The Earth is simultaneously facing climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Yet a significant aspect of this triple planetary crisis is overlooked - crime. Crimes that affect the environment contribute to each element of the triple planetary crisis to some degree. But until now, there has never been a global overview of the nature and extent of crimes that affect the environment. This first-ever Global Analysis on Crimes that Affect the Environment is a robust exploration of what crimes that affect the environment are, how they are committed, the role of organized crime groups and corruption, what drives people and corporations to commit crimes that affect the environment, what are the supply chain structures of illegal environmental commodities, what does this all mean for improved policies and prevention strategies, and what are the impacts of crimes that affect the environment.
The Global Analysis on Crimes that Affect the Environment is separated into four parts made up of 12 chapters. Part 1 is a robust review of all 193 Member States’ environmental legislation for deforestation and logging, mining, air pollution, noise pollution, soil pollution, water pollution, fishing, waste, and wildlife to analyze whether violations of these legislation are criminalized and whether the penalty is at least four years of prison (the definition of serious crime in the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime). Part 2 consists of the studies on illegal deforestation and logging, illegal mining, and a Spotlight on Brazil exploring the impacts of these crimes that affect the environment.
Global Law Enforcement in the Harm Landscapes of Climate Change
This study was prepared by the UNODC Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council Region (OGCCR) under the 12th International Initiative on Law Enforcement for the Climate.
