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The report argues that the UAE used extensive PR campaigns to rebrand itself as a climate leader to secure the hosting of COP28, while simultaneously planning to expand oil and gas production. It identifies 18 agencies that worked for the UAE, COP28, ADNOC, or Masdar between 2021 and 2023, noting that many of these firms simultaneously held contracts with major fossil fuel polluters. The document details specific tactics used to manipulate public opinion, including the editing of Wikipedia pages by COP28 staff and the use of AI-generated social media bots for astroturfing. It concludes by calling on the creative industry to stop working with fossil fuel clients to support a genuine energy transition.

A joint investigation by Global Witness and Radio Free Europe (RFE) identifies a supply chain connecting Wintershall Dea's gas condensate production in Western Siberia to the Salavat refinery, which in turn supplies diesel to companies with Russian military contracts. While the report notes it is not possible to determine if a specific barrel of diesel contains Wintershall's condensate, it highlights that the refinery's output reaches suppliers for the Federal Guard Service (FSO) and other military units. The report criticizes Wintershall for its continued shareholding in these ventures and its pursuit of German government compensation despite these connections.

The report alleges that Brookfield Asset Management oversaw the deforestation of approximately 9,000 hectares of the Brazilian Cerrado between 2012 and 2021 across eight farms, subsequently selling these assets in a 'slash and sell' strategy. It further details a case where a Brookfield-controlled firm was fined R$800,000 for slave labour offences at Fazenda Colorado and an attempt to evict the Kayabí Indigenous community from ancestral lands in the Amazon via the company Agropecuaria Vale do Ximari. The document highlights a contradiction between these actions and the public roles of Brookfield Chair Mark Carney, a co-founder of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), and the firm's ESG policies. It argues that voluntary initiatives like GFANZ are insufficient and calls for mandatory government legislation on environmental and human rights due diligence for the financial sector.

A Global Witness investigation alleges that Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has engaged in a decades-long covert influence campaign in Zambia, including the alleged funding of President Hakainde Hichilema's party (UPND). The report claims this relationship resulted in significant tax breaks for FQM and other mining firms, totaling an estimated $771 million in savings for FQM between 2022 and 2025. The investigation further details the role of the Brenthurst Foundation and SABI Strategy in shaping economic policy and managing disinformation campaigns to support Hichilema's political rise and retention of power.

The report exposes the failure of voluntary zero-deforestation policies among Brazil's largest beef producers—JBS, Marfrig, and Minerva—and the inadequacy of audits by DNV-GL and Grant Thornton. It highlights that these companies continue to source cattle from illegally deforested lands and farms linked to land grabbing and human rights abuses, while receiving continued funding from global banks such as HSBC, Barclays, and Santander.

Global Witness reports that Maxland (PNG) Limited, controlled by the Joinland Group, is using a purported rubber plantation project on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, as a cover for illegal logging. The investigation finds that the company has failed to plant the promised millions of rubber trees, has bypassed provincial government rejections of its permits, and has operated without legitimate landowner consent. The report links the destruction of this biodiversity hotspot to financial institutions in Malaysia, Singapore, Norway, and the US, and notes that the harvested timber is exported to China and Japan.

The report details how nickel mining by companies like Marcventures in Surigao del Sur, Philippines, has led to severe environmental degradation, including the pollution of critical watersheds and the destruction of livelihoods for farmers and fisherfolk. It argues that these operations are enabled by 'political capture' and corruption involving powerful dynasties, specifically naming Martin Romualdez as a beneficial owner of Marcventures. The document further links this local destruction to the global demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, suggesting that nickel from these mines likely enters the supply chains of major manufacturers such as Tesla and Volkswagen. It concludes by advocating for mandatory due diligence legislation in the EU to hold multinational corporations accountable for human rights and environmental harms in their value chains.

Global Witness reports that Maxland (PNG) Limited, a subsidiary of Joinland Group, has engaged in illegal logging on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, under the guise of establishing a rubber plantation. The investigation finds that the company bypassed legal land-surveying processes, ignored provincial rejections of its permits, and failed to plant the promised rubber trees while exporting millions of dollars in hardwood to China and Japan. The report further links this activity to a network of international financial institutions in Malaysia, Singapore, Norway, and the US, and calls for stricter import regulations in China and better governance in Papua New Guinea.

The Sombwe dam project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo threatens the Upemba National Park, potentially flooding tropical forests and endangering rare species like savannah elephants and zebras. Global Witness reports that the 160 MW project may violate Congolese conservation law and could release 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 by the end of the century. The report highlights failures in the initial environmental impact study and calls on the constructor, PowerChina, and international financial backers—including BlackRock and Standard Chartered—to suspend work and seek an alternative site.

Global Witness reports that an $800 million agreement between the DRC's state-owned miner, Gécamines, and the China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group (CNMC) for the Deziwa mine violates national mining laws due to the non-publication of key contract details. Analysis suggests the deal may be unfair to the DRC, specifically noting that a signature bonus to Gécamines might only be worth 50 percent of the promised headline figure. The report also highlights concerns regarding a fixer, Siu Kam Ng, who admitted to making suspect payments to DRC officials and currently holds a stake in CNMC's DRC businesses. Global Witness calls for the full publication of all contracts and financial models, and for CNMC to align its investments with social responsibility guidelines.

The report examines how the jade industry in northern Myanmar, particularly in Kachin and northern Shan states, is intertwined with armed conflict. It asserts that military elites and their cronies maintain control over high-value mines to secure billions of dollars in profits, which incentivizes continued fighting and undermines the efforts of the civilian-led government to establish peace. The document highlights the displacement of approximately 100,000 people since 2011 and the marginalization of local communities who suffer from environmental degradation and human rights abuses while the wealth is extracted by powerful networks. It concludes that a sustainable peace requires transparent management of natural resources and a fair distribution of jade profits.

The report details how armed groups in the Central African Republic, specifically the Seleka and anti-balaka, have systematically exploited diamond resources to fund violence. It highlights the failure of the Kimberley Process suspension to stop the flow of diamonds, which are 'naturalised' in neighbouring countries like Cameroon to enter international markets. The document warns that the introduction of 'compliant zones' for legal exports risks legitimising conflict diamonds, particularly those amassed in stockpiles by buying houses like Sodiam and Badica during the export ban.

Global Witness reports that Veolia has been secretly filming and testing sediment at a Colombian landfill site, finding mercury levels 25 times above safe limits. The report alleges that untreated leachate is being pumped into wetlands that provide drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in Barrancabermeja. While Veolia denies causality and claims its internal monitoring shows no mercury, expert analysis suggests the company's testing was insufficient. The report also highlights the danger faced by environmental defenders in the region and argues for the strength of the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive to hold such companies accountable.

Global Witness reports that heavy rare earth mining has exploded in Myanmar's Kachin Special Region 1, driven by China's need to offshore its polluting mining industry. The process, primarily in-situ leaching, causes severe environmental degradation, including water poisoning and deforestation, while funding militias affiliated with Myanmar's military regime. These minerals, specifically dysprosium and terbium, are critical for permanent magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines, linking global green energy goals to human rights abuses and ecological collapse in Myanmar.

The report alleges that the Trump Ocean Club in Panama was used to launder illicit funds from Colombian narcotics trafficking and Russian criminal networks. It highlights the role of broker Alexandre Henrique Ventura Nogueira in facilitating these sales through anonymous shell companies and 'special purpose vehicles'. The document argues that Donald Trump and his family benefited financially from these transactions while failing to conduct due diligence on buyers, reflecting a broader pattern of licensing his brand to high-risk projects in jurisdictions with weak anti-money laundering controls.

Global Witness reports that illegal heavy rare earth mining in Myanmar's Kachin Special Region 1 is surging to meet global demand for electric vehicles and wind turbines. The process, driven by Chinese investment and controlled by militias linked to the Myanmar military, causes severe environmental damage, including water poisoning and deforestation. These minerals are primarily exported to Chinese state-owned enterprises, which then supply global manufacturers of permanent magnets.

The document details the systematic exploitation of diamond resources in the Central African Republic by armed groups such as the Séléka and anti-balaka. It describes a sophisticated black market where diamonds are smuggled through neighboring countries and 'naturalized' with false origins to enter international markets. The report criticizes the effectiveness of the Kimberley Process, noting that the partial lifting of export bans through 'compliant zones' may be undermined by internal smuggling and the existence of large stockpiles acquired during the conflict period by buying offices like Badica and Sodiam.

An investigation by Global Witness found that ten European companies imported approximately €2 million worth of high-risk timber from Industrie Forestière du Congo (IFCO) in 2018. The report alleges that IFCO engaged in illegal logging practices, including operating outside boundaries and failing to pay taxes, while potentially maintaining links to sanctions-listed Hezbollah financiers via its predecessor, Cotrefor.

A Global Witness investigation reveals that Myanmar has become a critical source of heavy rare earth elements (HREE) for global EV and wind turbine magnets, with exports to China surging from 19,500 tonnes in 2021 to 41,700 tonnes in 2023. The report documents catastrophic environmental damage in Kachin State, including the use of toxic chemicals like ammonium sulfate and oxalic acid via 'in-situ leaching,' which has contaminated rivers and caused severe health issues for miners. The mining activity is largely illegal and controlled by militias aligned with the Myanmar military or the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), potentially funding conflict. The supply chain links these minerals to Chinese state-owned enterprises and subsequently to global brands such as Tesla, Volkswagen, and Siemens Gamesa, though the report notes a lack of definitive evidence for every specific product.

Global Witness reports that the 'rush for lithium' in Africa is failing to deliver a just energy transition, instead risking the entrenchment of corruption and ESG failures. In Zimbabwe, the Sandawana mine is linked to sanctioned elites and ZANU-PF allies, with reports of child labour and the illegal export of unprocessed ore. In Namibia, Xinfeng Investments is accused of using bribery to acquire licenses and operating an industrial-scale mine under small-scale permits to avoid environmental assessments. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Manono project has been stalled by ownership disputes and allegations that shell companies linked to former President Joseph Kabila's associates profited by millions while the state treasury received negligible funds.