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The document details how the 'nickel fever' for electric vehicle batteries is threatening the biodiversity and indigenous communities of Raja Ampat, Papua. It highlights the ecological destruction of coral reefs and mangroves caused by sediment runoff from open-pit mining, the violation of indigenous land rights, and the contradiction of a 'green transition' powered by coal-fired smelters. The report identifies specific companies operating in the region and calls for the Indonesian government and international stakeholders to halt mining in small islands and enforce strict human rights and environmental due diligence.

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 guide outlines three primary strategies for engaging Chinese companies in the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI): demonstrating the financial and risk-reduction benefits of compliance, localizing communications and materials into the Chinese language, and utilizing political dialogue with the Chinese government to secure official recognition. It emphasizes that Chinese firms, including state-owned enterprises, are increasingly responsive to global market dynamics and international regulatory pressures, such as disclosure rules from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the European Commission. The author suggests that EITI could mirror the successful entry strategy of the UN Global Compact in China by leveraging bilateral relationships and existing corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.

The author describes the rapid deforestation of Cambodia, driven by a corrupt government and politically connected timber barons, which led to the displacement and abuse of hundreds of thousands of people. Despite a 2016 ICC policy stating that the court would prioritise crimes resulting in the destruction of the environment or illegal dispossession of land, a 2014 complaint regarding Cambodia remains inactive. The document calls on the ICC to open an investigation to signal that environmental destruction and land grabbing can be prosecuted as crimes against humanity.

A Global Witness investigation alleges that Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has engaged in a decades-long covert influence campaign in Zambia, including the alleged funding of President Hakainde Hichilema's party (UPND). The report claims this relationship resulted in significant tax breaks for FQM and other mining firms, totaling an estimated $771 million in savings for FQM between 2022 and 2025. The investigation further details the role of the Brenthurst Foundation and SABI Strategy in shaping economic policy and managing disinformation campaigns to support Hichilema's political rise and retention of power.

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 statement by Global Witness advocates for climate reparations to address historical injustices and the disproportionate impact of climate change on low-income countries. It distinguishes climate reparations, which include liability for past harm, from 'loss and damage' compensation, which focuses on current unavoidable impacts. The text highlights the vulnerability of 3.6 billion people and the debt burden on countries like Mozambique, urging COP27 negotiators to establish a transparent fund financed by heavy polluters and to provide grants and debt forgiveness instead of loans.

Global Witness reports that Maxland (PNG) Limited, controlled by the Joinland Group, is using a purported rubber plantation project on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, as a cover for illegal logging. The investigation finds that the company has failed to plant the promised millions of rubber trees, has bypassed provincial government rejections of its permits, and has operated without legitimate landowner consent. The report links the destruction of this biodiversity hotspot to financial institutions in Malaysia, Singapore, Norway, and the US, and notes that the harvested timber is exported to China and Japan.

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 Maxland (PNG) Limited, a subsidiary of Joinland Group, has engaged in illegal logging on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, under the guise of establishing a rubber plantation. The investigation finds that the company bypassed legal land-surveying processes, ignored provincial rejections of its permits, and failed to plant the promised rubber trees while exporting millions of dollars in hardwood to China and Japan. The report further links this activity to a network of international financial institutions in Malaysia, Singapore, Norway, and the US, and calls for stricter import regulations in China and better governance in Papua New Guinea.

Global Witness reports that BASF's subsidiary, Wintershall Dea, continued extracting and transporting Russian gas in 2022 despite BASF's public commitment to wind down non-food businesses in Russia. The brief estimates that Russian gas transported by Wintershall across Germany in early 2022 was worth over €14 billion and that the subsidiary earned €400 million from Siberian fields between January and March 2022. It highlights BASF CEO Martin Brudermüller's lobbying to maintain these supplies to avoid economic crisis, while noting that Wintershall's partnership with Gazprom has increased Russia's leverage over Germany's energy security.

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Global Witness criticizes a draft US-Ukraine deal proposed by Donald Trump, which would grant the US control over half of Ukraine's revenues from new oil, gas, and mining projects via a US-controlled 'Reconstruction Investment Fund'. The analysis suggests this puts $353 billion of oil and gas revenue at risk and allows the US to restrict Ukraine's mineral exports to other countries. The document argues that such an arrangement prioritizes US 'war debt' recovery over Ukrainian public services and pushes the country toward fossil fuel dependency instead of a sustainable, green reconstruction.

The document outlines three priority areas for the U.S. administration: promoting transparency in the extractive industries through the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and legislative disclosure, strengthening anti-money laundering frameworks to prevent the looting of state funds, and breaking the link between the mineral trade and conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Global Witness presents evidence suggesting that David Bernhardt, the nominee for US Interior Department Secretary, may have misled Congress during his 2017 confirmation as Deputy Secretary by denying involvement in lobbying activities for Access Industries. The organization highlights that Bernhardt was previously listed as a lobbyist for Access in multiple reports filed by his law firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (BHFS), but these records were amended to remove his name just days before his 2017 nomination and shortly after a $1 million payment from Access to the Trump Inaugural Committee became public. Global Witness contends that Bernhardt's specialized expertise in energy and natural resources makes it unlikely he was not involved in supporting the firm's work for Access. The document also calls for the Senate to pass the For the People Act (H.R.1) to improve lobbying disclosure and regulate inauguration payments.

Global Witness and Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment have welcomed the suspension of reclamation projects in Manila Bay by the Department of Natural Resources (DENR), pending reviews of environmental and social impacts. The organizations are urging President Marcos to issue a written order to ensure this suspension covers all developments, including the US $15 billion New Manila International Airport. This airport project, led by San Miguel Corporation, is accused of displacing hundreds of families and destroying climate-critical habitats since its approval in September 2019.

The document criticizes the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists and petrostates on the UN's Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, specifically at INC-5. It highlights how oil-producing nations have blocked agreements to curtail plastic production as the industry seeks new markets for petroleum products. The text details the environmental and health impacts of plastic, including greenhouse gas emissions, flooding in Mumbai and Indonesia, and toxic pollution in Alberta, Canada. It calls for the 2025 INC-5.2 session to establish specific global reduction targets and ensure the inclusion of Indigenous and civil society voices.

The document provides an overview of the UN's COP process, detailing the outcomes of COP29 and the objectives for COP30 in Belém, Brazil. It highlights the tension between urgent climate action—such as the 'Baku to Belem Roadmap' to raise $1.3 trillion in climate finance and the submission of updated National Determined Contributions (NDCs)—and the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists and petrostates. The guide specifically critiques the role of industry lobbyists at recent summits and notes the contradiction of Brazil's presidency given its plans to expand oil and gas production by 20% by 2030.

The Sombwe dam project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo threatens the Upemba National Park, potentially flooding tropical forests and endangering rare species like savannah elephants and zebras. Global Witness reports that the 160 MW project may violate Congolese conservation law and could release 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 by the end of the century. The report highlights failures in the initial environmental impact study and calls on the constructor, PowerChina, and international financial backers—including BlackRock and Standard Chartered—to suspend work and seek an alternative site.

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.