Environmental defenders are on the frontline of the fight against climate change, yet too often they pay with their freedom, or their lives, for challenging powerful interests. Between 2012 and 2023, more than 2,100 land and environmental defenders were killed worldwide, most in countries struggling with high levels of corruption and impunity.
This working paper by Transparency International exposes how corruption enables these attacks – by silencing critics, weakening regulations, and allowing environmental harm to go unpunished. It reveals that corporate misconduct, from bribery to regulatory capture and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), is not just a by-product of weak governance – it is a driving force behind violence and intimidation against defenders.
