For a decade, Vietnam has been repeatedly highlighted for its role in the international illegal wildlife trade, so it is encouraging to see the recent efforts taken by the Government to address its involvement; it is to be congratulated for the measures it has taken and the successes it has had domestically.
Unfettered growth of TCM poses a serious threat to biodiversity in Africa, all in the name of short-term profit. Any utilisation of threatened species in TCM could stimulate further demand, incentivise wildlife crime and ultimately lead to overexploitation.
The Montreal Protocol was created in 1987 to regulate the chemicals responsible for ozone depletion. Widely hailed as the world’s most successful international environmental treaty, it has phased out 99 per cent of all Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), setting the ozone layer on the path to recovery.
The expected expansion of plastic production will emit greenhouse gases (GHG) equivalent to an estimated 56 Gt CO2e between 2015-50, representing 10-13 per cent of the entire remaining carbon budget. Addressing plastic production is therefore a climate priority and the adoption of a new global plastics treaty which promotes a circular economy for plastics and controls plastic production is a key climate strategy.
To stay well below 2°C and limit global warming to 1.5°C, the global community must take decisive action to reduce methane emissions from the energy sector and transition to alternative energy sources.
Welcome to the Autumn 2021 Investigator. Inside, you can read about our latest undercover investigation into the illegal timber trade from Myanmar and our efforts to secure sanctions against those elements of the violent military junta who exploit the country’s natural resources to line their own pockets. You’ll also read about other key activities, including our exposé of ‘the biggest eco-crime no-one’s heard of’: the trade of illegal refrigerants into the EU.