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The document details the activities of Vietnamese rubber companies HAGL and VRG in Cambodia and Laos, alleging systemic land grabbing, illegal deforestation, and human rights abuses. It highlights the role of international financiers, including Deutsche Bank and the IFC, in supporting these operations and calls for urgent government and financial interventions to stop illegal concessions and hold the companies accountable.

The report details a land grabbing crisis in Cambodia and Laos driven by Vietnamese companies Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) and the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG). These companies are accused of bypassing legal land limits through shell companies, clearing intact forests, and displacing indigenous communities without adequate compensation. The document highlights the role of international financiers, specifically Deutsche Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), in bankrolling these operations despite their public commitments to sustainability. It concludes that the lack of binding international frameworks allows such companies to operate with impunity, facilitated by corrupt political elites in the host countries.

The report argues that secrecy in large-scale land deals drives bad governance and human rights abuses. It proposes a precautionary principle of "if in doubt, disclose" and identifies four critical entry points for transparency: participatory land use planning, free prior and informed consent (FPIC), public disclosure of all contracts, and independent multi-stakeholder oversight.

Global Witness reports that despite a May 1, 1995, timber export ban by the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), illegal timber continues to enter Thailand via land and sea. The investigation finds that Thai military officers and companies maintain direct trade links with the Khmer Rouge, with some companies signing multi-year concessions. Global Witness estimates the Khmer Rouge earn between US$10 million and US$20 million per month from the timber trade. The report highlights that the Thai government is undermining the 1991 Paris Peace Accords and the RGC's efforts to curb deforestation, which has already contributed to rice harvest failures and malnutrition in Cambodia.

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.

The report evaluates the UK's open register of beneficial owners, finding that while 87% of companies comply, significant loopholes allow thousands to hide real ownership through 'no PSC' statements, ineligible foreign corporate entities, and circular ownership structures. It argues that Companies House lacks the resources and mandate to verify data or sanction non-compliance, and recommends the adoption of unique identifiers and automated red-flagging systems to detect financial crime.

Global Witness reports a surge in unregulated heavy rare earth element (HREE) mining in Myanmar's Kachin State, driven by demand from China for the global green energy transition. The report details severe environmental degradation, including acid-contaminated waterways and soil infertility, alongside critical health issues for workers and social instability in local communities. It highlights that HREE exports to China rose from 19,500 tonnes in 2021 to 41,700 tonnes in 2023, fueling conflict by providing revenue to both the military-aligned militias and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). The document further traces these minerals through Chinese refineries and magnet manufacturers to major global brands like Tesla and Volkswagen, noting a lack of transparency and effective ESG oversight in the supply chain.

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 and a coalition of environmental and energy groups are calling on the UK House of Lords to support amendment 56 to the Energy Bill. The groups argue that the bill could force up to 2,000 homes in proposed 'Hydrogen Village' trials to switch to hydrogen heating, which they describe as dangerous and expensive. They specifically highlight concerns regarding expanded access powers for gas companies to enter homes and the lack of guaranteed opt-out rights for residents in potential trial areas such as Redcar, Teeside, Whitby, or Ellesmere Port.

Global Witness reports that Western companies traded 533 million barrels of Russian oil and oil products in the year following the invasion of Ukraine, representing nearly 25% of Russia's total sea-borne exports. While trade shifted toward India, China, and Turkey, Western entities—particularly traders like Vitol and Gunvor, and Greek-owned tankers—remained significant enablers. Western-owned tankers carried over 897 million barrels, with 83% of that volume handled by Greek-owned vessels.

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 has withdrawn from the Kimberley Process (KP), stating that the international certification scheme has become an 'outdated' and 'cynical corporate accreditation scheme'. While the KP initially helped break links between diamonds and conflict, the organization argues it now lacks integrity due to a failure to hold governments accountable and a lack of independent verification in the diamond industry's 'system of warranties'. Specific failures cited include the KP's inability to address conflict diamonds from Côte d'Ivoire, rule breaches by Venezuela, and state-sponsored violence in Zimbabwe's Marange region. Global Witness advocates for a transition from voluntary schemes to legally mandated international standards for minerals supply chain controls, including third-party audits and public disclosure.

The New Manila International Airport, a US$15 billion project by San Miguel Corporation, has led to the displacement of approximately 700 families and the destruction of climate-critical mangrove forests in Manila Bay. The report highlights a lack of transparency in public consultations, alleging that the project encroaches on a 'strict protection zone' and disrupts the East Asian-Australasian Flyway for migratory birds. It further criticizes the involvement of Dutch company Royal Boskalis and the insurance provided by Atradius DSB, arguing that these entities failed to adhere to OECD guidelines and international sustainability standards. The document calls for stronger EU corporate accountability laws and independent investigations into the project's violations.

Global Witness criticizes the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) in Vietnam, stating that the $15.5 billion deal lacks sufficient protections for human rights and civil society. The organization highlights the imprisonment of environmental defenders and argues that a truly 'just' transition is impossible without the free participation of civil society and the release of unjustly arrested climate leaders.

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.

The document calls for the European Commission to move beyond voluntary guidelines and implement robust, enforceable legislation to hold companies and financiers accountable for environmental destruction and human rights abuses, particularly in the context of large-scale projects causing deforestation and land grabbing.

The document highlights how EU-based financial institutions, including banks and pension funds, invest in projects that cause land grabs and environmental damage, often in violation of their own policies. It argues that voluntary measures are insufficient and that the EU is falling behind countries like Brazil and China in implementing social and environmental risk management. The text asserts that a lack of robust regulation increases financial risks for investors, noting that community opposition can increase operating costs by 29 times. It calls for mandatory due diligence, a broader sustainability taxonomy beyond climate risks, and harmonised public reporting requirements.

The 'Toxic Friends' campaign by Global Witness aimed to expose the relationships between politicians and corporate polluters, urging leaders to reject 'false solutions' and 'greenwashing' in favor of voices from the climate crisis frontline. The campaign utilized a simplified narrative and social media tactics to engage over 160 influential individuals and 100 organizations across 15 countries. Key strategic goals included delegitimizing corporate presence in policy spaces and highlighting the violence faced by environmental defenders.

A Global Witness investigation found that Google's AdTech business finances and earns revenue from The Epoch Times' climate denial content, potentially breaching Google's own publisher policies. The report estimates that these activities generated approximately $1.41 million in combined annual revenue for Google and The Epoch Times across English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese websites.

Global Witness asserts that 'supermajor' oil companies are conducting a 'brazen wealth transfer' by paying billions to shareholders while increasing oil and gas production. The statement highlights that companies like Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, and Chevron are ignoring scientific consensus and rowing back on climate pledges despite record profits and the increasing frequency of climate disasters.