The Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat briefed a range of government and civil society stakeholders on the international momentum being built to tackle environmental crime.

Elodie Perrat, Senior Manager, Nature Crime Alliance, spoke at ‘The State of Play on Crimes Affecting the Environment: Opportunities for a Collective Response’, co-organised by France, IUCN, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Germany, and Brazil, and hosted at the Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN in New York.

Elodie, who serves on the IUCN US Committee, highlighted how the issue of crimes affecting the environment (CAE) is gaining traction across international fora, with discussions taking place at the UN General Assembly, the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), and the IUCN World Conservation Congress.

The challenge now is connecting these discussions and translating momentum into coordinated action.

Political will is building

Despite recent setbacks, such as the withdrawal of a resolution on CAE at UNEA-7, there is clear interest among states to do more on this issue, as the discussion – chaired by Sofie Jaffe, IUCN’s Permanent Observer to the UN – highlighted.

Ambassador Norberto Moretti, Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to the UN, shared information about the new Coalition for Multilateral Action Against CAE launched in Rio ahead of COP30, while Thomas Zahneisen, Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany to the UN, reaffirmed Germany’s leadership on wildlife crime through the Group of Friends on Poaching and Illicit Wildlife Trafficking.

Elodie shared her thoughts on the resolution on crimes affecting the environment adopted at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in October – a landmark moment in getting environmental crime firmly on the conservation agenda. The resolution was the outcome of cooperation between a range of stakeholders, including France, WCS, National Whistleblower Center, ICEL, and the World Resources Institute through Elodie’s work with the Nature Crime Alliance.

Member States to the UNTOC are also considering whether a new protocol on CAE could address persistent legal gaps and strengthen international cooperation. Such a protocol could address some of the current barriers to action against CAE, stated Carlos Alberto Sánchez Del Águila, Minister-Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Peru to the UN in Vienna, and Chair of the UNTOC Open-ended Intergovernmental Expert Group on CAE (IEG).

The lack of a comprehensive global framework, uneven national legislation, and the underuse of financial investigations, asset confiscation, and corporate liability remain key challenges, Xiaohong Li from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) noted.

The essential role of civil society

The crucial role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in complementing state action was also discussed during the session. CSOs support such efforts through their work on coordination, accountability, and evidence-based policymaking.

The role of CSOs in supporting law enforcement investigations on CAE was recently highlighted in new Guidelines published by the Nature Crime Alliance, which aim to bolster information sharing between CSO and enforcement agencies.

Alice Pasqualato, Global Policy Specialist on Environmental Crime at WCS, outlined civil society’s key recommendations for 2026, including leveraging upcoming milestones in 2026, such as the UNTOC IEG’s recommendations and the 15th UN Crime Congress.

Building on successes

The progress made in 2025, including the IUCN resolution, offers a foundation for building stronger collaboration into 2026.

Elodie commented: “We have a clear opportunity to make further progress in 2026 and the Nature Crime Alliance stands ready to work with our members to support this growing multilateral effort. Collective action is not only necessary — it is increasingly within reach.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to exchange perspectives and ideas with key partners during this session as we explore how to deepen cooperation on environmental crime at the international level.”

The meeting took place in New York on Wednesday 17 December.

For more information, contact Elodie Perrat at: elodie.perrat@wri.org

The value of partnerships between civil society organisations and law enforcement in the fight against environmental crime was demonstrated during a side event at the 20th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES COP20) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Co-organised by the Nature Crime Alliance and partners including United for Wildlife (UfW), INTERPOL, the Wildlife Investigators Training Alliance (WITA), and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), the session featured real-world examples showcasing how collaboration between CSOs and law enforcement supports the identification of criminal trends, traces illicit networks, and contributes to stronger prosecutions.

Case studies and expert presentations were shared by Jose Adrian Sanchez Romero, Operations Coordinator, Forestry and Wildlife Crimes, INTERPOL; Mary Rice, Executive Director, EIA; Steph Durno Karns, Executive Director, WITA and Shawn Karns, Director of Investigations and Trainings, WITA; Rob Campbell, Director, UfW and Patricia Raxter, Conservation Consultant, UfW; Sheldon Jordan, former Director General of Wildlife Enforcement at Environment Canada; and Davyth Stewart, Consultant, Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat.

The session also saw the unveiling of a new set of Guidelines that aim to improve the process of information-sharing between CSOs and law enforcement.

Innovative approaches to information sharing, strengthening investigations, addressing challenges, and building trust across sectors were also explored during a lively discussion.

Davyth Stewart, Consultant with the Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat, commented: “There is broad consensus that civil society organisations play a critical role in supporting government and law enforcement efforts to tackle illegal transnational wildlife crime. We need to find ways to strengthen these working relationships, and the new Guidelines aim to contribute to this effort.

“We’re grateful to our partners for sharing their unique ideas and insights with us and for contributing to this important conversation.”

The Nature Crime Alliance, with the support of United for Wildlife and members of the INTERPOL Wildlife Crime Working Group, has published a new set of Guidelines to improve the processes for civil society organisations (CSOs) to share information with law enforcement on environmental crime.

The Guidelines aim to meet an often-cited and critical challenge: ensuring that high-quality information collected by CSOs is shared effectively with the appropriate law enforcement authorities in a way that is useful for investigations and prosecutions.

The Guidelines have been shaped by feedback from both law enforcement and CSO stakeholders, with aspects aimed at both communities.

The Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat conducted interviews with subject matter experts and disseminated surveys to CSOs and law enforcement to identify best practice to help improve the capability of CSOs to successfully support law enforcement investigations on environmental crime.

Davyth Stewart, Consultant with the Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat who helped draft the Guidelines, commented: “We often hear there is a need for closer collaboration between civil society and law enforcement in the fight against environmental crime. The Nature Crime Alliance was established to meet this need, bringing different sectors together to build closer ties and improve operational capacity.

“These Guidelines are a good example of this approach, and will hopefully lead to more fruitful partnerships between CSOs and law enforcement which will in turn drive greater success against the illicit networks involved in environmental crimes.”

This activity builds on the work of United for Wildlife, a powerful coalition tackling wildlife crime which supported the development of the Guidelines.

Rob Campbell, Director of United for Wildlife, commented: “United for Wildlife has continuously supported and facilitated information sharing across sectors, working to build global networks that include CSOs, the private sector and law enforcement. CSOs play a critical role in understanding and detecting aspects of illegal wildlife trade, so it’s critical their insights reach the right enforcement leads to maximise impact and disrupt criminal networks. These new Guidelines make this possible, ensuring actionable information is shared in the most timely and effective manner.”

The Guidelines complement a raft of Resources launched by the Nature Crime Alliance – hosted by World Resources Institute – earlier this year, including a Wildlife Crime Expert Directory to connect law enforcement with subject matter experts, and a Knowledge Database.

Shaped by both law enforcement and CSO perspectives

In a survey disseminated by the Nature Crime Alliance, many law enforcement agencies reported high levels of engagement with civil society organisations and acknowledged the value of CSO contributions.

A total of 95% of respondents indicated that they had previously used information provided by CSOs to support operational activities. Moreover, 86% of respondents rated the quality of this information as either good or excellent, underscoring the significant potential of CSOs to contribute meaningfully to environmental crime investigations when information is credible, well-documented, and aligned with enforcement needs. Best practices were identified and are set out in the Guidelines.

However, the survey also identified a key challenge CSOs face in terms of the feedback they receive from law enforcement after sharing information.

Asked what kind of feedback they would find most valuable after submitting information to law enforcement, CSOs overwhelmingly indicated that they would most appreciate guidance on how to improve the quality, presentation, or relevance of the information they provide. Yet only 25% of CSO respondents reported having ever received such feedback.

The Guidelines therefore highlight the importance for law enforcement agencies in improving their feedback processes for CSOs, alongside providing insights for CSOs on this key challenge.

Comprehensive focus

The Guidelines are structured across nine chapters.

1. Helping law enforcement to understand the role of CSOs in environmental crime investigations: This chapter provides law enforcement with an overview of the different functions that CSOs may perform in the collection of information, while also identifying key ethical and legal considerations that must be observed.

2. Helping CSOs meet quality standards for the information they share: How do law enforcement agencies assess the value of information they receive? By understanding this assessment process, CSOs can ensure that the information they provide meets the necessary quality standards. It includes examples of frameworks used by different organisations that CSOs might wish to adopt.

3. Recommendations for CSOs to improve their contributions: This chapter provides guidance for CSOs to ensure that the information they share is of value to law enforcement. Alongside a list of best practice steps, it includes advice on how information should be formatted. 

4. Recommendations for law enforcement in verifying information received from CSOs: While civil society organisations can provide valuable intelligence, law enforcement should also independently verify the information before acting on it. This chapter shares guidelines to support verification.

5. Strengthening the relationship between CSOs and law enforcement: This chapter explores the importance of building trusted relationships between CSOs and law enforcement, presenting examples that can support this activity.

6. Risks and operational challenges: What are the challenges that can arise when CSOs and law enforcement collaborate? This chapter explores these and provides strategies on how to overcome them and avoid associated risks.

7. Guidance to help CSOs manage corruption risks: CSOs should recognise the risk posed by corruption when engaging with law enforcement. This chapter outlines the different forms such corruption can take, and provides a ten-point set of guidelines to mitigate this risk.

8. The importance of law enforcement providing feedback: This chapter notes that CSOs often do not receive a response from law enforcement after sharing information. Providing feedback can help law enforcement organisations build trust and strengthen relationships with CSOs that could lead to future successes.

9. Things CSOs should consider before making information public: This chapter highlights the reasons that CSOs may choose to publish information without first sharing it with law enforcement, but notes the risks this could pose – including to potential investigations

Multi-sector collaboration

The Guidelines reflect the value of networks like the Nature Crime Alliance and United for Wildlife in bringing different sectors together to strengthen collaboration.

Tsveti Bandakova, Advisor, Nature Crime Alliance, commented: “Developed with input from across the Nature Crime Alliance, these new Guidelines—and our Expert Directory—give law enforcement and civil society a stronger foundation to work together. They are practical tools that will help turn shared commitments into real, coordinated action against nature crime.”

For their time and valuable contributions to the Guidelines, the Nature Crime Alliance Secretariat thanks the members of the INTERPOL Wildlife Crime Working Group, the INTERPOL Environmental Security Unit, UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, ADM Capital Foundation, Conservation South Luangwa, EAGLE Network, the Environmental Investigation Agency, Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, United for Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation Society and Wildlife Investigators Training Alliance.

VIEW THE GUIDELINES

The Nature Crime Alliance – hosted by World Resources Institute –  participated in the UK Government’s Gold Conference in October, which brought together a range of global stakeholders including law enforcement agencies, the gold industry, financial institutions, and academia to deepen understanding and strengthen collective action against the growing challenge of illicit gold.

Lynn Schlingemann, Senior Associate, Financial Crime and Corruption, spoke on panel highlighting the importance of sharing intelligence and aligning compliance efforts through public–private partnerships to help close the gaps that criminals exploit across financial systems and borders.

The conference, convened by HMRC and the FCDO, was held from 21–23 October 2025 also saw members of the Nature Crime Alliance participate, including Julia Yansura from FACT Coalition.

Illegal gold will feature prominently in the next iteration of the Private Sector Dialogues organised by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in partnership with the Nature Crime Alliance, INTERPOL and United for Wildlife which convenes in Peru on 11 December.

The IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) convened in Abu Dhabi this month, bringing together thousands of conservation practitioners, experts and policymakers.

The Nature Crime Alliance participated in the Congress in pursuit of its strategic aim to raise political will to tackle environmental crime, and to raise awareness of this issue among the conservation community.

New resolution on crimes that affect the environment

A highlight of the Congress was the adoption of motion 048/52 on Crimes that Affect the Environment.

The resolution recognises environmental crime as a major threat to biodiversity, climate goals and human rights, and calls for stronger cooperation between governments, law enforcement agencies, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, civil society, and the global conservation community to tackle crimes such as illegal logging, deforestation, mining, fishing and wildlife trafficking and related offences.

The resolution is the result of two merged motions developed ahead of the Congress – one led by the Government of France and the International Council on Environmental Law, and another led by World Resources Institute, through the Nature Crime Alliance, and its members including the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the National Whistleblower Center (NWC). Read more about the resolution here.

Thematic session on implementation

With the resolution adopted, the Alliance convened a thematic session during the Congress which aimed to capture insights from leading experts on how the landmark resolution can be integrated into IUCN members’ conservation strategies and activities.

‘Crimes Against the Environment and Nature Crimes – A Cross-Sectoral Challenge for Conservation and the Future of IUCN’s Mandate’, saw interventions from HE Alberto Alejandro Farje Orna, Peru’s Ambassador to the UAE; Dr Susan Lieberman, Vice President, International Policy, WCS; Andrea Carmen, Executive Director, International Indian Treaty Council and Karen Hulme, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law Specialist Group on Peace, Security and Conflict and a Professor at the University of Essex.

Moderated by Rogier van den Berg, Global Director, Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, WRI, the session brought in the views of participants during breakout discussions which surfaced a range of ideas, including the need for a designated point of contact within IUCN to coordinate, track and drive progress on this issue across the membership, and the establishment for an IUCN task force on crimes that affect the environment.

A directory of IUCN members who are working on the issue was also recommended, as was the need for closer alignment with other international fora and frameworks that address environmental crime. Read more about the session here.

The Nature Crime Alliance gathered environmental crime practitioners to explore the implementation of the resolution into IUCN members’ activities.

Building momentum towards the UN Crime Congress

Such fora includes the UN Crime Congress, set to convene in Abu Dhabi in April 2026, where there is an opportunity to build on the IUCN resolution and keep environmental crime high on the agenda. A session convened by the Government of France in partnership with the Government of Peru, UNODC, the Wildlife Justice Commission, ICEL, WCS, WRI, NWC, the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, highlighted how momentum is building in the fight against environmental crime across several UN frameworks, with the prospect of a ‘fourth protocol’ in the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) the focus of much discussion.

A session on the role of law enforcement in fighting environmental, crime convened by the Interior Ministry of the UAE and featuring insights from the Ministry’s Foreign Affairs Bureau, the Federal Police of Brazil, the Gendarmerie Nationale (France), UNODC, and ESRI, also looked ahead to the UN Crime Congress as an opportunity to build international progress on this issue.

Environmental crime on the agenda

Members of the Alliance were also active at the Congress. IFAW convened a session on wildlife crime in Latin America which featured insights from TRAFFIC and WCS, while Earth League International hosted a podcast recording on environmental crime convergence that also featured IFAW.

Elsewhere, the World Bank’s Global Wildlife Program held a session on the role of behavioral change in driving positive conservation outcomes, including in the context of wildlife crime, and the Cheetah Conservation Fund also held a press call on new approaches to tackling wildlife crime in the Horn of Africa.

The efforts of these stakeholders is reflected in the Abu Dhabi Call to Action, issued at the end of the Congress, which includes reference to Crimes that Affect the Environment. We’re grateful to the efforts of our members, partners and other stakeholders who participated in the Congress to elevate environmental crime on the conservation agenda.

For more information, contact Luke Foddy, Communications Manager: luke.foddy@wri.org

Following the adoption of the Resolution on Crimes that Affect the Environment at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the Nature Crime Alliance (hosted by World Resources Institute (WRI)) and its partners convened a thematic session exploring how action on environmental crime can be incorporated into the work of IUCN members.

‘Crimes Against the Environment and Nature Crimes – A Cross-Sectoral Challenge for Conservation and the Future of IUCN’s Mandate’, saw interventions from HE Alberto Alejandro Farje Orna, Peru’s Ambassador to the UAE; Dr Susan Lieberman, Vice President, International Policy, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS); Andrea Carmen, Executive Director, International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) and Karen Hulme, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (IUCN WCEL) Specialist Group on Peace, Security and Conflict and a Professor at the University of Essex.

Moderated by Rogier van den Berg, Global Director, Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, WRI, the discussion surfaced a range of pertinent issues across crimes that affect the environment.

A pressing global – and local – issue

Ambassador Farje Orna highlighted the importance of the IUCN Resolution on Crimes that Affect the Environment (048/52), noting that Peru was working with other states including Brazil and France to further this issue in other international fora.

Describing Peru as “an active member of the Nature Crime Alliance”, the Ambassador also shared his support of WRI’s call for environmental crime to be prominently highlighted at the UN Crime Congress in April 2026.

In a powerful intervention, Andrea Carmen, IITC, offered perspectives from Indigenous communities for whom this issue is very local. She highlighted the devastating effects of mining in the Sonoran Desert and the contamination that comes with such practices.

Carmen also noted that many acts of “environmental violence” are technically legal, presenting a major challenge for communities. Citing the words of a young member of the Apache community, Carmen said “Mother Nature is not dying. She is being murdered.”

Practical steps towards progress

Asked what IUCN members and other stakeholders can do to address crimes against the environment, Professor Karen Hulme, IUCN WCEL, noted the importance of international legal frameworks such as the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC).

Getting environmental crimes designated as serious organised crime under UNTOC is key, Hulme said, as this can unlock the resources and cross border support available to law enforcement under the Convention.  

The thematic session also sought to capture insights from those in the room through a ‘World Café’ exercise. Participants gathered in groups to discuss two key questions: ‘What concrete ideas or actions would you suggest to strengthen collaboration among IUCN members on crimes that affect the environment?’, and, ‘How can IUCN members sustain momentum beyond the WCC and ensure these issues receive continued attention in other key international forums?’

Ideas surfaced included the need for a designated point of contact within IUCN to coordinate, track and drive progress on this issue across the membership, and the establishment for an IUCN task force on crimes that affect the environment. A directory of IUCN members who are working on the issue was also recommended.

Participants also highlighted the need for closer alignment with other international fora and frameworks that address environmental crime.

Multi-sector approach

Susan Lieberman, WCS, closed the session by emphasising the value of the resolution in raising the profile of environmental crime among IUCN, but added that the work starts now: we need to carry this forward into action. Collaboration between members and sectors will be key.

Held in partnership between the Government of Peru, IUCN WCEL, WRI, WCS, IITC, and the National Whistleblower Center, the session marked a key moment to reflect on the impact of resolution 048/52, and how it can drive positive change in the fight against environmental crime.

To learn more about the thematic session and the resolution, please contact Elodie Perrat, Senior Manager, Nature Crime Alliance, WRI: elodie.perrat@wri.org

A new Resolution on Crimes that Affect the Environment, co-coordinated by World Resources Institute through the Nature Crime Alliance and its partners, has been adopted at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi.

The resolution recognises environmental crime as a major threat to biodiversity, climate goals and human rights, and calls for stronger cooperation between governments, law enforcement agencies, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, civil society, and the global conservation community to tackle crimes such as illegal logging, deforestation, mining, fishing and wildlife trafficking and related offences.

How did the resolution come about?

In 2024, World Resources Institute (WRI) through its Nature Crime Alliance initiative, was invited by IUCN to mobilise its members around nature crime – a key subset of crimes that affect the environment (CAE) encompassing illegal logging, mining, fishing, and wildlife trade. Following workshops convened at the IUCN US Regional Conservation Forum, which recommended the development of a motion to strengthen IUCN’s engagement on this issue, WRI worked closely with Alliance members the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the National Whistleblower Center (NWC) to draft such a motion.

Separately, the Government of France and the International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL) developed a different motion on CAE. Given the complementary aims, proponents of both motions decided to merge them, resulting  in Motion 048/52 on Crimes that Affect the Environment, which incorporates language from all parties and reflects broad member input. The resolution is therefore the product of two motions – one led by France and ICEL, the other by WRI and members of the Nature Crime Alliance including WCS and NWC. 

The resolution also builds on the efforts of all partners to raise the profile of environmental crime across different international fora over recent years, including a session at UNEA6 convened by WRI and the Government of Norway that featured the Government of France and other partners, and an event at the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime COP12 that featured the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime.

Why does this resolution matter?

Environmental crime is one of the world’s most profitable illegal enterprises. It fuels deforestation, drives biodiversity loss, causes immense human suffering, and robs countries and communities of resources and revenue.

The resolution gives IUCN a mandate to address environmental crime in its workplan, and calls on the global conservation community to work together to tackle illicit activities such as illegal logging, mining, fishing, wildlife trafficking, and other forms of environmental crime.

Dr Susan Lieberman, Vice President, International Policy, WCS, said: “Governments and civil society must recognise that nature crime is not a peripheral issue. It strikes at the heart of conservation, governance, and human rights. This motion is an essential step toward building a global response equal to the scale of the threat.”

The resolution also recognises the role of those who shine light on environmental crime, often at great personal risk.

Scott Hajost, Senior Environmental Policy Adviser, National Whistleblower Center, and also Vice-chair of the IUCN US National Committee, said: “This resolution is key not just for getting crimes that affect the environment into IUCN’s work going forward, but also in highlighting the critical role of whistleblowers in exposing these crimes. It calls for states to promote whistleblower protection and incentives alongside broader efforts to address environmental crime.

“The Nature Crime Alliance has really been the glue that has bound us together in this process, providing a crucial focal point to coordinate members and other stakeholders, including governments, in developing the resolution. This outcome reflects the essential role of cross sector collaboration in the fight against crimes that affect the environment.”

A breakthrough resolution

Dr Charles ‘Chip’ Barber, Director, Nature Crime Alliance, WRI commented: “This resolution is a breakthrough because it puts action against these crimes squarely on the conservation agenda. It signals growing resolve among IUCN members to confront environmental crime as a serious threat to people, nature and climate.

“The resolution provides a mandate for IUCN to incorporate efforts to tackle environmental crime within its workplan and encourages governments to address this issue at the national level.

“This is a milestone that lays the groundwork for stronger global cooperation on environmental crime, aligns IUCN’s efforts with other international frameworks and fora, and builds momentum heading into the UN Crime Congress in 2026.”

For further information, please contact Elodie Perrat, Senior Manager, Nature Crime Alliance, WRI: elodie.perrat@wri.org

More than 100 journalists and communications professionals took part in a training course on environmental crime convened in partnership between the Nature Crime Alliance and its members the UN Interregional and Criminal Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the FACT Coalition.

‘Uncovering Environmental Crimes: Specialised Trainings for Journalists and Communications Professionals’ aimed to provide practical insights into tools and approaches drawn from intelligence analysis, financial journalism, and conservation criminology.

Five members of the Alliance – UNICRI, FACT Coalition, WWF-UK, Earth League International, and World Resources Institute (WRI) – delivered training sessions, alongside experts from across journalism, academia and civil society.

Empowering media professionals to transform evidence into impact

The activity builds on UNICRI’s previous work supporting journalism on environmental crime, and aligns with the Nature Crime Alliance’s Strategic Communications priority area.

Marina Mazzini, Public Information Officer at UNICRI, who played a key role in convening the course, commented: “The trainings reflected UNICRI’s commitment to strengthening investigative capacities and fostering collaboration between journalists, civil society, and law enforcement to address crimes that affect the environment.

“Partnerships like this with the Nature Crime Alliance are essential to bridging the gap between data, policy, and public awareness.”

A wide-ranging curriculum

Day one, moderated by Paul Radu, Co-Founder and Head of Innovation at the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), featured opening remarks from Leif Villadsen, Acting Director of UNICRI, Julia Yansura, Environmental Crime and Illicit Finance Program Director, FACT Coalition, and Andrew Marshall, Chief Communications Officer, WRI.

The course kicked off with Dr Louise Shelley, Professor Emerita, George Mason University, providing an overview of environmental crimes and how they operate, before Julia Yansura from the FACT Coalition shared insights on the financial aspects of these crimes. John Dodsworth, Drivers Initiative Lead at WWF-UK, then introduced participants to the ‘Environmental Crimes Financial Toolkit’, which enables finance professionals, civil society actors and journalists to identify illegality risk.

The second day, moderated by Matthew Burnett-Stuart, Programme Officer, UNICRI, explored scientific and investigative techniques and approaches to environmental crime journalism, with Dr Meredith Gore, Professor and Research Director, University of Maryland, discussing ways to measure environmental crime and David Taylor, Adjunct Professor, Science Writing Program, Johns Hopkins University, exploring science-based storytelling.

Participants also heard insights from Emily Fishbein, a Network Fellow at the Pulitzer Center Rainforest Investigations Network, who shared learnings from her work reporting on illegal mining in Myanmar, and Andrea Crosta, Founder of Earth League International, who highlighted the importance of crime convergence while sharing tips on investigative approaches. Flaviano Bianchini, Founder and Director, Source International, closed day two with practical examples on how scientific data can be collected and used to support journalism.

The final day, moderated by Luke Foddy, Communications Manager, Nature Crime Alliance, introduced participants to the challenges of transboundary investigations during a session with Bruce Ohr, Executive Director of the International Wildlife Trust. Another key challenge facing journalists and communicators in the environmental space – disinformation – was addressed by Francesco Marelli and Katy Carroll, both from UNICRI’s CBRN Programme.

Day three concluded with presentations on satellite monitoring tools and their use for investigative journalism, with Ruth Nogueron, Senior Associate at WRI, demonstrating the value of the Global Forest Watch platform and Michela Corvino, Earth Observation Security Applications Engineer at the European Space Agency, highlighting the potential of Earth Observation technologies to support journalists’ work.

A multi-sector approach

Feedback from participants has been extremely positive, and future training courses are already under discussion, subject to funding. The range of expertise from different sectors was highlighted as a strength by participants, who noted that the mix of expert voices kept the sessions engaging.

Participants described the training as “really impressive”, highlighting the relevance of the content and the quality of the lecturers. One participant commented: “The training was great overall; the lecturers and the content were really impressive.”

Another emphasised the practical value of the sessions focused on financial investigation, noting: “The tools to ‘follow the money’ were really useful, especially seeing how organised crime groups and different types of transactions may be related.”

Luke Foddy, Communications Manager, Nature Crime Alliance, WRI, commented: “The Nature Crime Alliance was established to bring actors from different sectors together to share expertise and bolster collective efforts to fight environmental crime.

“These trainings, which fall under the Alliance’s Strategic Communications priority area, are an excellent example of this multi sector collaboration, and we are immensely grateful to UNICRI and the FACT Coalition for developing this course with us, and to our other partners who contributed to the sessions.”

Find out more about the Nature Crime Alliance’s Strategic Communications work

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) has joined the Nature Crime Alliance to bolster global efforts to counter illegal fishing.

EJF is a leading investigative and campaigning organisation that works to protect the natural world and defend the basic human right to a secure environment. Headquartered in the UK, and with offices in the European Union and across geographical focuses such as West Africa, Southeast Asia and East Asia, it works internationally to inform policy and drive systemic, durable reforms to protect the environment and defend human rights.

Active across issues including ocean, forests, and environmental defenders, EJF has a particular focus on illegal fishing, with a wealth of expertise and research output on this critical topic.

By joining the Alliance, EJF aims to further global understanding of illegal fishing, including among world leaders and political decision-makers, and raise awareness of this destructive activity across the international community.

Steve Trent, CEO and Founder of EJF, commented: “There is an urgent need for deeper global cooperation to secure the systemic changes in policy and governance required to protect people and our shared planet. The Nature Crime Alliance can play a vital role in fostering this collaboration, raising awareness, and driving real, lasting solutions.

“At EJF, our work spans the ocean, climate, forests and wetlands, working with environmental defenders around the globe for a more sustainable future. These interconnected campaigns align closely with the Alliance’s priorities, and we look forward to working with its members to strengthen global action against illegal fishing and other environmental crimes.”

EJF joins Alliance members such as FishWise, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, Fisheries Transparency Initiative, Outlaw Ocean, Earth League International, INTERPOL, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime who are working in the illegal fishing space. Ghana, which is tackling crimes associated with fishing in its waters, is also a member of the Alliance.

Dr Charles ‘Chip’ Barber, Director of the Nature Crime Alliance, which is hosted by World Resources Institute, commented: “The Alliance was created to drive multi-sector cooperation, bring actors together to share knowledge and expertise, and bolster global capacity to investigate and disrupt nature crime.

“Given EJF’s considerable expertise in investigating and campaigning to protect the natural world, we are delighted to welcome them as a member of the Alliance.”

The Nature Crime Alliance is pleased to welcome Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) as its latest member.

RRI is a global coalition of 21 partners and more than 200 rightsholders organisations encompassing a range of stakeholders such as community leaders, organisers, researchers, journalists, human rights defenders, and lawyers.

Its mission is to support Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and local communities against marginalisation, and in building sustainable, self-determined development. RRI promotes greater global commitment and action towards policy, market, and legal reforms that secure these communities’ rights to own, control, and benefit from natural resources, especially land and forests.

RRI joins the Alliance as it seeks to deepen its understanding of nature crime and the impact of these illicit activities on Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

This is an issue that the  Alliance focuses on through activities such as the Indigenous Peoples and Frontline Defenders working group, convened in partnership with Indigenous Peoples’ Rights International.

This working group has a focus on training communities to use monitoring technologies to help protect their lands – activities that align with RRI’s increasing interest in community protection strategies, including community-led monitoring.

Keith Slack, Senior Director of Programs, Rights and Resources Initiative, commented: “The Rights and Resources Initiative is proud to join the Nature Crime Alliance in advancing collective action to confront environmental crime. Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and Afro-descendant Peoples are on the frontlines of defending the world’s most threatened ecosystems.

“By working together through this Alliance, we can strengthen efforts to secure their rights, protect nature, and ensure justice and accountability across global supply chains.” 

Environmental crimes and their convergences with other forms of serious organised crime are a major driver of illegal land conversion, forest loss, and human rights abuses, as highlighted in a recent WRI Insights article by Dr Charles ‘Chip’ Barber, Director of the Nature Crime Alliance. As a member of the Alliance, RRI can not only access resources and expertise, but can also empower communities to shape solutions to this global challenge.

Chip commented: “Nature crime is a clear and present danger to Indigenous Peoples and local communities. By joining the Alliance, RRI will gain access to a supportive network that can help develop strategies to counter these crimes and safeguard communities’ lands and rights. RRI also enriches the Alliance with knowledge and expertise, and we’re delighted to welcome them to our network.”

View all members of the Nature Crime Alliance.