The European Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) is reshaping how forest-related products are sourced, traded, and placed on the EU market. While this brings new compliance requirements for businesses, it also creates opportunities to strengthen responsible supply chains and contribute to a nature-positive economy.
EMMA4EU, together with GoNaturePositive! and ECOSOLVE, organised on March 24 a webinar, ‘EUDR: Driving Nature-Positive transition’, exploring what EUDR means in practice, how forestry businesses can respond strategically, and how to approach it beyond compliance.
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Agenda
Introduction – Welcome and overview of the EMMA4EU & GoNaturePositive! projects.
Speaker: Helena Leonel, Etifor | Valuing Nature – Project Manager for Corporate Nature Strategies and Coordinator of the EMMA4EU project, focusing on responsible sourcing strategies and deforestation-free supply chains.
Session 1 – Framing deforestation-free supply chains in Europe: insights and analysis from EUDR and other EU regulations.
An expert-led session exploring how EU policies, including the EUDR, are shaping deforestation-free supply chains. The presentation will clarify the latest EUDR requirements and provide practical insights to help companies navigate the evolving EU regulatory landscape.
Speaker: Timothy Bender, Preferred by Nature – Regulatory Impact Specialist working on regulatory and policy compliance across forestry, climate, and environmental governance, advising companies on the EUDR and due diligence systems.
Session 2 – From compliance to value creation: roundtable on responsible supply chains.
A moderated roundtable with projects and practitioners on how businesses can align responsible supply-chain practices with nature-positive economic models. This discussion will highlight practical pathways to structure nature strategies, manage risks, and turn compliance into long-term strategic value.
Moderated by Colm O’Driscoll, Etifor | Valuing Nature – Strategist in public financing with two decades of experience designing and delivering international projects focused on nature, sustainability, and nature-based solutions for organizations such as the European Commission, World Bank and FAO.
Featuring:
- Lucy Gaffney, Horizon Nua – With over 15 years of experience across biosciences, sustainability and conservation, Lucy works on tools that help businesses move beyond compliance and embed nature-positive strategies into their operations.
- Paola D. Luna, Accountability Accelerator – Validation Director leading the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) validation pilot, with extensive experience in environmental auditing and sustainability assurance.
- Maurice Ryan, Greenbelt – Director of Business Development at Greenbelt, bringing practical insights from forestry operations, supply-chain traceability, and biodiversity-focused woodland management.
- Samuel Ross, Zoological Society of London – Sustainable Business Advisor working on scientific timber testing, due diligence tools, and biodiversity monitoring to strengthen accountability across forestry supply chains.
Closing remarks – Key takeaways and next steps from the EMMA4EU and GoNaturePositive! projects.
