Biodiversity and Human rights

The report examines the intersection of biodiversity loss and human rights violations, asserting that transnational corporations (TNCs) drive ecological destruction through industrial agriculture, extractivism, and infrastructure projects. It critiques voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) and due diligence frameworks as 'false solutions' that facilitate corporate impunity. The document calls for a legally binding treaty on TNCs and human rights, the operationalization of a human rights-based approach within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the recognition of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities as rights-holders rather than mere stakeholders.

• Biodiversity loss and human rights violations are intrinsically linked, as corporate activities such as large-scale land conversion and industrial production drive ecological collapse while simultaneously threatening the collective rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs).
• Transnational corporations (TNCs) utilize complex legal structures, such as separate corporate personalities and limited liability, to shield themselves from accountability for environmental and human rights abuses.
• Environmental and human rights defenders, particularly Indigenous Peoples, face systemic violence and legal harassment, including Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), used by corporations to silence opposition to extractive projects.
• Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms create a power imbalance that allows corporations to sue states over environmental regulations, effectively inverting the 'polluter pays' principle.
• Voluntary initiatives, including Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the UN Global Compact, are characterized as mechanisms for impunity that prioritize public relations over binding legal obligations.
• Mandatory human rights due diligence, such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), is critiqued for being primarily procedural and risking a 'box-ticking' approach that may serve as a liability shield for companies.
• Market-based 'false solutions' like biodiversity offsets and nature-based solutions commodify nature and often lead to 'fortress conservation,' which results in the forced removal of Indigenous Peoples from their ancestral lands.
• The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), specifically Target 15, is insufficient because it encourages voluntary disclosure of financial risks rather than imposing binding obligations to prevent environmental harm.
• Effective biodiversity protection requires a shift from treating Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities as 'stakeholders' to recognizing them as 'rights-holders' with decisive authority over their territories.
• The report proposes a legally binding treaty on TNCs that includes the autonomous right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, mandatory Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), and strict corporate liability across global value chains.

APA

Soares, A. O., Marien, N., Roberts, K., & Ronsain, O. (2025). Biodiversity and Human rights. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/FOEI-REPORT-BIODIVERSITY-HUMAN-RIGHTS-EN-WEB.pdf

Chicago

Soares, Andressa Oliveira, Nele Marien, Kaetlyn Roberts, and Olivia Ronsain. Biodiversity and Human rights. Friends of the Earth International, 2025. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/FOEI-REPORT-BIODIVERSITY-HUMAN-RIGHTS-EN-WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Soares |first1=Andressa Oliveira |last2=Marien |first2=Nele |last3=Roberts |first3=Kaetlyn |last4=Ronsain |first4=Olivia |title=Biodiversity and Human rights |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=November 2025 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/FOEI-REPORT-BIODIVERSITY-HUMAN-RIGHTS-EN-WEB.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{soares2025biodiversity, author = {Soares, Andressa Oliveira and Marien, Nele and Roberts, Kaetlyn and Ronsain, Olivia}, title = {{Biodiversity and Human rights}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/FOEI-REPORT-BIODIVERSITY-HUMAN-RIGHTS-EN-WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }