Canada accused of putting its timber trade ahead of global environment

Weeks before Cop15 in Montreal, leaked letter to EU shows host tried to water down deforestation regulations

The Canadian government has been accused of putting its domestic timber industry ahead of the global environment, following a leaked attempt to water down the world's most ambitious regulations on deforestation-free trade.

Weeks before the United Nations biodiversity conference, Cop15 in Montreal, the host nation sent a letter to the European Commission asking for a reconsideration of burdensome traceability requirements" within a proposed EU scheme that aims to eradicate unsustainably sourced wood products from the world's biggest market.