Norway has become the first country in the world to commit to zero deforestation. Last month the Norwegian parliament pledged that the government’s public procurement policy would become deforestation-free after a committee of MPs recommended imposing regulations to ensure the state did “not contribute to deforestation of the rainforest”. Norway is a major funder of forest conservation projects worldwide and supports human rights programmes for forest communities as well. The Independent reports: Nils Hermann Ranum, the head of Policy and Campaign at Rainforest Foundation Norway, said in a statement: “This is an important victory in the fight to protect the rainforest. Over the last few years, a number of companies have committed to cease the procurement of goods that can be linked to destruction of the rainforest. “Until now, this has not been matched by similar commitments from governments. Thus, it is highly positive that the Norwegian state is now following suit and making the same demands when it comes to public procurements”. The Rainforest Foundation Norway has campaigned for years to secure a zero deforestation commitment from the Norwegian government. The MPs’ committee also called for the government to protect biodiversity by developing a separate policy and through investments made by Norges Bank Investment [...]