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Most teams don’t need a forest of consultants to decode EUDR — they just need one smart AI agent.
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is creating a wave of compliance challenges across supply chains — and AI can help. This week, I’m sharing a custom-built EUDR Agent that acts like a digital consultant: it tells you if the regulation applies, what steps to take, and when. But this isn’t just about one tool. It’s also a blueprint for how you can build your own AI × ESG agents — using a simple, structured method that works across regulations, standards, and, most importantly, specific challenges. You’re the expert in the hurdles your team faces — and once those are clearly defined, you can begin building agents that actually solve them. Let’s explore the use case — and the method behind it.
The EUDR Challenge
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is one of the most ambitious sustainability laws to date—but also one of the most confusing. It requires companies dealing with key commodities like coffee, cocoa, soy, palm oil, wood, cattle, and rubber to prove that their supply chains are free from deforestation or forest degradation.
It was supposed to take effect on 30 December 2024, but due to concerns from traders, operators, and member states about readiness, enforcement has now been officially postponed to 30 December 2025 for large companies—and even later, 30 June 2026, for micro and small businesses.
In practice, this delay hasn't eased the urgency. Companies still need to understand what to do—and when. The first critical question remains:
“Does this regulation even apply to us — and if yes, what exactly must we do first?”
That’s precisely the challenge our AI × ESG agent is built to solve: a clear, time-saving answer to a confusing regulation.
Meet the EUDR Agent
Think of this as your digital compliance consultant. The EUDR Agent is designed to tackle that very first roadblock: figuring out whether the regulation applies to your company, and what comes next.
In seconds, the agent can:
Decide if you’re in scope (and explain why)
Summarize obligations in plain language
Lay out compliance timelines and enforcement dates
Suggest a clear roadmap of next steps
It’s built specifically for teams working with Annex I commodities — coffee, cocoa, soy, palm oil, wood, cattle, and rubber — where misinterpretation could mean costly delays or penalties.
👉 To make it practical, I’ve also put together a one-page explainer showing how the agent works, who it’s for, and how to apply it inside your workflows.
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Here’s the base prompt behind the agent, you can copy and paste to create yours.
Role & Expertise
You are an EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) Compliance Expert, helping sustainability professionals, procurement leads, and supply chain managers determine if they are in scope for Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 and, if so, what they must do.
You have deep knowledge of:
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (EUDR) and its legal definitions, obligations, timelines, and due diligence requirements.
The official EU Commission Guidance Document for EUDR.
The official EUDR Commission webpage.
You can interpret, explain, and apply the law to a user’s specific situation with legal precision.
Sources You Can Use
You are restricted to:
The full legal text of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (attached).
The EU Commission Guidance Document for EUDR (attached).
The official Commission webpage: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/forests/deforestation/regulation-deforestation-free-products_en
You may quote and reference these directly (by Article or Guidance section). You must not use any other sources.
Interaction Style Rules
Simplicity first: Always begin with a short, clear, friendly answer (no more than 4 sentences) in plain language.
Progressive disclosure: Give more details only if the user asks, or after you have their key facts.
Ask before explaining: If scope depends on facts, start by asking simple, specific questions.
No legal overload upfront: Avoid dumping articles or recitals in the first reply unless the user explicitly requests them.
Structure replies: Use bullet points, checklists, and headings for clarity.
Keep the conversation human: Sound like a knowledgeable advisor, not a legal textbook.
First-Response Pattern
When a user asks if EUDR applies or what they need to do, your first message should:
Confirm you can help.
Explain briefly that EUDR applies only if certain conditions are met.
Ask for the minimum details you need:
Do you handle any of these commodities/products? (cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, soya, wood, rubber, or listed derived products in Annex I)
Do you place on the market, make available in the EU, or export these products?
Company size (micro/small vs medium/large)?
Role in supply chain (importer, manufacturer, trader, retailer)?
Promise to provide a tailored, step-by-step compliance answer once they reply.
Follow-Up Response Pattern
Once the user gives you details:
Step 1 — Scope Decision: Clearly say “You are in scope” or “You are out of scope” and why (1–2 sentences).
Step 2 — Obligations: Summarise obligations in plain language (bullet points).
Step 3 — Timelines: Give the relevant compliance start date and cut-off date.
Step 4 — Next Steps: Offer a simple compliance roadmap; link to the article or guidance if they want full details.
Tone Examples
Instead of: “Under Article 2(15) of the Regulation, an operator is defined as…”
Say: “In EUDR terms, an ‘operator’ is anyone who puts these products on the EU market for the first time or exports them. That could be you if you import, manufacture, or produce them.”
Instead of: “The obligations on operators apply when relevant products are intended to be or are placed on the market or exported.”
Say: “If you sell, supply, or export these products, EUDR rules may apply to you.”
Your goal:
Help the user quickly understand whether they are in scope and what they must do, while keeping accuracy intact. Only go into deep legal detail if they ask for it, or when you’ve gathered enough facts to make it relevant.Behind the Build: How to Create Your Own AI × ESG Agent
The EUDR Agent isn’t just a tool — it’s a template. You can use the same approach to build AI agents for other ESG challenges. Here’s the process:
Find a problem
You know your pain points better than anyone. Start with the challenge that causes the biggest headache in your day-to-day work.
Example: For EUDR, the first headache for most teams is simply figuring out if the regulation even applies to them.Break it down
Big problems are too broad for a single AI agent. Instead, split them into smaller, manageable pieces.
Example: EUDR compliance is not one problem — it’s many. Beyond applicability, companies must build material–product inventories, reach out to suppliers, evaluate questionnaire responses, and identify supplier risks. Trying to make one “super agent” that does all of this will only disappoint.That’s why our first agent focuses only on applicability. In the coming weeks, we’ll expand the toolkit with dedicated agents: one for building inventories, one for supplier outreach, one for questionnaire evaluation, and another for risk identification. Each agent tackles a single step — and when combined, they create a practical EUDR workflow.
Pick one increment to solve
Once you define the problem, describe it clearly. Gather the most relevant resources (e.g., regulation text, Commission guidance, FAQs). Then define what a “useful output” looks like.
Example: For applicability, we gathered the official EUDR regulation and Annex I commodities list, then defined success as: “Explain if we are in scope, why, and what the next step is.”Engineer the prompt
Don’t start from scratch — ask AI to act as a prompt engineer:
“I’ll describe my problem, the key resources, and the outcome I need. Help me write a prompt that allows my agent to interact with users and add real value.”
Example: This is how the EUDR Agent’s base prompt was written — ensuring it always asks clarifying questions, grounds answers in regulation, and delivers step-by-step guidance.Prompt → Try → Adjust
Test your agent. Refine. Iterate. Small improvements compound into a reliable assistant.
Example: Early versions of the EUDR Agent gave generic summaries. After several refinements — adding clarifying questions and restricting it to official sources — it became a much sharper compliance tool.
Over time, you’ll build a library of focused agents. Each one solves a single ESG challenge, and together they can be connected into workflows — covering compliance, reporting, and sustainability tasks step by step.
🚀 You Know the Challenge — Now Build the Tool
The real value of these agents isn’t just in having a clever AI assistant — it’s in turning your lived challenges into repeatable tools. You already know where ESG and compliance work slows you down, eats up time, or creates confusion. That’s the best starting point.
Don’t aim to build a “general ESG bot.” Instead, take one of those headaches and turn it into a focused, useful agent. Over time, you’ll have a set of specialized assistants — each solving a small piece of the puzzle.
That’s how the EUDR Agent was built, and it’s the same process you can apply to any regulation, standard, or ESG workflow. In the coming weeks, I’ll also show how these agents can be integrated into broader systems — from chatbots that guide users step by step, to automated workflows that slot directly into procurement or compliance tools.
The key takeaway: you already hold the knowledge. The agent is just a way to package it, share it, and make it scalable.
Closing Note: The ESG Masterclass
For those who don’t know me — I started out as a chemical engineer before deciding to shift careers and step into the ESG field. Like many of you trying to land your first ESG role, the journey was tough. What made it harder was the lack of clear guidance — no blueprint, no roadmap on where to focus or how to build the right skills.
That’s exactly why I created the ESG Masterclass It’s designed to give you the know-how to land your first ESG role, plus the trusted sources you need to keep learning and growing in this fast-changing field.
Over 200 professionals have already joined, and the feedback has been fantastic. If you’re ready to take your ESG career to the next level, you can join now with a 50% discount.
