Global Witness

🚨 EU launches investigation into TikTok’s suspected failure to limit election risks – in wake of questions around aborted Romanian election 🚨 Romanian authorities have had a busy few weeks! Just since mid-November we have seen: 🔴 An unexpected victory of far-right,-NATO-sceptic candidate Călin Georgescu in the first round of the country’s presidential election, 🔴 The declassification of documents by Romania’s outgoing president and the annulment of the first round and cancellation of the runoff due to worries of election interference, and 🔴 Widespread questions to TikTok on the role of its platform in the election Our #DigitalThreats campaign wanted to examine what TikTok’s algorithm was showing to people. We found that: 📱 73% of TikTok users in Romania aged 18-35 who responded to our survey saw content often about Georgescu in the preceding two weeks 📱 In a test of TikTok's algorithm from Bucharest, we saw on average more than 8 times as much content supporting Georgescu over his opponent Elena Lasconi 📱61% of respondents reported seeing suspicious-looking accounts posting comments supporting a Presidential candidate The developments in Romania create a real test case for the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires digital platforms to assess and mitigate risks to democracy posed by their services. In response to our study, TikTok suggests other factors may have influenced what videos we were shown, such as the length of time watched or the location where a video was posted from. The platform says that they have taken steps to protect the integrity of the platform. Read our full investigation here: https://lnkd.in/gx86pju5

❓💰 The financial sector is beginning to talk big about ending the nature crisis, but their boardroom actions tell a different story. 🌎 As the dust settles on this year’s climate and biodiversity summits—#NYCW, #COP16, and #COP29—one theme has dominated the conversation: #finance. 🍃 Cutting off private finance driving deforestation is at the heart of the fight. 💭 But can we really trust the world’s biggest financial players to deliver when the conference halls go quiet? 🔍 Our latest analysis reveals a sobering truth… Key findings: 🌳 In 2024, a record number of #biodiversity shareholder resolutions were filed—but not a single one that we analysed passed. 📉 Support for biodiversity and #deforestation resolutions has plummeted from 59% in 2022 to just 13% in 2024. ❌ US asset managers like @BlackRock, @Vanguard Group, and SSGA are leading the opposition, voting against these resolutions at higher rates than their European and UK peers. “The failure of leadership from major US financial players is a huge obstacle to addressing the biodiversity crisis”, says Ashley Thomson, US Forests Policy Adviser. 📖 Read our full analysis: https://lnkd.in/edghGeHm

🚨 Securing Raw Materials for the Energy Transition – Without Leaving Communities Behind 🌍⚡ We were at EU Raw Materials Week yesterday discussing a critical issue: how can Europe set global standards to make sure that the supply of the minerals needed for the energy transition is secure without sacrificing the well-being of local communities? The EU – like the rest of the major economies – has already left the transition to clean energy dangerously late, and is now scrabbling around to secure the urgent supplies of metals needed to build wind turbines, electric vehicles and solar panels. The faster the pits are dug, the less time there is to consult with local communities, and the risk of conflict increases. We’ve already seen 334 incidents of violence or protest between 2021 and 2023 linked to mining copper, cobalt, lithium and nickel in the 10 countries producing the majority of these raw materials needed for the energy transition. The EU must lead the way by ensuring its mineral sourcing meets high environmental and human rights standards. This means not just using its Just Energy Transition Partnerships but also investing in mining projects with responsible practices. The EU should also prioritise strong implementation of environmental laws like the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which will strengthen efforts to properly engage with local communities. We cannot afford to let the rush for transition minerals lead to the suffering of local populations and the sustainability of our renewable energy supply. https://lnkd.in/eyXhBgYM

💬 How might our world change if ecosystems were granted the same legal rights as humans? 💬 Could enshrining these rights help to mitigate threats to nature while simultaneously safeguarding human rights? 💬 In what ways are human rights connected to environmental ones? These were just some of the thought-provoking questions explored at “Protecting the Seine and its Defenders,” an event organised by the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, this past weekend. Our own @Laura Furones joined an inspiring line-up of legal experts, activists, and policymakers to envision a future where the rights of nature are fully recognised and defended. Key highlights from the event included: 🛡️ A fictional trial for ecocide involving the Seine River, inspired by real cases of pollution, showcasing the potential of legal frameworks to hold polluters to account. 🏛️ The laying of foundations for a “Parliament of the Seine”, aimed at drafting legislative proposals to grant the river legal personhood and ensure its comprehensive protection. It opened with the granting of honorary citizenship to environmental defender and anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, who had been detained in Greenland and faced extradition after being accused by Japan of breaking into a Japanese whaler in the Antarctic Ocean in 2010. Laura shared her own expertise on two urgent topics: 1️⃣ The rights of nature – Exploring how granting legal personhood to natural entities such as rivers and forests could transform conservation efforts and offer ecosystems unprecedented protection. 2️⃣ The rights of land and environmental defenders – Highlighting the growing dangers faced by those protecting our planet, particularly in regions where protecting our natural world is met with violence, and emphasising the urgent need for stronger legal safeguards. The event drew inspiration from live global successes of granting legal personhood to ecosystems, such as the Whanganui River in New Zealand and the Atrato River in Colombia, underscoring the rise of a global movement to recognise nature’s rights. 💡 Key takeaway: Recognising nature’s rights is more than a hopeful legal innovation—it is a moral and existential imperative in the face of climate change, biodiversity loss and the escalating threats faced by #LandandEnvironmentalDefenders. A huge thank you to the organisers for creating such a transformative platform and to Laura and all the speakers for their invaluable contributions. @Teresa Ribera, @Camille de Toledo, Susana Muhamad, Marina Silva , Retno Marsudi , Astrid Puentes Riaño , Michel FORST, @Edgar Mora, @Kei Wegner, Christophe NAJDOVSKI, @Valérie Plante , @Remy Rioux. Events like this remind us of the power of law, policy, and activism to reshape humanity’s relationship with our natural world. #RightsOfNature #LandandEnvironmentalDefenders #ClimateJustice #LegalPersonhood Photo credit: Jean-Baptiste Gurliat.

⁉️ There is “no such thing” as climate change ⁉️ Would you say this statement constitutes #ClimateDenial? TikTok’s moderation system said no, despite being one of few large social media platforms that bans outright denial of climate change on its platform In our latest investigation, we wanted to see how this policy is enforced at a time when such #misinformation is likely to spike. We monitored during #COP29 and found: ❌Videos with overall 3M+ views contained comments with clear climate denial ❌ 19/20 climate misinformation comments remained up even after our reports ❌TikTok only took down the comments after we approached them for comment on our investigation TikTok claims robust policies, but our evidence suggests their enforcement is weak. According to research they commissioned, 77% of users read comments, making it all the more important that the platform adheres to its public commitments. Read the full report here 🔽 https://lnkd.in/eFHKF4Jv #ClimateAction #ClimateDisinformation #DigitalThreats

🚨New report: Household banking giants are fueling a deforestation crisis in Paraguay, threatening the rights of Indigenous communities who call the forest home. 💰 Our latest investigation reveals that financial institutions including J.P. Morgan, bankofamerica and HSBC have funnelled $1.7 billion into companies driving large-scale deforestation in Paraguay’s Gran Chaco. 🗽This financing has driven deforestation across an area in Paraguay nearly the size of New York City - posing an existential threat to the Ayoreo Totobiegosode Indigenous community who call the forest home. 🌳 The ancestral lands of this partially-uncontacted group are facing catastrophic deforestation fuelled by international financial interests. 🗣️"If the Ayoreo ceased to exist, Paraguay would lose a part of its fundamental spirit. If our territory were lost, the country would also lose a huge conservation asset. The greatest conservation assets Paraguay have nationally been within Indigenous territories. AuthoritesAuthorities must act now for the future.” Guede*, a representative for the Ayoreo Totobiegosode Our new report builds on a growing body of evidence showing the catastrophic toll that financial institutions are exacting on forests and frontline communities, showing the critical need for the sector to be held accountable for its outsized role in climate breakdown. The findings emerge just after a DeSmog report uncovered unprecedented levels of corporate lobbying at this year’s biodiversity COP in Cali, Colombia—with the finance sector dominating as the most represented business sector at the summit. Urgent action is needed to hold corporations – including financial institutions – accountable. We must put people at the heart of climate decision-making. https://lnkd.in/ewwqux84 #DefundDeforestation #Biodiversity #ClimateCrisis * This name has been changed at the request of the interviewee.

More than 2,000 land and environmental defenders have now been murdered since we began documenting killings in 2012. 196 of these killings occurred just last year. Far too many defenders have already been killed for trying to protect their lands, communities or the environment. We must put an end to the indifference and impunity that allows this silencing and erasure to continue. We have already lost more than 2,000 voices. We cannot lose any more. 👉 How can you help? 1. Head to the link below to donate now and have double* the impact 2. Share this post to spread the word. 3. Encourage friends and family to join the movement and make their donations count. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/enHdCSPH *Donations totaling up to £19,340 will be matched #GivingTuesday #BigGiveChallenge #ClimateJustice #MakeADifference

🚨 We're Hiring: Partnerships Coordinator - Transition Minerals Team 🌍 Location: Nairobi (with occasional travel) 🗓️ Deadline: December 20, 2024 We're looking for a Partnerships Coordinator to deliver an effective, inclusive, and coordinated approach to our work with partners within our Transition Minerals team. 👉 We are looking for someone with experience in managing partnerships and subgrants, strong financial and organizational skills, and the ability to communicate effectively. Does that sound like you? Apply below: 🔗https://lnkd.in/efRSP_92 #hiring #transitionminerals #careers #Nairobi

DOUBLE YOUR DONATION FOR DEFENDERS 🌍 We’re excited to be part of the Big Give #ChristmasChallenge so if you give today, your donation will be matched*, doubling its impact! By donating today, you’ll help us: 💪 Support Activists – Equip defenders with the tools they need to challenge exploitation and protect their communities. 🌱 Challenge Abuses of Power – Expose corporate wrongdoings that harm people and the planet. 🌍 Fight for Climate Justice – Back our efforts to tackle the root causes of environmental destruction and advocate for policies that prioritize people and the planet. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/enHdCSPH *Donations totaling up to £19,340 will be matched. #GivingTuesday #BigGiveChallenge #ClimateJustice #MakeADifference

BREAKING: our new report exposes the dark side of ‘green mining’ in the Philippines 🪨 As the world races to achieve Net Zero emissions, the demand for critical minerals—used in renewable technologies like wind turbines and solar panels—is accelerating. But in the Philippines, this “green” rush is leaving a trail of destruction. 🔍 The reality: 🚨Over 25% of critical mineral zones overlap with recognised Indigenous territories. Since the 1990s, Indigenous communities have lost an area of land equivalent to the size of Timor-Leste. 🚨 A quarter of the land used for critical minerals mining in the Philippines also clashes with key biodiversity and protected areas. Mining in biodiversity hotspots like these threatens the very systems that protect us from climate collapse. 🚨The military poses the single biggest threat to land and environmental defenders in the Philippines, many of whom are Indigenous. In 2023, the Philippine military was responsible for 15 of 17 defender killings, labelling many Indigenous leaders and activists as insurgents for opposing mining projects. 🚨A growing number of activists are also being slapped with rebellion or terrorism charges for speaking out against resources projects like mining in the Philippines. 🔋While the energy transition is vital for addressing the climate crisis, it cannot come at the cost of human rights, critical biodiversity, and Indigenous land and rights. Mining cannot save us from the climate emergency if it is tainted with violence and environmental destruction. 🗣️ As Ana Celestial from the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment says: “Our natural wealth must serve the people—not multinational corporations. It is time to dismantle the oppressive structures that prioritise profit over life and establish a mining policy rooted in justice, equity, and true environmental stewardship.” 💬 “At the heart of biodiversity conservation is the recognition that Indigenous Peoples are the original environmental stewards. Yet, rather than being supported in our role, we are displaced, criminalised, and stripped of our sovereignty,” said Beverly Longid. “If the global community is truly committed to ecological justice, it must begin by defending the rights of Indigenous Peoples and restoring our control over our ancestral lands.” 💡The planetary shift to renewable energy must not cost us the very things we’re fighting to save. What steps do you think industries and governments should take to ensure a fair and equitable energy transition? 👇 https://lnkd.in/djXPcwGd