Deforestation and UK Financiers
A recent report warns that deforestation is lining the pockets of UK financiers. Analysis of hundreds of thousands of deals with major deforestation-linked companies reveals that lenders, investors, and insurers have netted $26bn from financing deforestation-related activity.
According to research by Global Witness and Profundo, UK banks have pocketed over $1.2bn (£908m) in income linked to deforestation since the Paris climate accords were signed in 2016. This is based on analysis of just 50 of Forests & Finance’s 279 deforestation-risk listed companies, with a total value of $184bn over nearly 10 years.
Fires – many related to agriculture – wiped out around two million hectares of tropical primary forest in 2024.
The report highlights the significant financial gains made by UK financiers from deforestation-related activities.
Author's summary: UK financiers profit from deforestation.