Governments and corporations are intensifying pressure on environmental defenders
Environmental activists around the world face escalating threats, legal retaliation, and violence, with a new report calling for stronger protections as the climate crisis deepens.
Keerti Gopal and Mathilde Augustin report for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- Rodrigue Katembo, a park ranger in the Congo, has survived multiple assassination attempts and now faces fabricated legal charges for defending Virunga National Park.
- The Global Climate Legal Defense report highlights violence against environmental defenders from countries such as Uganda, Mozambique, and Colombia.
- Legal and physical threats, including SLAPP lawsuits, are growing as fossil fuel projects displace communities and activists protest against environmental destruction.
Key quote:
“If we are sued into silence, who will fight for the planet, its people and our future? There is no climate solution without climate defenders, and legal threats to climate defenders make it impossible for us to do our work.”
— Alfred Brownell, founder of CliDef
Why this matters:
Environmental defenders play a vital role in protecting ecosystems and promoting sustainable development. Increasing violence and legal crackdowns on these activists threaten both human rights and global efforts to combat climate change.
Read more: Three environmental defenders killed per week on average in 2023
