Environmental crime
Environmental crime is one of the most profitable organised crime activities worldwide. It often takes place across borders and is hard to trace. The rapid increase in criminal activities such as illegal fishing, illegal logging, illegal mining, illegal pollution and illegal wildlife trade has devastating impacts on biological diversity and natural habitats. The activities also exacerbate the climate crisis.
To tackle the global threat that environmental crime poses, INTERPOL and WWF Deutschland are collaborating in a project funded by the Federal Environment Ministry as part of its International Climate Initiative (IKI). The project aims to help law enforcement agencies in countries particularly affected by environmental crime to become more effective and provide better protection for civil society organisations and environmental defenders. The focus in on strengthening international cooperation, which is crucial to an effective response to transboundary environmental crime.
During this three-year project, INTERPOL will support law enforcement agencies in a number of partner countries in improving their ability to uncover and prosecute environmental crimes. The countries will be selected by INTERPOL on the basis of fixed criteria and needs assessments from a pool of countries eligible for official development assistance (ODA).
Support will also be given to civil society organisations that cooperate with law enforcement agencies in uncovering and reporting suspected illegal activities.
As part of the project, INTERPOL will carry out special training with law enforcement agencies in partner countries on methods to tackle environmental crime. It will also help these agencies with ongoing investigations, for example by carrying out analyses and with exchanges on forensic findings. INTERPOL will also assist partner countries in carrying out operational activities. One focus of the project is cooperation between INTERPOL member countries in order to address the transboundary dimension of environmental crime.
Alongside law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations and environmental defenders also play a key role in tackling environmental crime. As a result, they are often faced with serious risks and threats to their safety, and therefore require better protection. As part of the project, WWF Deutschland will carry out training and networking activities with civil society organisations in two countries. The goal is to communicate effective tools and strategies to provide better protection for the organisations.
Through these activities, the project will make a concrete contribution to climate action and biodiversity conservation, for example by preserving and protecting forests and endangered species and tackling global litter in the environment and oceans. Direct cooperation with and support for national authorities and civil society organisations also strengthens the rule of law, state institutions and human rights in partner countries.
The IKI project therefore contributes to meeting Germany’s international obligations under the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Bonn Convention (CMS) and the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
As a centralised whole-of-government funding programme, the International Climate Initiative merges the competencies of the German government for international climate and biodiversity financing in the lead ministries for climate action, biodiversity conservation and foreign policy (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Federal Environment Ministry, Federal Foreign Office). IKI funding is granted via multilateral, regional and bilateral projects in developing countries and emerging economies.