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240 documents from Global Witness
Hot under the collar
The EastMed gas pipeline, a proposed €7 billion project to transport Israeli gas to Europe via Cyprus and Greece, is criticized for its reliance on Energean, a company whose co-founders allegedly profited from a banking scheme that contributed to Cyprus's 2013 financial crisis. The project is further condemned for risking military tensions between Greece and Turkey and for its high carbon footprint, which would undermine the EU's goal to reduce gas consumption by 90 percent by 2050. Global Witness calls for the EU to remove all gas projects from its Project of Common Interest (PCI) list and amend the TEN-E Regulation to end support for fossil gas infrastructure.
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Document type: Executive summary
Our verdict on COP27: a polluters’ parade
Global Witness characterizes COP27 as a failure, primarily because world leaders did not agree to phase out fossil fuels despite the presence of 636 fossil fuel lobbyists. While the organization acknowledges the historic adoption of a loss and damage fund and the inclusion of the right to a healthy environment in the cover decision, it criticizes the lack of tangible progress on deforestation and the failure to specifically acknowledge the contributions of land and environmental defenders.
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Document type: Statement
The war in Ukraine, the climate crisis and the energy crisis have common roots
The statement by Svitlana Romanko asserts that fossil fuel revenues directly fund the Russian invasion of Ukraine and that global dependence on these fuels empowers authoritarian regimes and exacerbates the climate crisis. It calls for an immediate embargo on Russian fossil fuels, divestment from related infrastructure, and the adoption of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to transition to clean energy.
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Document type: Statement
Bank memberi pinjaman berlatar “Keberlanjutan” bernilai miliaran kepada firma-firma sawit yang terkait kasus “deforestasi”
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.
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Document type: Report
Fossil fuel lobbyist tactics: a spotter's guide
The guide identifies evolving strategies used by fossil fuel lobbyists to disguise their influence, specifically highlighting the use of carbon capture and storage, blue hydrogen, and biomass as deceptive tools to prolong fossil fuel extraction and infrastructure use.
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Document type: Guide
Ecodesign risks and opportunities for a phase out of gas boilers in the EU
Global Witness calls for the EU to use the Ecodesign Directive to phase out the sale of new gas boilers by 2029, arguing that raising energy-efficiency thresholds will promote heat pumps and energy independence while preventing long-term fossil fuel lock-in.
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Document type: Statement
Pyrrhic Victory: Why Europe and Turkey should not fight over fossil gas we cannot use
Global Witness asserts that tensions between NATO allies in the eastern Mediterranean over fossil gas are futile, as the EU's projected 90 percent reduction in gas demand by 2050 renders these reserves unnecessary. The report highlights that extracting discovered gas in disputed waters would produce carbon emissions comparable to the annual output of France and Spain combined. It specifically calls for the cancellation of the €6 billion EastMed pipeline, which is currently a "Project of Common Interest," arguing that its operation would cause immense environmental damage and further escalate regional conflict.
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Document type: Statement
Making good on promises: how Mexico can transform the lives of environmental defenders by implementing the Escazú Agreement
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.
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Document type: Statement
Europeans want a law to hold companies accountable on climate
A Global Witness statement calling for the EU to pass the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, supported by polling showing 74% of citizens in ten EU countries want a law requiring companies to reduce emissions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
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Document type: Statement
The US is set to drown the world in oil
Global Witness warns that new US oil and gas production is forecast to dwarf that of other nations, potentially producing more than twice the current output of Saudi Arabia by the end of the next decade. The analysis suggests that to avoid the worst climate impacts, global production must drop by 40% over ten years, yet US output is set to rise by 25%. The document calls for the next US president to end fossil fuel subsidies—estimated between $4.6 billion and $649 billion annually—and to stop new extraction on federal lands to facilitate a just transition for workers and communities.
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Document type: Statement
Not just a climate change statistic: Derek Cabe on the frontline of the climate crisis in the Philippines
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.
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Document type: Statement
Shell’s looming billion-dollar blood money payday
Global Witness highlights that despite Shell's public claims of exiting Russia and writing down its assets, the company may receive over $1 billion from a bid by Novatek for its stake in the Sakhalin-II project. The author contends that 'writing down' assets is a meaningless accounting measure that does not end legal ownership. The document calls for Shell to donate these funds to Ukraine, noting that such a payout would cover more than 10% of the direct damage caused by Russia to Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
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Document type: Statement
Despite Putin’s atrocities in Ukraine, insurers enable the export of 40 million barrels of Russian oil
Global Witness reports that between February 24 and March 21, 2022, over 360 ships carrying approximately 39.3 million barrels of crude oil, 7.52 million barrels of fuel oil, 473,000 tonnes of LNG, and 2.82 million tonnes of coal from Russian ports were insured by members of the International Group of P&I Clubs (IGP&I). The document asserts that this insurance, required by EU law and international conventions, facilitates the trade of 'conflict fuel' that funds Russia's war in Ukraine. While the IGP&I acknowledges that collective withdrawal of cover could have an 'immediate effect' on volumes, it claims this would only cause a 'limited short-term hiatus' as owners might seek alternative insurance. Only one club, Gard, responded to inquiries about excluding such shipowners, arguing that withdrawing protection could expose 'innocent third parties to risks'.
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Document type: Statement
De las palabras a la acción: un punto de inflexión para los/las personas defensoras en América Latina
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.
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Document type: Statement
We shouldn't be fooled by BP's climate claims
Global Witness asserts that BP's claim of alignment with Paris climate goals is false, as more than half of its planned $140 billion investment in oil and gas over the next decade involves new extraction. The organization contends that BP's models rely on an improbable 14,000% increase in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) capacity over 20 years to justify continued fossil fuel production, whereas IPCC findings suggest a need for a 40% drop in oil and gas production over the next decade.
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Document type: Statement
According to US President Donald Trump, the fewer trees, the less possibility of a forest fire
The document argues that President Donald Trump's 2018 executive order to increase logging by 31 percent to prevent forest fires is misleading and dangerous. It asserts that large-scale industrial timber harvesting is associated with worse fires in some regions and that the primary drivers of worsening fires are climate change, excessive drought, high winds, and heat. The text claims the policy serves to expand the logging industry rather than address the environmental causes of wildfires.
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Document type: Statement
Close the refining loophole
Ukrainian, British, and European NGOs are calling on the US Congress to close a 'refining loophole' that allows Russian oil to enter the US market after being refined in third countries, primarily India. The NGOs argue that the US should ban refined products from any refinery that has imported Russian crude oil within the previous six months to reduce Russian export revenues and limit Russia's ability to fund its war in Ukraine.
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Document type: Statement
Alarm bells of authoritarianism sounding in the UK
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.
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Document type: Statement
The deal for Deziwa
Global Witness reports that an $800 million agreement between the DRC's state-owned miner, Gécamines, and the China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group (CNMC) for the Deziwa mine violates national mining laws due to the non-publication of key contract details. Analysis suggests the deal may be unfair to the DRC, specifically noting that a signature bonus to Gécamines might only be worth 50 percent of the promised headline figure. The report also highlights concerns regarding a fixer, Siu Kam Ng, who admitted to making suspect payments to DRC officials and currently holds a stake in CNMC's DRC businesses. Global Witness calls for the full publication of all contracts and financial models, and for CNMC to align its investments with social responsibility guidelines.
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Document type: Report
We are going to kill you: a case study in corporate power left unchecked
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.
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Document type: Case study