forest Land And Agriculture (FLAG) target with the SBTi, including a no-deforestation commitment across its primary deforestation-linked commodities for 2025, including soya.