Ending Toxic Friendships Harming People and Planet

The 'Toxic Friends' campaign by Global Witness aimed to expose the relationships between politicians and corporate polluters, urging leaders to reject 'false solutions' and 'greenwashing' in favor of voices from the climate crisis frontline. The campaign utilized a simplified narrative and social media tactics to engage over 160 influential individuals and 100 organizations across 15 countries. Key strategic goals included delegitimizing corporate presence in policy spaces and highlighting the violence faced by environmental defenders.

• The 'Toxic Friends' campaign sought to expose the 'dangerous tangle' between corporate entities and political leaders, arguing that corporations often use 'marketing spin' to appear climate-friendly while continuing to pollute and drive the climate crisis.
• Global Witness identified several ways corporate polluters manipulate policy, including making climate commitments while continuing planetary destruction, promoting 'unproven' solutions like carbon capture, and falsely claiming fossil gas is a greener alternative.
• The document asserts that a small number of corporations are disproportionately responsible for global warming, stating that 100 companies account for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions.
• The campaign achieved significant digital reach, with its August launch tweet receiving over 180,000 impressions and 2,214 engagements, supported by amplification from Greta Thunberg and other influential figures.
• The campaign engaged a network of over 160 people from more than 15 countries and collaborated with various organizations, including the UK Youth Climate Coalition and Glasgow Calls Out Polluters.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Ending Toxic Friendships Harming People and Planet. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corporate-accountability/ending-toxic-friendships-harming-people-and-planet/

Chicago

Global Witness. Ending Toxic Friendships Harming People and Planet. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corporate-accountability/ending-toxic-friendships-harming-people-and-planet/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Witness |title=Ending Toxic Friendships Harming People and Planet |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corporate-accountability/ending-toxic-friendships-harming-people-and-planet/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalwitnessndending, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Ending Toxic Friendships Harming People and Planet}}, institution = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corporate-accountability/ending-toxic-friendships-harming-people-and-planet/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }