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In 2025, Global Witness verified the killings of 124 land and environmental defenders, continuing a trend of lethal violence primarily concentrated in Latin America. The report identifies land disputes and extractive projects as primary drivers, with a significant increase in the role of organized crime and hitmen. It highlights the vulnerability of Indigenous peoples and small-scale farmers, who comprise 75% of the victims. The document argues against individual-focused security models, instead promoting 'collective protection'—community-led systems like Indigenous Guards—and calls for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement and the repeal of laws used to criminalize activism.

Global Witness reports that 1,733 land and environmental defenders were killed between 2012 and 2021, with 200 deaths recorded in 2021 alone. The report highlights a disproportionate impact on indigenous peoples, who represent over 40% of fatal attacks despite being only 5% of the global population. Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia are identified as the most dangerous countries, where extractivism, land inequality, and corporate impunity drive violence. The document calls for the implementation of the Escazú Agreement and stricter mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence for companies, particularly within the European Union.

The report documents the killing of 124 land and environmental defenders in 2025, with Latin America remaining the most dangerous region. It highlights the role of organized crime, extractive industries, and state repression in these attacks, while advocating for 'collective protection' and the legal recognition of indigenous guards.

In 2024, Global Witness documented 146 land and environmental defenders murdered or disappeared globally, with 82% of cases occurring in Latin America. The report identifies mining as the deadliest industry and highlights the disproportionate targeting of Indigenous Peoples and small-scale farmers. It examines specific crises in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, Guatemala, and Palestine, while critiquing the failures of state protection mechanisms and the rise of criminalization. The document calls for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement, the implementation of mandatory corporate due diligence, and the formal recognition of defenders' roles in climate solutions ahead of COP30.

In 2024, 146 land and environmental defenders were murdered or disappeared globally, with 82% of cases occurring in Latin America. Mining remains the most lethal sector, followed by logging and agribusiness. The report highlights systemic failures in state protection, high levels of impunity, and the criminalization of activists. It specifically examines the precarious situation of indigenous and peasant communities in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, Honduras, Guatemala, and Chile, while also addressing the environmental destruction and land expropriation in occupied Palestinian territories. The document calls for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement, the implementation of the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and the guaranteed safe participation of defenders in COP30.

A coalition of NGOs argues that a leaked draft "side deal" to truncate environmental reviews for mining projects would prioritize extractive industry interests over community input and environmental protection. The authors contend that such a deal would undermine laws like NEPA and the ESA, disproportionately harm Indigenous communities, and ignore the fact that permitting delays are primarily caused by incomplete data from applicants rather than the review process itself. They advocate instead for the passage of the Environmental Justice for All and RESPECT Acts.

The document argues that the concept of "shrinking space" is often used to depoliticize the targeted repression of radical social movements. It identifies ten trends of repression, including philanthropic protectionism and the criminalization of human rights defenders, and contends that these tools are applied selectively by states to maintain power. The author suggests that the focus should shift from a generic "civil society" lens to one of political marginalization and solidarity with those on the margins.

The report details a period of institutional violence in Honduras following the 2009 coup, characterized by the criminalization of environmental and land defenders, systemic gender-based violence, and the expansion of transnational corporate control over natural resources. It documents specific cases of human rights abuses, including the murders of Berta Cáceres and Keyla Martínez and the forced disappearance of Garífuna leaders. The text argues that the state acted as a facilitator for extractivist projects—such as hydroelectric dams and 'model cities' (ZEDEs)—often ignoring the right to free, prior, and informed consent. It concludes by welcoming the election of Xiomara Castro as a step toward democratic recovery and calls for continued international solidarity to support a feminist and just transition.

The document details a 12-year period of state-sponsored violence and corporate exploitation in Honduras after the 2009 coup. It focuses on the criminalization of environmental defenders, the disproportionate impact of femicide and patriarchal violence, and the role of transnational corporations in seizing indigenous lands for tourism and energy projects. It concludes by supporting the transition to the government of Xiomara Castro and advocating for continued international solidarity.

The text examines the crisis in UK higher education, highlighting industrial disputes led by the University and College Union (UCU) over pay, pensions, and precarious working conditions. It critiques the 'academic capitalism' model, where students are treated as customers and universities as businesses, noting that this system undermines the critical thinking needed to address climate change. The author advocates for the abolition of student fees, the democratisation of university governance, and a shift in mission toward leading radical transformations for a just and sustainable future.

The briefing analyzes the impact of the Financial Compensation for the Exploration of Mineral Resources (CFEM) in Pará, Brazil. It finds that mining royalties do not foster economic growth or improve local welfare, as funds are frequently diverted to wages and pensions despite regulations. The authors recommend stricter spending limits and the creation of financial instruments to manage revenue volatility.

The construction sector is identified as the world's most material-intensive sector, accounting for 50% of global resource extraction and contributing to biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and deforestation. To align with Paris Agreement climate mitigation targets amidst growing urbanization, the document advocates for a value-chain approach to policy interventions. It identifies five interconnected areas for potential step-change: transparent and systematic data, material efficiency and innovation, green public procurement, and urban planning.

The report demonstrates that nature-related risks are material for African financial institutions, particularly in the agriculture and extractives sectors. Using the TNFD's LEAP approach, it finds that ambitious nature-positive transitions could lead to equity value changes between +2% and -5% and loan book changes between +0.3% and -0.6% by 2030. While aggregate portfolio impacts appear small due to limited sector exposure, specific risks in agriculture and extractives could double expected credit losses for some portfolios. The report highlights critical physical risks, such as water stress affecting 25% of African countries and habitat loss threatening ecotourism in Eastern and Southern Africa. It concludes that African financial institutions face significant capacity and data gaps in implementing nature-related disclosures and recommends an integrated approach that combines climate and nature risk management.

The global construction and buildings value chain is a primary driver of resource extraction and greenhouse gas emissions, with significant impacts often outsourced from high-income to lower-income regions. The document argues that sustainability depends on decisions made at early stages—planning and finance—rather than later construction phases. Key challenges include the high cost of low-carbon materials and the difficulty of decarbonizing steel and cement. To address this, the brief recommends a combination of transparent data, material innovation, green public procurement, sustainable urban planning, and expanded retrofitting.

The report examines how illicit financial flows (IFFs) deprive East and Southern African governments of resources needed for social protection. Focusing on Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, it compares the scale of financial losses from tax evasion, corruption, and trade misinvoicing against the funding gaps in social assistance programmes. The study concludes that recovering these lost funds could significantly increase the coverage and adequacy of social protection floors for vulnerable groups.

The briefing analyzes 1,047 energy policies adopted between January 2020 and November 2021, finding that most governments prioritize short-term poverty reduction over long-term inequality reduction. While 60% of policies could reduce poverty, only 11% are likely to decrease inequality. The authors identify 'win-win' policies (e.g., energy efficiency in social housing) and 'lose-lose' policies (e.g., fossil fuel extraction support), arguing that the social outcomes of energy transitions depend heavily on policy design, contextual factors, and complementary social protections.

The document identifies infrastructure and extractive industries as 'drivers of drivers' that open forest access and facilitate further deforestation. While these sectors directly cause less loss than agriculture (10% and 7% respectively), they enable vast indirect degradation. The brief highlights systemic failures, including power imbalances excluding Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs), lack of transparency, and finance flowing to destructive activities. Despite some progress through G7 commitments, World Bank initiatives, and increased legal actions by IPLCs, the document argues that a fundamental realignment of economic pathways and incentives is required to protect intact forests.

The CESCR referenced climate change in 81% of its state reporting outputs in 2020 and 2021, focusing on mitigation policies, extractive activities, climate finance, and adaptation measures. The Committee specifically urged developed states to increase the ambition of their emissions targets and questioned the compatibility of continued fossil fuel use with human rights obligations. Additionally, the CESCR addressed the 'right to science' in General Comment No. 25 and developed a draft General Comment on Land, emphasizing the nexus between land rights and the climate emergency.

The document argues that the extractivist model, driven by capitalism and patriarchy, disproportionately impacts women by devaluing their care work and restricting their land tenure rights. It positions Community Forest Management (CFM) as a political tool for gender justice, emphasizing that women's specialized knowledge of biodiversity and their role in social reproduction are essential for territorial defense and food sovereignty. The framework calls for the recognition of women's land rights and active political participation to dismantle patriarchal structures and prevent the privatization of the commons.

The report argues that gender justice is inseparable from community forest management (CFM), as patriarchal and capitalist systems jointly oppress women and degrade the environment. It highlights how extractivism—including agribusiness and mining—displaces women, erodes their ancestral knowledge, and increases violence against them. The document emphasizes that women are central to CFM through their roles in care work, seed preservation, and biodiversity conservation, yet they face systemic barriers to land ownership and decision-making. It calls for the recognition of women's land rights and the valuation of their unpaid care work as fundamental steps toward social and environmental justice.