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The report highlights a growing 'e-mobility divide' where the Global North adopts high-value lithium-ion systems while the Global South relies on affordable but toxic lead-acid batteries. It identifies critical failures in traceability and international governance, specifically within the Basel Convention, which allow for 'waste colonialism' and hazardous informal recycling. The authors argue for mandatory extended producer responsibility, the creation of regional recycling hubs, and the integration of informal workers into formal systems to ensure a just energy transition.

The report examines the intersection of trade and climate sustainability from an African perspective, focusing on the economic impacts of energy transitions, the risks and opportunities of voluntary carbon markets, and the challenges of transition mineral value chains. It critically analyzes the role of the WTO in green trade and provides specific policy recommendations to ensure that climate-related trade measures, such as Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM), do not disproportionately harm developing nations.

The report analyzes Senegal-Germany bilateral relations between 2012 and 2022, noting that while German imports of Senegalese goods tripled, they remain small compared to France's. It highlights a shift from donor-recipient dynamics toward trade partnerships, exemplified by the Compact with Africa and Just Energy Transition Partnerships. However, German foreign direct investment in Senegal remains low compared to other West African nations like Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, and significant data gaps persist regarding service exports and product granularity.

Global Witness analysis indicates that industrial rubber plantations in West and Central Africa caused nearly 520km2 of deforestation between 2000 and 2020. The report highlights that the EU imports over 30% of rubber from six key African producers, yet rubber was excluded from proposed EU anti-deforestation laws following tyre industry lobbying. The study links this deforestation to three multinational companies—Olam, Halcyon Agri, and Socfin—which are financed by major European banks. Additionally, the report documents severe impacts on local and indigenous communities, including land loss, lack of water, and violent repression in countries like Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria.

Analysis of 2020 vessel tracking and manifest data reveals that a small number of mega-traders dominate U.S. cocoa imports through opaque networks and 'cocoa-laundering' via third countries. The report highlights how 43% of cocoa from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire passes through Europe and significant volumes from Peru and Ecuador funnel through Panama and Colombia, diverting revenue from producers. It identifies systemic obfuscation in import data, including the use of multiple company name variations by traders like Barry Callebaut to hide market dominance, and calls for U.S. legislative action to restrict imported deforestation and improve traceability.

The report analyzes the value chain of wind and solar projects to identify which components are suitable for local production versus global sourcing. It argues that while highly centralized components like solar modules and wind turbines are best imported to keep costs low, significant economic opportunities exist in localizing structures, towers, and electrical subsystems. Through case studies of countries like Mauritius, Namibia, Cambodia, and the Philippines, the report demonstrates how different tariff strategies—ranging from revenue generation to industry protection—impact renewable energy deployment and suggests that international cooperation to reduce trade barriers on environmental goods can accelerate the energy transition.

The report examines the role of the EU's captive tiger population in the global trade of tigers and their derivatives. It identifies significant regulatory loopholes in the keeping and disposal of tigers, particularly in private facilities and circuses, which may be exploited by organised criminal groups to supply Asian markets. While accredited zoos are well-regulated, the report finds inconsistent national laws across the EU, a lack of centralised traceability registers, and weak oversight of deceased specimens. Trade data from 2013–2017 confirms the EU's continued commercial export of captive-bred tigers and parts to countries like Viet Nam and Thailand, which may stimulate demand and increase poaching pressure on wild populations.

The 2016 assessment reveals a significant decline in elephant ivory availability in historical physical markets like New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, potentially due to state-level bans. However, the market appears to be pivoting toward online platforms and states without strict regulations, such as Washington, DC and Oregon. The report documents 1,589 items in physical retail and 2,056 items across six online platforms, noting widespread confusion among vendors regarding legal exemptions and a trend of mislabeling ivory as 'bone' or 'mammoth' to evade detection.

The investigation reveals significant illegal harvest and trade of Nautilus pompilius in Indonesia and unregulated, potentially unsustainable harvest in the Philippines. Trade has shifted toward online platforms and processed products like furniture inlays to evade enforcement. The USA is a major consumer market, importing tens of thousands of items annually, while Europe's trade appears lower and less monitored. A critical gap is the lack of species-specific customs codes globally, which masks the true volume of trade.

The study finds that U.S. imports of illegal wood declined by 32% to 44% since the 2008 Lacey Act amendments, with China accounting for two-thirds of this reduction. While the law contributed to this decline, it has not eliminated illegal imports, which were estimated at $2.8 billion in 2013. The report highlights that the reduction was driven more by U.S. buyers avoiding high-risk products and countries rather than discriminating between legal and illegal wood within the same product category.

The report finds that illegalities are pervasive across DRC's industrial logging concessions, with every visited site between 2011 and 2014 showing violations. These range from over-harvesting and tax avoidance to human rights abuses and the use of fraudulent CITES permits. Despite laws like the EU Timber Regulation and the US Lacey Act, significant volumes of high-risk timber continue to flow to China, Europe, and the US, driven by weak government enforcement and a culture of impunity in the DRC.

The report details how over 500,000 tonnes of fish are diverted annually from West African coastal communities to produce FMFO for European and Asian aquaculture and livestock. It identifies Mauritania as the primary exporter, with a significant portion of its fish oil destined for the EU, particularly France and Denmark. The document links this trade to major European aquafeed companies and retailers, while highlighting the severe socio-economic impacts on local artisanal fishermen and women processors.

Global Witness reports that while the US has banned direct imports of Russian fossil fuels, it continues to import refined petroleum products from India that are derived from Russian crude. Analysis of trade data from the first five months of 2023 shows that the US imported 12.6 million barrels of refined products from India, with a high concentration coming from the Sikka port in Gujarat, which imports significant quantities of Russian crude. The author contends that banning imports from refineries using Russian crude would squeeze Kremlin revenues without significantly impacting US fuel prices, and urges a transition to renewable energy over increased domestic oil production.