SYDNEY, Tuesday 26 August 2025 — Greenpeace welcomes Coles’ announcement that it will commit to a deforestation-free supply chain by the end of the year, but says more must be done to close deforestation loopholes in Australia’s broken national environment law.
Released today, the supermarket giant’s annual sustainability report also states that deforestation is contributing to the climate crisis and is “a driver of embedded emissions within our supply chain.”
It comes as the Albanese government today announced it would speed up reforms of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
Gemma Plesman, Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “Greenpeace welcomes today’s commitment from Coles to sourcing deforestation-free beef by December 2025, and acknowledging the climate pollution across its supply chain.
“Coles’ announcement is in line with international best practice and with Australia’s other major supermarkets Woolworths and Aldi. It sends a strong signal to the entire industry that deforestation must be taken seriously.
“But the fight for our forests is far from over, as Coles’ report highlights a glaring industry-wide blindspot. Major beef purchasers like Coles don’t have access to full supply chain traceability for cattle, meaning they only monitor for deforestation on the last property before the abattoir – most likely a feedlot which could already be classified deforestation-free – rather than its entire life cycle.
“These opaque processes highlight why we can’t rely on industry alone to regulate itself. Our national nature law is currently under review, and major loopholes must be closed to ensure corporate giants like Coles and Woolies are held accountable for nature destruction.
“We urge the Albanese government to introduce the robust and much-needed reforms to the EPBC Act, including closing deforestation loopholes that allow for harmful industries to carry out mass bulldozing in Australia.”
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Notes to Editor
High res images and footage of recent deforestation can be found here
Queensland’s newest deforestation for cattle figures can be found here