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The GCF Environmental and Social Policy defines a comprehensive framework for managing environmental and social risks across all GCF-financed activities. It mandates that accredited entities maintain an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and adhere to a mitigation hierarchy to avoid, minimize, or compensate for adverse impacts. The policy introduces a risk-based categorization system (Categories A, B, and C for activities; I1, I2, and I3 for intermediaries) to determine the depth of required assessments and stakeholder engagement. Key protections are specified for indigenous peoples, including the requirement for free, prior and informed consent in applicable circumstances, as well as safeguards for human rights, gender equality, and biodiversity. The framework also establishes a three-tier grievance redress system operating at the GCF, accredited entity, and activity levels.

The GCF's Environmental and Social Policy defines the requirements for accredited entities to identify, assess, and mitigate environmental and social risks. It mandates a risk-based approach using Environmental and Social Safeguards (SAS), a mitigation hierarchy, and rigorous due diligence. The policy emphasizes the protection of vulnerable groups, indigenous peoples, and biodiversity, while requiring transparent information disclosure and the establishment of grievance redress mechanisms at the activity, entity, and fund levels.

The GCF's Revised Policy on the Prevention and Protection from SEAH mandates a zero-tolerance environment for sexual misconduct. It applies to 'Covered Individuals'—including Board members, officials, and personnel—who must undergo SEAH checks during recruitment and report suspected misconduct to the Independent Integrity Unit (IIU) or Ethics and Audit Committee (EAC). The policy provides survivor-centered protections, whistleblower remedies, and mandates mandatory training and triennial reporting to the Board.

The GCF Environmental and Social Policy defines the requirements for Accredited Entities to manage environmental and social risks through a systematic Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS). It outlines a risk-based approach to project classification (Categories A, B, and C), mandates due diligence and impact assessments, and establishes guidelines for stakeholder engagement, information disclosure, and grievance redress mechanisms. The policy emphasizes the protection of indigenous peoples, human rights, and biodiversity, while ensuring gender equality and non-discrimination in all climate-funded activities.

The GCF Indigenous Peoples Policy provides a framework for the protection of indigenous rights in climate finance activities. It mandates 'meaningful consultation' and, in specific high-impact cases, 'Free, Prior and Informed Consent' (FPIC). The policy applies to all GCF-funded activities, regardless of whether a national government legally recognizes the indigenous status of the affected groups. It outlines roles for Accredited Entities to manage risks and requires the establishment of culturally appropriate grievance mechanisms. The GCF also commits to capacity building for indigenous peoples and the creation of an Indigenous Peoples Advisory Group to oversee implementation.

The case study examines the Trans-Harmony Farms project by the Initiative of Trans with A Mission (ITWAM) in the Mbale and Manafwa districts of Uganda. It details how the initiative supports 29 LGBTQIA+ farmers by providing training in permaculture and agroforestry, creating a cooperative to bypass systemic exclusion from government resources, and developing a digital app to ensure safe market access. The document analyzes these efforts through five dimensions of transformative potential: alignment with local contexts, resource enablement, relationship building, challenging power structures, and supporting systems learning. It highlights the critical role of the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) in exacerbating the marginalization of these farmers and the strategic use of trusted personal relationships with local government officials to navigate a hostile legal environment.

The EU is establishing Strategic Partnerships with 14 countries to secure critical minerals for its 2050 climate neutrality goal. Global Witness argues that these deals prioritize resource access over social and environmental governance, citing specific risks in Serbia, Rwanda, Australia, Argentina, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The author calls for the EU to implement stringent safeguards and transparent 'Roadmaps' to ensure the energy transition does not perpetuate human rights abuses or environmental destruction.

Between 2021 and 2023, mining for copper, cobalt, lithium, and nickel was linked to 334 incidents of violence or protest across 19 top-producing countries, averaging 111 per year. Nearly 90% of these events occurred in emerging and developing economies, while the majority of production is controlled by companies from advanced economies and major consumer countries, primarily China. The report warns that social unrest is likely to increase as production is forecast to spike by 2028 to meet climate goals, potentially destabilizing supply chains and increasing costs for renewable technologies.

Global Witness calls for the Colombian government to ratify the Escazú Agreement, noting that 322 land and environmental defenders were killed in Colombia over the last 10 years. The statement highlights the Agreement's role in requiring governments to prevent and investigate attacks on defenders and notes that while Colombia signed the treaty in December 2019, ratification remains pending. It identifies the government of Gustavo Petro and the work of civil society organisations like Somos Defensores as key drivers for potential progress in protecting human rights defenders.

Global Witness reports that 196 land and environmental defenders were murdered in 2023, bringing the total since 2012 to 2,106. The report highlights Latin America as the most dangerous region, with Colombia recording the highest number of deaths. It identifies mining as the primary sector linked to these killings and details a global trend of 'judicial harassment' and restrictive anti-protest laws in the UK, US, and EU. The document emphasizes the disproportionate targeting of Indigenous peoples and calls for the implementation of the Escazú Agreement and better corporate due diligence.

An investigation into the Democratic Republic of Congo's nascent lithium industry reveals significant risks related to governance, transparency, and environmental impact. The report highlights that mining concessions near Manono are controlled by a small group of individuals with close ties to government officials and former President Kabila. It warns that without urgent due diligence and adherence to international standards, the green energy transition could repeat the mistakes of fossil fuel extraction by undermining local communities and the environment.

A coalition of NGOs and trade unions acknowledges improvements in the Responsible Jewellery Council's (RJC) 2019 Code of Practices, specifically the adoption of OECD Due Diligence Guidance and the Minamata Convention. However, the letter argues that significant gaps remain regarding indigenous rights, human rights instruments, and environmental standards. The authors express concern over a phase-in period that could delay full compliance until 2024 and call for greater transparency in the auditing and certification process.

The document highlights the imprisonment of environmental defenders Nguy Thi Khanh and Dang Dinh Bach in Vietnam on tax evasion charges, which Global Witness describes as an attempt to silence those calling for transparency in the energy transition. It argues that suppressing civil society threatens climate progress and urges G7 countries and the UN Human Rights Council to pressure Vietnam to release these defenders, particularly as the country considers a 'Just Energy Transition Partnership' (JET-P) involving billions of dollars in funding.

The report documents a pattern of forced evictions, illegal chemical fumigations, and the criminalization of land defenders in eastern Paraguay, driven by the expansion of industrial soy production. It identifies US traders ADM, Cargill, and Bunge as primary conduits, linking these abuses to European meat processors 2 Sisters and Danish Crown. The document argues that voluntary sustainability initiatives and 'mass balance' certification schemes are insufficient to prevent the import of 'tainted' soy into the EU and UK, and calls for mandatory human rights due diligence legislation.

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 warns that the rehabilitation of the Lobito Corridor railway in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) threatens low-income residents of Kolwezi with forced evictions. The report highlights a critical gap in legal protections, as the project is governed by the 1977 Law of Expropriation for Public Utility—which only requires compensation—rather than the more stringent 2002 Mining Code. Legal ambiguities regarding land titles, particularly those involving the national rail company (SNCC), and disputes over the width of the railway's buffer zone further expose residents to displacement. The report argues that the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) could provide a mechanism for accountability for companies like Trafigura and Mota-Engil, provided the law is not weakened by proposed amendments. It concludes with recommendations for the EU, the DRC government, and investors to implement meaningful consultations, independent monitoring, and higher resettlement standards.

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.

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 JBS, the world's largest beef company, continues to source cattle from ranches involved in illegal Amazon deforestation, land-grabbing, and slave labour, despite legal agreements and voluntary pledges. The investigation highlights a 'chain of deforestation complicity' involving Italian leather manufacturer Gruppo Mastrotto, UK supermarkets, and major global banks and credit rating agencies that provide the financial fuel for these operations. The report argues that voluntary due diligence has failed and calls for mandatory legislation in the UK, EU, and US to regulate both commodity imports and the financial sector.

Global Witness reports that between 2018 and 2025, banks provided $31 billion in sustainability-linked loans to palm oil companies facing deforestation allegations. The report highlights a systemic failure in the SLL model, where companies like Wilmar, Musim Mas, and Olam Group access 'green' funding while allegedly continuing deforestation through direct concessions or third-party 'shadow networks.' It criticizes the reliance on voluntary standards and the lack of public disclosure regarding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), arguing that these loans often serve as greenwashing tools rather than drivers of environmental improvement.