Earlier this week, a physical assault on an environmental activist in the forests of Romania marked the latest in a string of such attacks around the world and further highlights the need for government authorities to take meaningful enforcement action in response
Last week, Adenan Satem, newly appointed Chief Minister of Sarawak, held a briefing session in London on his first official overseas trip. At his invitation, NGOs gathered at the Malaysian High Commission to discuss Sarawak’s new Forests Pledge, a environmental policy halting timber concessions and new plantations
We have been investigating forest destruction and timber smuggling in Laos since 2007. For the first time, a recent trip to the country has revealed a booming trade in Lagerstroemia that threatens to strip the forests of one of its last giants
Our forest campaigners are in Brunei this week (May 5-8) to seek better protection for endangered Siamese rosewood at the 11th ASEAN Experts Group on CITES (CITES AEG) and 10th meeting of the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN)
Labora Sitorus, former chief brigadier in Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for large-scale timber theft, in part due to evidence provided by us. In a latest concerning development, after being allowed to leave prison unescorted to seek medical treatment, Sitorus is now at large.
In 2014, we celebrated our 30th anniversary but in other respects it was a typically hectic and successful year as we continued to uncover ongoing problems and expose new ones; here are just a few of the highlights from a busy 12 months