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The document highlights a critical gap between Mexico's ratification of the Escazú Agreement and the reality of escalating violence against environmental defenders and journalists. It notes that Mexico had the highest number of defender killings globally in 2021 and criticizes the government for undermining civic space, failing to provide specialized environmental courts, and bypassing consultation standards for megaprojects like the Mayan Train. The author calls for a comprehensive state strategy to ensure a safe environment for defenders and the adherence to international standards for environmental justice.

Derek Cabe describes the devastating impact of super-typhoons in the Philippines and advocates for legal accountability for major fossil fuel corporations. He highlights the findings of the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights, which linked carbon pollution to human rights violations, and calls for the protection of land and environmental defenders who face violence and 'red-tagging' while opposing coal-fired power plants.

Global Witness calls for the acceleration of the Escazú Agreement's implementation to combat the high rate of killings of environmental and land defenders in Latin America. The region accounts for two-thirds of global murders of such defenders. The document highlights specific failures and progress in countries like Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil, urging governments to ensure justice and companies to perform due diligence in extractive projects to prevent further violence.

Global Witness criticizes the UK's 'Policing Bill' as an attack on democracy that uses the threat of imprisonment to deter nonviolent climate protests. The organization contends that this legislation contradicts the UK's leadership at COP26 and mirrors a global trend of criminalizing land and environmental defenders seen in countries like Brazil, India, Mexico, and the Philippines.

The Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia, owned by BHP, Anglo-American, and Glencore, is accused of severe human rights and environmental violations, including forced evictions, water contamination, and health crises. Global Witness argues that the mine's owners and their European links demonstrate a systemic lack of corporate accountability, advocating for new EU legislation to make companies liable for harms caused in their global supply chains.

Global Witness calls for an ambitious Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) to hold EU companies accountable for environmental and human rights harms. The brief highlights a $15 billion airport project in the Philippines involving Dutch companies that resulted in mangrove destruction and family displacements. It recommends that the EU include comprehensive definitions of environmental harm, mandatory scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions due diligence, and the incorporation of international standards like the Paris Agreement and the Ramsar Convention.

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 document highlights the risks associated with the rapid extraction of transition minerals, specifically noting violence and human rights abuses in the Philippines. It urges the EU to implement strict sustainability standards in trade agreements and funding to ensure a just transition for mining communities.

The LEAD coalition, supported by Global Witness and over 100 organisations, has proposed a set of rights-based recommendations for the COP30 Host Country Agreement (HCA). These proposals aim to safeguard civic space, ensure unrestricted observer access, and protect frontline climate defenders from retaliation and surveillance during the event in Belém, Brazil.

Global Witness reports that while the US and UK have banned Russian-origin nickel, the EU has not, creating a loophole where Russian nickel is refined in Finland and then legally exported to the US. The report highlights the environmental degradation and human rights abuses linked to Norilsk Nickel's operations in the Arctic, the company's ties to the Russian military-industrial complex, and the challenges of conducting corporate due diligence in a repressive political environment. It recommends that the EU implement targeted sanctions on Russian nickel, maintain strict thresholds for the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and prioritize circular economy strategies to reduce dependency on Russian minerals.

Global Witness argues that UNEA-6 missed a critical opportunity to regulate the mining industry for the energy transition. While a digital knowledge hub for environmental protection was established, the final resolution removed mandates for assessing regulations, tackling human rights violations, and addressing colonial extraction patterns due to resistance from several Member States. The document also highlights a lack of action on resource overconsumption by wealthy nations and calls for the UN and upcoming COP meetings in Azerbaijan and Brazil to prioritize a just energy transition and Indigenous rights.

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.

Global Witness reports a continuing pattern of violence, surveillance, and harassment against land and environmental defenders in Honduras, despite the 2022 transition to the presidency of Xiomara Castro. The document highlights the specific targeting of ACI Participa and its director Hedme Castro, noting that while some political signs of progress exist, systemic issues like corruption and a failing protection mechanism persist.

The document highlights that 322 land and environmental defenders have been killed in Colombia over the last ten years, alongside numerous non-lethal attacks such as threats and criminalization. It argues that the ratification of the Escazú Agreement—the first regional treaty for Latin America and the Caribbean on human rights and the environment—is essential to mandate the prevention and investigation of attacks against defenders. While noting that countries like Mexico, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina have already ratified the agreement, it points to the government of Gustavo Petro and initiatives like the 'Somos Defensores' program and its emergency plan as reasons for optimism in establishing a safe environment for environmental participation.

Financial institutions representing £2.7 trillion in assets are calling for the UK to introduce mandatory due diligence for the financial sector to prevent the financing of deforestation, aligning with the Environment Act 2021 and global biodiversity targets.

Global Witness critiques COP29 as a 'playground for fossil fuel lobbyists,' noting that the summit failed to mention a transition away from oil and gas and provided insufficient climate finance for developing nations. The organization highlights systemic flaws, including the hosting of summits in petrostates and the repression of civil society in Azerbaijan, while calling for structural reforms to prioritize vulnerable communities over polluting industries.

Global Witness estimates that financial institutions in the EU, UK, US, and China generated $1.74 billion in weighted revenues from $157 billion in deals with 20 major agro-industrial companies linked to deforestation between 2016 and 2020. The report highlights a systemic failure of voluntary commitments, noting that major banks like JPMorgan, HSBC, and BNP Paribas continue to fund companies involved in illegal land conversion and human rights abuses in the Amazon, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It argues that these profits should be viewed as a 'forest debt' owed to affected communities and calls for mandatory government regulation to replace ineffective voluntary policies.

The document highlights the critical situation of environmental defenders in Mexico, noting that the country led the world in environmental murders in 2021. Despite ratifying the Escazú Agreement, Mexico faces significant gaps in political will, judicial capacity, and transparency, particularly regarding megaproyects like the Tren Maya. The author calls for the effective implementation of the agreement to protect activists and ensure access to environmental information and justice.

The document argues that the EU's proposed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive is a critical opportunity to hold companies accountable for harms in their value chains. Global Witness proposes five key enhancements: establishing a clear duty to prevent human rights and climate harms, mandating safe stakeholder engagement, removing barriers to justice for victims, preventing reliance on third-party verification to rebut liability, and applying the same due diligence requirements to financial institutions.

The 'Guidelines for Social Responsibility in Chinese Outbound Mining Investment', developed by the China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals and Chemicals Importers and Exporters (CCCMC), establish a framework for Chinese mining companies operating abroad. The guidelines are structured around eight core subjects: organizational governance, fair operating practices, value chain management, human rights, labor issues, occupational health and safety, environment, and community involvement. They emphasize compliance with host country laws, ethical business conduct, the protection of human rights and indigenous peoples' rights (including Free, Prior and Informed Consent), and the mitigation of environmental impacts. The document also outlines requirements for supply chain due diligence to avoid 'conflict minerals' and mandates the implementation of environmental and social impact assessments.