Global Witness

12/08/2026

The world’s five biggest oil companies made $48 billion in just three months.

That’s $535m a day, or $22m every hour.

As the US-Israel war on Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices higher, their quarterly earnings more than doubled.

Meanwhile, wildfires, drought and rising energy costs are hitting people hard all around the world.

In a global climate crisis, fossil fuel giants are still cashing in.

05/08/2026

Banks are handing out billions in “sustainability-linked” loans to palm oil companies, despite links to deforestation and human rights abuses in Indonesia.

A new investigation exposes major gaps in green finance and raises urgent questions about accountability: https://gwitness.org/4wIkO2h

22/07/2026

Zambia’s copper is helping to power the global energy transition – but who is really benefiting?

Ahead of Zambia’s election in August, our investigation reveals a deeper issue: the influence of major Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals that is said to have backed political power and has saved hundreds of millions in tax breaks.

Meanwhile, Zambia, where copper makes up 74% of exports, continues to face some of the highest levels of inequality in the world.

If we don’t close these loopholes, this will keep happening. That means democracies get exploited, multinational companies get richer, and people in resource‑rich countries lose out.

This is not the transition we want.

Read the full report: https://gwitness.org/4yw3qPB

Global Witness does not allege corruption by FQM. FQM denies funding the UPND or President Hichilema. For FQM's full response, see our report.

Publish What You Pay Zambia

16/06/2026

There’s no active rare earth mining in Greenland right now, yet interest is surging.

A new investigation highlights how companies and individuals linked to Trump are positioning themselves around Greenland’s mineral resources.

An expanding network of individuals and companies with ties to the US administration looks to profit from the renewed interest in Greenland’s mineral deposits

10/06/2026

New investigation finds conflict coltan from DRC mines controlled by M23 is likely ending up in everyday tech.

Five of Rwanda’s seven biggest exporters bought smuggled minerals. Industry due diligence systems largely failed to detect it.

Read more:

Conflict coltan smuggled from war-torn DRC is finding its way into global markets and popular consumer products, despite due diligence systems

19/05/2026

Toxic waste from a manganese mine supplying the global EV market is contaminating water and harming communities in Ghana, a new Global Witness investigation reveals.

Despite warnings of “highly toxic” mine water and widespread illness, operators and authorities have failed to act.

Waste from Ghana manganese mine supplying material critical to EVs is creating a toxic environment for locals, with operators aware but doing little to stop it

28/04/2026

New Global Witness investigation finds the lobbyist leading the charge to remove leather from the EU Deforestation Regulation owns a tannery at high risk of sourcing hides linked to deforestation in Paraguay.

As leather boss Nuti wages lobbying blitz to erode EU deforestation law, another Paraguayan tannery he owns admits to likely sourcing hides from deforested land

15/04/2026

Escazú in Action | Save the date

As COP4 approaches, join us for this virtual side event on strengthening national roadmaps for the Escazú Agreement – aligning environmental justice, climate action, biodiversity & defender protection.

🗓️ 20 April | 💻 Virtual

🔗 https://bit.ly/COP4EscazuEnAccion

19/03/2026

86 organisations have written to the Prime Minister calling on him to increase climate finance and to fairly tax the wealthiest and largest polluters in our society to pay for climate action at home and overseas.

Read the letter: https://gwitness.org/40AAkyU

11/03/2026

Guatemala’s Indigenous leaders and defenders are being targeted by coordinated smear campaigns across Facebook, TikTok and X.

In our latest investigation, we uncovered how disinformation on social media platforms is being carefully designed to silence, isolate and criminalise those who are trying to protect their land and rights, and discredit their activism.

Social media companies must do more. We need to strengthen context‑specific moderation, including for disinformation networks posing as “news”, and to protect defenders in high‑risk moments.

More info: https://gwitness.org/3NsHS3A