From Russia's war against Ukraine to US rivalry with China, tectonic geopolitical shifts have shaken multilateralism in recent years. While many of the consequences, from surging food and energy prices to the rising risks of major conflict, have been discussed at length, more attention must be devoted to the implications of these shifts for efforts to address the multifaceted climate and nature crisis.
Forging the shared sense of purpose and marshalling the coordinated action needed to tackle the climate and nature crisis would be difficult in the best of times. In a world characterised by distrust, competition, fiscal constraints, and divergent political priorities, it appears almost impossible. And yet, far from building bridges, many are exacerbating divisions.
The European Union's recent legislation banning imports of products linked to deforestation is a case in point. The law, which requires companies selling goods like coffee, beef, and soy in the EU to provide verifiable proof that they were not grown on recently deforested land, has been welcomed by green activists and European politicians.
