Global Witness

‘Arctic ice is not melting.’ ‘Higher CO2 levels are not a problem.’ These are some of the false claims about climate change made in Facebook adverts published by The Epoch Times, a conservative media outlet with a history of promoting conspiracy theories. Our latest investigation found that The Epoch Times has spent more than £30,000 on advertising in the UK over last three months, many denying the existence of climate change. We’re calling on the UK Advertising Standards Authority to investigate The Epoch Times. As a result of our investigation, Meta has banned Epoch Times London from advertising for repeatedly breaching their policies. Read more about our investigation here. https://lnkd.in/e4NfXtXS

Our work on COP30 has begun! And the world needs environmental defenders to be part of key decisions about the climate. So, we held an event last week .... The event brought together defenders and key Brazilian ministries, diplomats from the EU delegation, Kenya, Senegal and more, plus ministers working with the UNFCCC on developing the host agreement for COP30. Our main goal: to start creating a space for the many groups and partners involved in climate discussions to exchange information that can help inform global policy solutions rather than hinder it. This means making sure environmental defenders are part of the conversation. The 2025 COP Summit is taking place in Brazil. It’s home to many Indigenous and other traditional communities but is also a country where there’s an ever-growing risk of environmental defenders being killed for protecting their land and community. In our annual Land and Environmental Defenders Report last year, we found that 1 in 5 murders of defenders worldwide took place in the Amazon Rainforest alone, with violence, torture and threats a shared reality for communities across the region. And it’s not just in Brazil – it’s happening worldwide. Since we started logging these killings in 2012, almost 2,000 defenders have been killed. However, these are the people who are on the frontlines of the climate crisis and can explain to governments the situation and impact on the ground. If Brazil wants to create a legacy at COP30, then this is the time to push for transformational system change. The good news is that those who attended the event agreed that there’s a need to increase the recognition, visibility, protection and participation of defenders and communities in decision-making at climate summits. Now begins the work to see how we can make this happen. Watch this space!  

We’ve been here before. The conditions that led to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine didn’t develop overnight. Russia’s status as a fossil fuel superpower was built over decades by the Western oil majors through the investments they made there. And yet now Europe is binding its energy security to yet another authoritarian state that systematically violates human rights and international norms. The EU has committed to doubling its imports of gas from Azerbaijan by 2027, a contract that earned Baku 15.6 billion Euros in 2022 alone. And once again the Western oil majors are leading the charge. Earlier this month our @MaiRosner testified at a French senate hearing about TotalEnergies’ operations in Russia and Azerbaijan based on Global Witness’ investigations which have exposed the links between Western fossil fuel majors, wars and political instability. Then this week, Patrick Pouyanné, the CEO of TotalEnergies, offered his testimony to the French Senate, expressing complete disregard for the political context in Azerbaijan, where TotalEnergies is a major investor. Pouyanné said that he didn’t see why TotalEnergies would want to give up on gas production in Azerbaijan when it’s in compliance with the law, regulations and his company’s own code of conduct. For years European governments ignored Putin’s rising authoritarianism and expansionist aims by allowing oil majors to pursue economic interests in Russia unchecked. Europe and its supermajors are now lending the dictatorial regime of President Ilham Aliyev money and legitimacy that will embolden it to pursue further military incursions into Armenia, having already been accused of the ethnic cleansing of Armenians. Europe and France should take the lessons of the last two years as a sign to divest from fossil extraction and instead invest in domestic renewable energy, which is cheaper, safer, and does not fan the flames of war and conflict. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/d3Bh_7Kz

Last week the UN dropped the line-up for a newly-established Critical Minerals Panel. Consisting of 24 countries and other stakeholders across the mineral value chain, the panel will address issues relating to equity, transparency, investment, sustainability and human rights. The group will aim to ‘develop a set of global common and voluntary principles to safeguard environmental and social standards and embed justice in the energy transition’. Whilst it represents a positive step towards addressing the impact of mining transition minerals, there remain gaps in the approach that need to be addressed: 1. A lack of civil society representation The panel is heavy on government representation, but light on Civil Society Organisation(CSO) involvement. While the inclusion of CAN International means some civil society organisations will be able to feed in, wider civil society in the regions most affected by mining is not fairly represented. ➡️Civil society and indigenous voices should be central to decision-making to ensure a just-energy transition. 2. ‘Voluntary principles’ risk adding to confusion around standards With multiple other global initiatives on standards in the pipeline, a ‘voluntary’ code risks getting lost in the noise. The UN has had a number of opportunities in recent years to start setting guidelines for responsible mining in its agreements on climate and environment. ➡️To really make these new measures stand out, they should encompass some binding agreements from the panel on shared standards. 3. There are clear conflicts of interest The panel will be jointly chaired by Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa and Director-General for Energy Ditte Juul Jørgensen of the European Commission. The European Commission has been tasked with guiding the EU towards carbon neutrality, but also reducing dependence on China, and onshoring as many jobs as possible from the value chain of mining, processing, recycling and manufacturing. ➡️Given that one of the stated aims of the panel is to foster resource justice for developing nations, the EC might find it’s aims competing with the interests of China and other global South countries. https://lnkd.in/ecSM26Md

A huge congratulations to the 2024 winners of the Goldman Environmental Prize! And a special congratulations to those we’ve had the opportunity to work with 🏆🌍 The #GoldmanPrize is awarded to grassroots environmental activists from around the world who take extraordinary action to protect our planet. We’ve had the pleasure of working with Nonhle to elevate her work opposing Shell in South Africa, and with Marcel’s organisation Repórter Brasil, who we have partnered with to tackle illegal deforestation in Brazil. In September 2022, Indigenous activists Nonhle Mbuthuma and Sinegugu Zukulu stopped destructive seismic testing for oil and gas off South Africa’s Eastern Cape, in an area known as the Wild Coast. Organizing their community, Nonhle and Sinegugu secured their victory by asserting the rights of the local community to protect their marine environment. By halting oil and gas exploration in a particularly biodiverse area, they protected migratory whales, dolphins, and other wildlife from the harmful effects of seismic testing. Marcel Gomes coordinated a complex international campaign that directly linked beef from JBS, the world’s largest meatpacking company, to illegal deforestation in Brazil’s most threatened ecosystems. Armed with detailed evidence from his breakthrough investigative report, Marcel worked with partners to pressure global retailers to stop selling the illegally sourced meat, leading six major European supermarket chains in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom to indefinitely halt the sale of JBS products in December 2021. #GoldmanPrize2024 (Photos: Thom Pierce | Guardian | Global Witness | UN Environment and Goldman Environmental Prize)

Next week, we’ll be at the UNESCO 2024 World Press Freedom Day Conference, speaking about the online dangers to freedom of expression in Latin America and its links to environmental and climate communication globally. Central America stands out as one of the most hostile regions for the practice of journalism in the Americas, experiencing judicial harassment, imprisonment and even murder. But increasingly attacks also take place in the digital environment. Together with Access Now and IPANDETEC, we’re bringing together experts, journalists and human rights defenders to explore the challenges of online violence, related threats to democracy and climate action, as well as promoting resilient journalism in the digital age. To find out more about our event if you are attending, or to sign up visit: https://lnkd.in/ePXAYk-B #WorldPressFreedomDay

We're hiring in our USA office! 📣 As our senior Policy Advisor, you would play a critical role in shaping and advancing the policy agenda for our campaign to ensure a fair and equitable energy transition. Learn more and apply ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/ecGeNAtC

The 🇪🇺 EU Parliament just voted to make big companies respect human rights and the environment, giving people who are at risk from dangerous business practices a chance to fight back. Here’s our wrap on #CSDDD – what it means, and how we got here ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eJG6Uz3F

We’re heading into our fourth decade of exposing and ending abuses of power. And if there’s one thing we have learnt during this time, it’s that change is possible when we stand together. So this #EarthDay we’re thrilled to join more than 200 environmental groups taking part in the @BigGive's Green Match Fund, building the collective support we need to confront the climate crisis. Until Thursday, all donations will be matched 1:1, meaning you can make double the impact. As we tackle the greatest challenge facing humanity, it's your support that will help us continue our investigations and make systemic changes. Please consider donating - any gift, big or small, will make the difference. https://lnkd.in/ePiKvn9c

The sixth UN Environment Assembly (#UNEA6) concluded with the adoption a resolution which aims to prevent environmental damage when extracting minerals from the earth, many of which are vital for the energy transition. But politics and procedural roadblocks led to the final text being watered-down: ❌ Member States blocked action to improve environmental sustainability ❌ Countries dodged responsibility for environmental harms ❌ Overconsumption was on the agenda, but there were no plans to tackle it The UN and its Member States must be much bolder in their ambition to achieve a just #EnergyTransition and demand a more responsible mining industry. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eAcax5rb