Cases

Belize blue bond

A debt buyback tied to protecting 30% of Belize's ocean. Protection stands at 20.3%; about $6 million in grants were approved in three and a half years.

Ngorongoro and Loliondo relocations

The Tanzanian government has set aside land in Loliondo to protect the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem and has been relocating residents of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to Msomera since June 2022, with a target above 82,000 people. It calls the relocation voluntary; Human Rights Watch reported that services were cut to push people out. A UAE-based company has held exclusive hunting rights over 400,000 hectares since 1992.

Scotland's natural-capital land rush

Companies bought estates to plant forests and offset emissions. Estate prices rose about 87% in a year; at one flagship site more than half the young pines died.

CAMPFIRE and elephant trophy hunting

Hunters paid $17 million in nine districts over six years. About $1.24 million went to law enforcement; households received about $13 a year, mostly as projects.

Northern Kenya Grasslands Carbon Project and the Isiolo court ruling

A Verra-registered soil-carbon project in northern Kenya covers 1.9 million hectares. In January 2025 a Kenyan court found that two of its conservancies had been set up without adequate public participation.

Cordillera Azul National Park carbon project

Shell and TotalEnergies paid more than $80 million for credits from a Peruvian park. A satellite analysis found forest loss more than doubled during the project period.

Rainforest credits investigation

A joint investigation found more than 90% of rainforest offset credits from the largest standard were likely "phantom credits". The standard-setter earns most of its income from per-credit fees.

BP Deepwater Horizon: the spill, the court cases and the recovery claims

An offshore rig drilling BP's Macondo exploration well exploded in the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April 2010, killing 11 workers; oil flowed for 87 days. BP pleaded guilty in a criminal case that carried $4 billion in payments and signed a $20.8 billion civil settlement paid until 2031; by the end of 2025, $2.44 billion of up to $8.8 billion set aside for natural resources had been spent.

Exxon Valdez: the spill, insurance and court cases

An Exxon tanker spilled about 257,000 barrels of crude oil in Alaska in 1989. A jury awarded $5 billion in punitive damages; 19 years later the Supreme Court reduced it to $507.5 million. Exxon's excess insurers refused cover on 33 grounds and paid $780 million after a lawsuit, in addition to $400 million from a P&I club.

Prestige

A tanker sank off Galicia in 2002 and spilled about 63,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. Spain's Supreme Court assessed the damage at €1.44 billion; the shipowner's insurer and the international fund paid 15.22% of it.

Baia Mare cyanide spill

A tailings dam at a gold-recovery plant in Romania broke in January 2000. Cyanide reached the Danube through Hungary and Serbia; Hungary's damages claim ended without a defendant.

Vale Brumadinho dam collapse

A Vale tailings dam in Minas Gerais collapsed in January 2019 and 272 people died. Vale agreed a R$37.7 billion settlement in 2021; the homicide case against 16 people has no verdict.

Samarco Fundão dam collapse (Mariana): the settlement and the court cases

The Fundão tailings dam of Samarco, owned equally by Vale and BHP, collapsed at Mariana, Brazil, on 5 November 2015 and 19 people died. A R$170 billion agreement was signed in October 2024, and the English High Court found BHP liable in November 2025.

Norilsk diesel spill

About 21,000 tonnes of diesel leaked from a fuel tank at a Nornickel power plant in the Russian Arctic in May 2020. A court awarded RUB 146.2 billion in damages, which the company paid in full.

DuPont PFOA (C8) at Washington Works, Parkersburg, and the Tennant farm

DuPont used PFOA to make Teflon at its West Virginia plant for more than 50 years, and drinking water in six districts was contaminated. Penalties and settlements followed from 2004 to 2025, including a 2005 US EPA penalty for failing to report risk information.

Salem tanker

A supertanker sank off West Africa in January 1980. Most of its cargo had already been sold in Durban, and Lloyd's cargo insurers refused to pay for it.

Brillante Virtuoso tanker

A tanker was set on fire off Aden in 2011 in what was presented as a pirate attack. A London court found in 2019 that the owner had deliberately caused the loss; the surveyor who inspected the ship was killed by a car bomb.

EACOP pipeline: insurers decline, construction continues

Campaign groups counted about 30 insurers and reinsurers that publicly ruled out covering the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. Uganda's insurance regulator said a local consortium insures it, and by September 2026 about 98% of the line was reported built.

California homeowners' insurance retreat

Large insurers stopped writing new home policies in California from 2022, citing catastrophe exposure and costs. Policies on the state's insurer of last resort grew from about 271,000 to about 684,000.

California forest offsets buffer pool and wildfire

California's forest offsets programme sets aside credits in a buffer pool to cover losses such as fire. Researchers estimate that fires have used up almost 40% of the pool, against 20% allocated for 100 years of fire risk.

Google data centre, Canelones (Uruguay)

Google's original design for a data centre in Canelones foresaw about 7.6 million litres of drinking water a day, at a time of drought. Uruguay approved a reformulated project: air-cooled, at about one third of the capacity.

Google data centre, Cerrillos (Chile)

Chile's Environmental Court questioned a Google data-centre design that relied on at least 7.6 million litres of groundwater a day. In September 2024 Google dropped the original design and moved to air cooling.

Ethiopia: 353 million seedlings in a day

Ethiopia announced that 353,633,660 seedlings were planted in 12 hours in July 2019. The government later put survival above 80%; a study in one district found 39.8%.

Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life)

Mexico's tree-planting programme pays farmers a monthly sum to plant trees. A World Resources Institute estimate found it may have contributed to the loss of 72,830 hectares of forest cover in its first year.

Plant-for-the-Planet: 13.6 billion trees

A German foundation that took over the UN Environment Programme's tree campaign reported 13.6 billion trees planted. The figure has no independent verification; Die Zeit reported that older UN counts were mixed into it.

Kenya's 15 billion trees target

Kenya set a target of 15 billion trees and 30% tree cover by 2032, and declared a national tree-planting day in 2023. The same year it lifted a logging ban; an environmental court halted the lifting.

Hebei Spirit oil spill

An oil spill from the Hebei Spirit off Taean, South Korea, on 7 December 2007 produced claims of KRW 4,227 billion. The compensation limit under the international conventions was KRW 321.6 billion, and the Korean state paid the remaining claims.

Drax biomass subsidies

The Drax power station in the United Kingdom burns wood pellets that are counted as renewable and subsidised. Ember reported a record subsidy of £999 million for 2025 and £8.72 billion since 2012.

Bottom trawling in European marine protected areas

A 2018 study of 727 marine protected areas designated by EU member states found commercial bottom trawling in at least 59% of them. Reports from 2024 and 2025 say trawling continued, while the European Commission's 2030 phase-out target for protected areas remained non-binding.

Trans Mountain pipeline insurers (Canada)

Trans Mountain, an oil pipeline owned by the Government of Canada, lost a series of private insurers between 2019 and 2022. In 2021 the regulator allowed the names of its insurers to be kept confidential, and a 2024 regulation allowed the Crown corporation to set up its own insurer.

Alto Mayo REDD+ project (Peru)

A forest-carbon project in Peru's Alto Mayo, run by Conservation International and certified by Verra, supplied credits to Disney and others. A 2023 analysis estimated that it received about ten times the credits it justified and reported home demolitions in the project area in 2021; Conservation International said it was not involved.

World Bank REGROW project, Ruaha National Park

A US$150 million World Bank project in southern Tanzania was suspended in April 2024 after allegations of ranger violence and village removals around Ruaha National Park. The Bank's Inspection Panel found non-compliance with Bank policies, and the government cancelled the project in November 2024.

Insurers of the Carmichael coal mine

By July 2023 campaigners counted 46 insurers that had publicly ruled out cover for Adani's Carmichael coal mine in Queensland. The mine operates, and Bravus has said it holds the insurance it needs without naming any insurer.

PFAS insurance disputes (3M, Chemours, DuPont)

Companies facing PFAS settlements worth billions of dollars have turned to their liability insurers. US courts have so far ruled both ways on whether pollution exclusions bar cover, and the largest case, AIG v. 3M, is pending.

Shell Rocky Mountain Arsenal insurance case

Shell Oil's coverage case over the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Colorado reached a California appeals court in 1993. The court upheld the insurers for policies with pollution exclusions and sent the 'expected damage' question back for retrial.

X-Press Pearl ship disaster (Sri Lanka)

The ship X-Press Pearl, carrying chemicals and plastic pellets, was lost off Colombo in 2021. A London court limited the owners' liability to about £20 million; Sri Lanka's Supreme Court ordered an interim US$1 billion, which had not been paid at the latest report.

The Metals Company deep-sea nodule mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (NOAA permit route)

The Metals Company sought a commercial seabed mining permit from the US regulator NOAA for about 65,000 km² of the Pacific, outside the rule-making of the International Seabed Authority. A study of its 2022 test run found 37% fewer animals in the collector tracks two months later.

Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal

Volkswagen said the diesel emissions scandal had cost it €31.3 billion in fines and settlements by March 2020. Of a €1 billion payment ordered in Germany in 2018, €5 million was labelled a fine.

Paulo Paulino Guajajara killing (Brazil)

An unarmed Indigenous forest guardian was shot dead in the Araribóia Indigenous Territory in Maranhão in November 2019. Two men have been charged; as of October 2026 no record of a federal jury trial or verdict was found.

Lac-Mégantic rail disaster (Quebec)

A runaway train carrying crude oil exploded in the centre of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, in July 2013, killing 47 people. The railway went bankrupt, about 25 parties funded a settlement of roughly C$440–460 million, and Canadian Pacific, which did not contribute, was not found liable by the Quebec courts.

McKinsey advice to COP28 presidency and fossil clients

McKinsey gave free advice to the COP28 climate summit presidency in 2023, whose president also ran the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, while oil and mining companies were among its clients. The firm also drew up forest-carbon cost curves for forest countries and is a founding member of a carbon-removal buyers' club.

Erika oil spill

The Malta-flagged tanker Erika was involved in an oil pollution incident off Brittany, France, on 12 December 1999. In 2012 France's Court of Cassation upheld criminal liability for four parties, including Total SA, and held Total could not rely on the shipowner's liability channelling.

Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine; Wiwa v Shell

Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others were executed in Nigeria in 1995 after a military tribunal, having opposed Shell's operations in Ogoniland. Shell settled the Wiwa case for $15.5 million in 2009 without admitting liability; a Dutch case was dismissed in 2022.

Çöpler (İliç) heap leach collapse

On 13 February 2024 a heap of ore being leached with cyanide slid at the Çöpler gold mine in İliç, Turkey, and nine workers died. A criminal trial of 43 defendants is ongoing, and in 2026 the majority owner sold its 80% stake to Cengiz Holding.

Ventron/Morton mercury, Berry's Creek

A mercury-processing plant in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, discharged effluent into Berry's Creek between 1929 and 1974. In 1993 the New Jersey Supreme Court sided with 21 insurers that had been sued over cleanup cover.

TVA Kingston coal ash spill insurance

After the December 2008 coal ash spill at Kingston, TVA said its insurers denied cover; arbitration awards followed. Which insurer paid which award is not fully confirmed.

Kolontár red mud spill (Hungary)

A red mud reservoir failed on 4 October 2010, killing 10 people. The operator's liability cover was HUF 10m (or HUF 20m by the chairman's early account), against damage reported at about HUF 35bn.

Dutch nitrogen crisis and farm buyouts

The Netherlands cut its agricultural nitrogen surplus by 57% between 1990 and 2023, but its national institute for public health and the environment (RIVM) said in 2024 that the legal 2035 target for nitrogen-sensitive nature could not be met under current policy. By September 2026 a voluntary livestock buyout scheme had 279 finalised files.

Refugio / Plains Line 901 oil spill (California)

A Plains All American pipeline released 2,934 barrels of oil in Santa Barbara County, California, in May 2015, 598 of them into the Pacific. Plains reported total costs of $870 million and lost an insurance arbitration in January 2025 over a $230 million class action settlement.

Plastic waste imports into Türkiye (Adana)

Türkiye received 510,000 tonnes of European Union plastic waste in 2025, the largest share of any destination. A 2026 European Commission assessment said the findings pointed to a need for substantial improvements, and Human Rights Watch and Greenpeace reported harm to workers and dump sites around Adana and Istanbul.

African Parks Odzala-Kokoua abuses (Republic of Congo)

African Parks, which has managed Odzala-Kokoua National Park since 2010, said in May 2025 that human rights abuses occurred in some incidents after an investigation of 21 incidents. It did not publish the report.

Alliance to End Plastic Waste and Renew Oceans (Ganges)

An industry alliance founded in 2019 pledged $1.5 billion over five years and a 15 million tonne goal. Its Ganges project collected less than one tonne before closing in 2020, and its later progress reports and independent analyses give different figures for what it has removed.

ClearSpace-1 and Astroscale debris-removal missions

Public agencies have contracted two companies, ClearSpace in Switzerland and Astroscale in Japan, to remove or approach space debris. In the sources reviewed (to mid-2026), no piece of real debris had been captured and removed from orbit.

Coral reef parametric insurance, Quintana Roo

The state government of Quintana Roo, Mexico, has bought a wind-triggered insurance policy for coral reefs and beaches since 2019. Payouts followed Hurricane Delta in 2020 and Hurricane Beryl in 2024; none was recorded in 2021.

Biomas restoration initiative

Six Brazilian and international companies announced Biomas at COP27 in November 2022, a company to restore, conserve and preserve 4 million hectares over 20 years, financed by selling carbon credits. Later project details rest on press reports that the research did not verify.

Running Tide ocean carbon removal (Maine/Iceland)

A Maine company sold ocean carbon-removal credits to corporate buyers and sank wood chips off Iceland. An Icelandic oceanographer said the method captured no atmospheric carbon; the company said it had removed carbon. It closed in June 2024.

Delta Blue Carbon mangrove project (Pakistan)

A 60-year partnership between the Government of Sindh and Indus Delta Capital restores mangroves in the Indus Delta and sells carbon credits. Reported revenue to the province ranges from $14.7 million to about $50 million, and no community share has been published.

Mongolia index livestock insurance

Mongolia's index-based livestock insurance programme splits herd losses between herders, private insurers and the government. In the 2023–24 winter, 8.1 million animals were reported to have died; the research found no payout figure.

Adidas x Parley ocean plastic shoes

From 2015 to 2024 Adidas and Parley for the Oceans sold footwear made with material described as upcycled plastic waste intercepted before it reaches the ocean. A German report put the total at about 77 million pairs, and German television reported that part of the plastic did not come from Parley's own collections.

Gulf of Mexico dead zone (Mississippi nutrient runoff)

Every summer a zone of low oxygen forms on the Louisiana and Texas shelf, linked to nutrient pollution carried down the Mississippi–Atchafalaya basin. The government size target set in 2001 has not been met, and farm fertilizer runoff sits outside the Clean Water Act permit system.

Posidonia oceanica meadows (Balearics, Mediterranean)

Posidonia oceanica, a seagrass found only in the Mediterranean, has been reported to have declined by 34% in 50 years, a figure other researchers dispute. The Balearic Islands banned anchoring over meadows in 2018; boats were still being detected over them in 2025, and carbon-credit and restoration schemes have produced claims that the record does not yet confirm.

IMF whale-value paper and Baffinland narwhal pilot

A December 2019 article in the IMF's magazine valued an average great whale at more than $2 million. Two of its authors later launched a narwhal pilot in the Canadian Arctic with an iron-ore mining company as a partner; no whale carbon credit had been sold by October 2026.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch and The Ocean Cleanup

A Dutch foundation set out in 2013 to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with floating systems. By the end of 2023 its ocean catch totalled 346,435 kg, against a patch estimated at 79,000 tonnes or more.

British Columbia old-growth deferrals and mill closures

From 2020 British Columbia deferred logging in parts of its remaining old forest. Analyses since have found logging continued in recommended deferral areas, while the forest industry linked mill closures to the deferrals and others pointed to an exhausted timber supply and a shift of industry capital to the United States.

Southern Cardamom REDD+ project and the arrest of Pork Nget (Cambodia)

A REDD+ carbon project run by Wildlife Alliance with Cambodia's Ministry of Environment received more than 27 million Verra credits. Human Rights Watch reported that Indigenous Chong families were not consulted for 31 months and that some were evicted, detained or beaten; Wildlife Alliance denied the abuses, Verra reinstated the project in September 2024, and a Chong farmer was arrested in his field in June 2024.

Plastic credits and Philippines PCX

Plastic credits are sold by registries including Verra and the Philippines-based Plastic Credit Exchange. Investigations found that most plastic collected under the Philippine scheme went to cement kilns, and that Nestlé Philippines spent all of $732,900 on credits from burning.

Alberta orphan wells and mine liabilities

In Alberta, security held against oil-sands mine closure costs was recorded at $1.46 billion against $28.35 billion of liabilities, while the inventory of wells left without a solvent owner reached 7,302 by July 2026. Mines are secured in advance; orphan-well cleanup is paid for afterwards by an industry levy and public loans.

Gigablue and Planetary Technologies ocean carbon credits

Two ocean carbon-removal companies sold credits in 2025: Gigablue (Israel) 200,000 credits to an aviation-focused buyer, and Planetary Technologies (Canada) credits to technology companies and an airline. A Danish scientist questioned Gigablue's method; the company said it was not fertilising the ocean.

UN plastics treaty negotiations (INC-5, Geneva, Nairobi, Bangkok)

Two formal rounds of negotiations on a UN plastics treaty, in Busan in 2024 and Geneva in 2025, ended without agreement. Industry lobbyists outnumbered some national delegations, and a production cap remained in square brackets in the chair's 2026 text.

Salonga National Park ranger abuses (DR Congo)

Rangers in Salonga National Park, which WWF co-manages with the Congolese parks authority ICCN, were reported to have killed, raped and tortured people between 2002 and 2016. An independent panel appointed by WWF found no evidence that WWF staff directed abuses, and found that WWF had not fulfilled its human rights commitments in relation to Salonga.

WWF independent review (Pillay panel) and US funding suspension

In November 2020 an independent panel appointed by WWF reported that it saw no evidence that WWF staff directed alleged ranger abuses in six countries, and that WWF's human rights commitments had been implemented inconsistently. In 2019 and 2020 the US government suspended and then conditioned funds to conservation grantees including WWF and WCS.

IMIP nickel waste landslides and Obi island (Indonesia)

Nickel-waste storage at the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park collapsed in March 2025, killing three subcontract workers, and a further landslide killed one worker in February 2026. On Obi Island, residents of Kawasi village and an OCCRP-led investigation reported chromium-6 readings above Indonesia's drinking-water limit near a nickel smelter; the operator disputes the findings.

Used cooking oil and POME biofuel certification fraud (ISCC, EU/UK)

Fuel made from ‘waste’ oils counts double in the EU and the UK, and certificates from the ISCC scheme attest that the oil is waste. Estimates of how much imported used cooking oil is mislabelled palm oil range from about one third to about 80 per cent; no regulator finding has put a figure on it.

Mekong sand mining (Cambodia, Vietnam)

Sand is dredged from the Mekong in Cambodia and Vietnam for construction, roads and land infill. Researchers estimate extraction far above natural replenishment; records of volumes, licences and exports differ between declarations and measurements.

BP “Beyond Petroleum” campaign and carbon footprint calculator

BP and the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather launched a “Beyond Petroleum” branding campaign in 2000 and a personal carbon footprint calculator in 2004. A researcher says the campaign helped spread the term “carbon footprint” and directed responsibility to individuals; BP says it did not popularise the concept.

Mikoko Pamoja mangrove project

A community mangrove carbon project in Gazi Bay, Kenya, certified by Plan Vivo, sets aside 117 hectares of mangrove and sells carbon credits. Reported revenue is about $15,000 a year, and about $117,000 has gone to community projects.

Verra plastic credits

A report for Fauna & Flora found that 228 of the 10,146 plastic credits issued under Verra’s Plastic Waste Reduction Standard (2.2%) had been retired by July 2024. Verra accepts incineration with energy recovery and cement-kiln co-processing as end-of-life treatment.

Nepal community forestry

A 2019 study of more than 18,000 community forests in Nepal found 37% less deforestation and 4.3% less poverty than in matched comparison areas. A January 2026 study of rural inequality reported that the poverty gain went mainly to dominant caste groups and that the Dalit gain was not statistically significant.

Livelihoods Fund mangrove project (Senegal)

A mangrove-planting project in the Casamance and Sine Saloum deltas planted 10,415 hectares in 2009–2012 and issued almost 500,000 credits, all of which went to its corporate investors. A 2014 verification found almost total loss of tree cover in a quarter of sampled plots.

Messok Dja ecoguard abuses (Republic of Congo)

A leaked draft UN Development Programme investigation reported credible evidence of beatings of Baka men, women and children by ecoguards at the Messok Dja project. A review commissioned by WWF found the consent process did not comply with international human rights norms. The record shows no prosecutions.

Pacific tuna Vessel Day Scheme

Pacific island states that are parties to the Nauru Agreement sell fishing days to tuna fleets, and their access revenue rose from US$64 million in 2010 to US$357 million in 2015. Catch reached a record in 2024, the fishery's certificate was widened in 2024, and Kiribati's Phoenix Islands protected area was reopened to fishing.

Mareña Renovables wind farm (Mexico)

A wind farm project in Oaxaca, Mexico had its original site cancelled in early 2014 and was rebuilt as Eólica del Sur at other sites with an Inter-American Development Bank loan. A community police member who opposed the project was killed in July 2018; no court outcome has been found.

El Salvador debt-for-nature swap

In October 2024 JPMorgan arranged and lent US$1 billion for a Lempa River programme in a debt-for-nature transaction with El Salvador, backed by political risk insurance from the US Development Finance Corporation.

Atlanta BeltLine

A green loop in Atlanta, the BeltLine, was launched with a 2005 commitment to 5,600 affordable homes. Fewer than 1,000 had been built by 2017, while nearby home values rose faster than the city's.

Gulfstream oil spill (Tobago)

In February 2024 a barge with no recorded flag or insurer released about 4,652 tonnes of fuel oil off Tobago, and the oil reached Bonaire, 830 km away. The registered owner had not been identified, and the IOPC 1992 Fund paid the claims.

US Superfund tax and funding shortfall

The US Superfund programme, created in 1980 to clean up contaminated sites, was financed by chemical and petroleum taxes until they lapsed at the end of 1995. The taxes returned in 2022 and 2023; fiscal 2024 receipts were about $1.2 billion against an estimate of $2.5 billion.

Coca-Cola World Without Waste targets reset

In 2018 The Coca-Cola Company set packaging goals under its World Without Waste programme. In December 2024 it removed its 25% reusable-packaging target and its virgin-plastic reduction goal and lowered its recycled-content and collection targets, moving them to 2035.

Kiribati PIPA opened to fishing

The Phoenix Islands Protected Area, 408,250 square kilometres of ocean, was closed to commercial fishing in 2015. In November 2021 the Government of Kiribati announced it would end the closure, and the area opened formally in 2023.

Frontier buyers' club, Microsoft and the Puro.earth / Exomad Green biochar deal

A buyers' club of technology and consulting firms negotiates prices for carbon removal credits, reviews suppliers and accepts deliveries, while Microsoft bought about 91% of long-term removal tonnes in the first half of 2025. Microsoft's agreement for 1.24 million tonnes of biochar from Bolivia is certified by a registry majority-owned by Nasdaq; no independent investigation of that supply chain was found.

Resolute Forest Products v Greenpeace

A Canadian forest products company sued Greenpeace in a US federal court under the racketeering law (RICO) after a dispute over logging in the boreal forest. The court dismissed the racketeering claims in 2019 and the remaining claims in 2023, and the parties announced the end of the litigation in April 2024.

US syndicated conservation easement tax shelters (EcoVest, Fisher and Sinnott)

Investors in US partnerships bought land and donated conservation easements, claiming federal tax deductions that an IRS preliminary analysis put at an average of $9 per $1 invested. The IRS, a Senate investigation, courts and Congress acted over several years, and two promoters were convicted in 2023.

Duke Energy coal ash cleanup cost recovery (North Carolina)

Duke Energy's coal ash cleanup in North Carolina was estimated at $8 to 9 billion. Regulators allowed part of the cost to be recovered from customers, and a January 2021 settlement with the state attorney general kept about $1.1 billion off customer bills.

Rigel scuttling (Calabria)

The cargo ship Rigel sank off Calabria in 1987 after sailing with a declared cargo of marble. A La Spezia court accepted that the sinking was deliberate and an insurance fraud; the real cargo was never established and a suspicion of toxic or radioactive waste was never tested because the wreck was not found.

Grecia Express ferry scuttling (Greece)

The ferry Grecia Express sank at Aegion in the Gulf of Corinth in 1994. The insurer alleged that the owner scuttled her; an English court found the owner not complicit and ordered US$9.9m, including anti-pollution expenses.

Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips killing (Brazil)

Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips were killed on 5 June 2022 in the Javari Valley, Amazonas. As of October 2026 no verdict had been found; the trial of those accused of carrying out the killings was moved to Manaus in February 2026.

Thoothukudi Sterlite copper smelter protest shooting

Police fired on people protesting against Vedanta's Sterlite copper smelter in Thoothukudi, India, on 22 May 2018, killing 13. The plant was ordered closed on 28 May 2018, and India's Supreme Court dismissed the company's appeal in 2024.

Rio Tinto Juukan Gorge destruction

Rio Tinto destroyed rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in Australia by blasting on 24 May 2020. The shelters are reported to have been 46,000 years old.

Kirazlı gold mine (Alamos Gold), Kaz Dağları, Çanakkale

Canadian company Alamos Gold's Kirazlı gold project in the Kaz Dağları area of Çanakkale, Türkiye, lost its operating licence in 2019, drew a USD 1 billion arbitration claim in 2021, and was sold to a Turkish company for USD 470 million in 2025. The number of trees felled is put at between 13,400 and 347,815, depending on the source.

Duke Energy coal ash insurance dispute

In 2017 Duke Energy sued about 30 insurers over coverage for coal ash cleanup liabilities estimated at $5.1 billion. Settlements with 23 insurers brought in about $418 million by August 2021; regulators separately allowed part of the cost to be passed to customers.

Enbridge Line 6B oil spill, Marshall, Michigan

An oil spill from Enbridge's Line 6B pipeline was recorded at Marshall, Michigan, on 25–26 July 2010. Insurers paid $547 million of a $650 million aggregate limit against a recorded total cost of $1.215 billion, and the company lost an arbitration against one insurer in 2017.

UK undercover policing of environmental groups

Mark Kennedy served in the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU), and convictions of environmental protesters were quashed because of his role. A tribunal found human-rights breaches in a separate claim against the Met and the NPCC, and a public inquiry has not yet examined the NPOIU.

Chemours spin-off liabilities

DuPont spun off Chemours in 2015, and DuPont's PFAS liabilities were transferred to the new company. Chemours, DuPont and Corteva have since settled PFAS claims under cost-sharing arrangements, and Chemours has sued DuPont over how the liabilities were divided.

Deep-sea mining: TMC, NORI, the NOAA permit and the ISA

The Metals Company, through subsidiaries holding seabed exploration contracts in the Pacific, applied to a US regulator for a commercial recovery permit under a 1980 US law. The International Seabed Authority, which governs the area under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, has not adopted rules for commercial mining.

Satartia CO2 pipeline rupture (Mississippi)

On 22 February 2020 a landslide ruptured a carbon dioxide pipeline near Satartia, Mississippi. More than 200 people were evacuated and at least 45 were taken to hospital.

Lucona sinking (Indian Ocean)

In January 1977 a time bomb sank the cargo ship Lucona in the Indian Ocean; six of the twelve people aboard died. Its owner was later convicted of murder and fraud.

Ikarian Reefer fire (Sierra Leone)

A refrigerated cargo ship ran aground off Sierra Leone in 1985 and then caught fire. Underwriters refused a claim of about US$3 million, alleging the fire was set with the owners' connivance; the Court of Appeal found in 1995 that the fire was deliberate.

Ok Tedi mine (Papua New Guinea)

A copper-gold mine in Papua New Guinea has released tailings into the Ok Tedi and Fly rivers since 1984. Villagers sued BHP in 1994; BHP left in 2001–2002 under a law that shielded it from future environmental claims, and the PNG parliament removed that protection in 2013.

Amoco Cadiz oil spill (France)

The Amoco Cadiz oil spill occurred off Brittany on 16 March 1978. French claimants sued the owner's parent group in a US court; the award recorded was under half of the initial claims.

India FCRA licence cancellations of environmental NGOs

Several organisations working on environmental and related policy issues in India lost their licences to receive foreign donations between 2015 and 2024. One research source reports about 20,693 such cancellations across all NGOs in a decade.

Thunder illegal fishing chase

Sea Shepherd pursued the fishing vessel Thunder for what it calls 110 days in 2014–15 until the ship sank off São Tomé and Príncipe. Three of its officers were convicted there, and its owner was fined in Spain in 2018.

Ecopetrol Lizama well blowout (Colombia)

A blowout at Ecopetrol's Lizama 158 well in March 2018 was followed by a regulatory fine. The fine was cut on appeal; a press report puts the number of animals killed at about 2,400.

Lake Turkana Wind Power and the Marsabit-Suswa transmission line delay

A 310 MW wind farm in northern Kenya was ready on 27 January 2017, but the state-built transmission line was completed only in September 2019. Kenya's Auditor-General recorded Ksh 18.5 billion in payments claimed for electricity that could not be delivered, and a Kenyan court has found that the titles to about 150,000 acres of community land were irregularly acquired.

Plachimada Coca-Cola plant (India)

A Kerala commission assessed compensation of Rs 216 crore against Hindustan Coca-Cola for groundwater withdrawal and the distribution of cadmium-containing sludge as fertiliser at Plachimada. Down To Earth later reported that the compensation had not been paid.

Chlordecone in the French Antilles

Chlordecone, an insecticide used on banana plantations, left lasting pollution in Guadeloupe and Martinique. An administrative appeals court found the French State at fault over exemptions, while the criminal case was closed in 2025.

W.R. Grace, Libby asbestos and Maryland Casualty

In Libby, Montana, a jury in 2022 awarded USD 36.5 million against Maryland Casualty, W.R. Grace's workers' compensation insurer and safety adviser, in a bellwether asbestos trial. The judge found the insurer knew of the risk and urged Grace to conceal reports.

Fosen wind farm and Sámi reindeer herders

Norway's Supreme Court ruled in October 2021 that the licences for two wind farms on the Fosen peninsula were invalid and that the turbines violated the cultural rights of Sámi reindeer herders. The turbines kept operating, and a March 2024 settlement left them in place.

Tamil Nadu sand quarries measured by drone

Records showed 28 licensed sand quarries in Tamil Nadu. A drone and LiDAR survey presented by India's financial-crime unit to the Madras High Court measured an excavated area about five times the licensed area and a volume about seven times the recorded volume.

xAI Colossus gas turbines (Memphis, Southaven)

xAI runs gas turbines to power data-centre sites in Memphis, Tennessee, and Southaven, Mississippi. In April 2026 the NAACP sued the company in federal court over 27 turbines at Southaven, alleging unlawful operation.

Removal of the Endangered Species Act 'harm' definition

In July 2026 two US federal agencies removed the regulatory definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act, which had covered significant habitat modification that kills or injures listed wildlife. Three lawsuits challenging the change were filed that month.

Bikini Atoll resettlement trust fund

A trust fund set up by the US Congress for the people displaced by nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll fell from about $60 million in 2018 to $89,002 on 30 June 2024. The Bikini council and four individuals have sued the fund's manager in Delaware; the manager's position is not in the sources reviewed.

Montrose DDT insurance case

Montrose Chemical, a DDT producer, sued its liability insurers in California over cover for the contamination its operations caused. The state Supreme Court ruled against the insurers in 1995 and again in 2020, and the industry then added a clause to exclude damage known before a policy.

Saweto killings

Four Asháninka leaders who opposed illegal logging on their land in Ucayali, Peru, were killed on 1 September 2014. Loggers were convicted in 2023 and again on retrial in 2024; the convictions were upheld in 2025, nine to eleven years after the killings.

Juan López killing and Guapinol mine

Juan López, a municipal councillor and river defender, was killed in Tocoa, Honduras, on 14 September 2024. He had opposed an iron-oxide mine in the core zone of Carlos Escaleras National Park; the record shows arrests but no conviction.

Salar de Atacama lithium extraction

Albemarle and SQM extract lithium brine from the Salar de Atacama in Chile; SQM and the state company Codelco have formed a joint company to operate there to 2060. Albemarle's site received a responsible-mining rating and, separately, a regulator's penalty for brine extraction above its limit, which a court upheld in September 2026.

US bird flu indemnity and egg prices

Since February 2022 more than 200 million US commercial birds have been lost to avian influenza, and the federal government has paid more than a billion dollars in indemnity. Four companies received about a quarter of the bird and egg payments, and one of them, Cal-Maine, reported record profits and a Department of Justice inquiry into egg prices.

Fondomonte groundwater pumping in Arizona

A Saudi dairy company's subsidiary grew alfalfa with groundwater in Arizona and, according to the state's Attorney General, pumped more than 81% of the water drawn from one basin in 2023. Residents' wells have dried, and the state sued the company in December 2024.

Jadar lithium project

Serbia's government revoked the planning basis for Rio Tinto's Jadar lithium project in 2022 after mass protests, and the Constitutional Court's 2024 ruling led to its restoration. According to Bloomberg, Rio Tinto suspended the project in November 2025.

Jakarta water privatisation

From 1998 to 2023 Jakarta's piped-water network was run by two private concessionaires. Indonesia's Supreme Court found the arrangement unlawful in 2017; records differ on what that ruling changed.

Ohio HB6 bribery scandal

Between 2017 and 2020 the utility FirstEnergy paid about $60 million to a group controlled by the Speaker of the Ohio House while a 2019 law subsidising two nuclear plants and supporting coal plants was passed. The Speaker was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Maine PFAS sludge farms

In May 2023 the PFAS Project reported that high PFAS levels had been found on 56 farms in Maine. A $60 million fund had been set up for affected farms; about $1 million had been paid out.

Birgo scuttling (Norway)

The bulk carrier Birgo sank in Nedstrandfjorden, Norway, in July 1978 with a cargo of ferrosilicon. Its owner was later convicted and ordered to repay the insurer and the cargo owner.

Love Canal (New York)

Insurers of Hooker, later part of the Occidental group, went to court over Love Canal coverage from 1980. A federal court found Hooker negligent but not reckless in 1994, and Occidental paid New York State in 1994 and the US government $129 million in 1995.

Barro Blanco hydro dam (Panama)

A 28.8 MW hydroelectric dam in Panama was registered under the UN Clean Development Mechanism and financed with USD 50 million in loans from FMO and DEG. An independent complaints panel found that the two banks had breached their own policies, and Panama withdrew the UN registration in November 2016.

Groningen gas field

A study published by IISD in January 2026 reported revenue of EUR 364 billion for the Dutch state and EUR 65 billion for the companies from the Groningen gas field. In 2026 the field was the subject of arbitration cases against the Netherlands and of a court order for a new decision on compensation.

Kerr-McGee / Anadarko fraudulent transfer settlement

A US court found that the separation of Tronox from Kerr-McGee was a fraudulent transfer. Anadarko Petroleum, whose subsidiaries were the defendants, paid USD 5.15 billion in a settlement, USD 4.4 billion of it for cleanup and environmental claims.

Brazil: benefit-sharing fund (FNRB) and IBAMA biopiracy fines

Brazil's benefit-sharing fund (FNRB) collected R$7.44 million from 65 companies in 2020–2024 and, by May 2024, had made no monetary transfer to communities. IBAMA, the environment agency, had issued R$221.6 million in biopiracy fines by 2014.

Chlorothalonil metabolites in Swiss groundwater

Breakdown products of the fungicide chlorothalonil, used in Switzerland since the 1970s, were found in groundwater in a 2017 pilot study. The substance has been banned since 2020.

Diamond Shamrock Lister Avenue dioxin, Passaic River

Dioxin from a chemical plant in Newark, New Jersey, was discharged into the Passaic River until at least 1969. New Jersey courts later found that the plant's insurers owed no coverage for the Newark plant claims.

Belo Monte hydrograph and Volta Grande flow reduction

Federal prosecutors in Brazil reported that the flow schedule for the Volta Grande reach of the Xingu River below the Belo Monte dam had failed, and a court ordered it revised in December 2025. Reports cite fish deaths at the turbine intakes and the loss of fish species in the reduced-flow reach.

Jakarta evictions, Ciliwung normalisation and the Giant Sea Wall

Civil-society counts record 113 forced evictions in Jakarta in 2015, and residents evicted under the Ciliwung normalisation programme later won a court ruling. In 2025 the Indonesian president approved a US$80 billion sea wall along Java's north coast.

World Bank and development bank accountability mechanisms: Embobut (Sengwer), Tata Mundra, Arun III, Jale, Cambodia

Development banks run complaint bodies for people harmed by projects they finance. This record follows five matters, with the most complete account for the 2014 World Bank Inspection Panel finding on the Embobut forest in Kenya and the 2018 killing of a Sengwer herder in an EU-funded forest programme.

3M PFOS: internal evidence, EPA penalty and Minnesota settlement

3M sold the fluorochemical PFOS until 2000. Internal studies from the 1970s found it more toxic than expected; the company told the EPA in 1998 that it had found PFOS in blood but no adverse effects in workers. An EPA charge closed in 2006 with a $1.5 million payment, and Minnesota settled for $850 million in 2018.

Phosphate detergents and Lake Erie eutrophication; phosphate bans

Phosphate made up 15–17% of household detergent by weight in 1969, up from 7–12% in 1959. US states, Germany and the US industry itself later limited or dropped it.

Jiyeh power plant oil spill (Lebanon, 2006)

An oil spill in 2006 affected the Lebanese coast near the Jiyeh power plant. The UN General Assembly has repeatedly asked Israel for compensation; a UN figure puts the damage at USD 856.4 million as of 2014.

Riachuelo cleanup resettlement (Buenos Aires)

After a 2008 Supreme Court ruling made the cleanup of the Riachuelo basin binding, families living on the riverbank were to be rehoused. Twelve years after a 2010 framework agreement, 5,893 of 17,771 families had a completed housing solution.

Atlantik Confidence deliberate sinking (Oman)

A bulk carrier carrying steel caught fire and sank off Oman in April 2013. An English court found in 2016 that it had been sunk deliberately at the request of the person it described as the owners' alter ego; the hull underwriters, who had paid US$22 million, then sued to recover the money.

Aznalcóllar mine spill (Spain)

A 1998 accident at the Aznalcóllar / Los Frailes mine in Spain, operated by Boliden Apirsa, produced claims of about 40 billion pesetas. In 2023 a Seville court rejected the Andalusian government's €89.9 million claim against Boliden; in 2025 the government approved the last permit to reopen the mine.

Renova Foundation (Mariana dam, Brazil)

After the 2015 collapse of the Mariana tailings dam, a foundation funded by the mining companies ran the repair programmes for nine years. In October 2024 it was closed and replaced by a R$170 billion agreement, of which R$38 billion had already been spent.

Roger Hallam sentence and UK Public Order Act protests

Roger Hallam was sentenced in July 2024 to five years in prison in the M25 conspiracy case, at the time the longest UK sentence for non-violent protest. The Court of Appeal cut it to four years in March 2025.

Cargill IBAMA fine (Brazil)

In May 2018 Brazil's environment agency IBAMA announced a fine of R$5,000,000 on Cargill Agrícola for buying soy from areas IBAMA had embargoed in the Cerrado. Cargill is also a listed corporate partner of WWF-US.

Cerrejón coal mine ruling (Colombia)

On 16 December 2019 Colombia's Constitutional Court protected the rights to health and a healthy environment of the people of the Provincial Indigenous Reserve, a Wayúu community affected by the Cerrejón coal mining project, and ordered limits on coal-dust emissions.

Sime Darby Plantation withhold release order

In December 2020 US Customs and Border Protection issued a Withhold Release Order on palm oil produced by Sime Darby Plantation, on forced-labour grounds. Later steps are reported only in secondary listings and are not stated here as fact.

MV Wakashio oil spill (Mauritius)

The MV Wakashio ran aground off Mauritius in 2020. Its owner sought to cap its liability under the LLMC regime; on 23 February 2026 the Supreme Court of Mauritius refused limitation for oil pollution claims.

Lead paint public nuisance insurance (Santa Clara)

After a California public-nuisance suit over lead paint was settled in 2019, courts in California, New York and Ohio gave differing rulings on whether insurers had to cover the companies' payments into the abatement fund.

Wolverine World Wide PFAS, Rockford (Michigan)

Wolverine World Wide, whose Rockford, Michigan operations are linked in the record to tannery PFAS from Scotchgard, sued its legacy insurers in December 2018. A federal court held in 2021 that they owed a duty to defend.

MV Rak Carrier coal and oil spill (Mumbai)

A coal-laden ship went down about 20 nautical miles off Mumbai in August 2011, and oil and tar balls reached beaches as far as Raigad. The ship's Romanian insurer refused to pay for environmental damage; in 2016 India's National Green Tribunal ordered the owners to pay Rs 100 crore.

Paraquat litigation (Syngenta/Chevron) and the Paraquat Papers

Plaintiffs in the United States allege that the weed killer paraquat causes Parkinson's disease. Internal company documents released through litigation and published in 2022 and 2023 recorded decades of company findings on paraquat and the brain and efforts to influence science and regulators. By July 2026 more than 8,000 federal cases were pending and none had gone before a jury; Syngenta had settled without admitting liability and announced it would end Gramoxone sales.

Dorothy Stang killing

Dorothy Stang was killed on 12 February 2005 in Anapu, Pará, Brazil. Two ranchers were convicted of ordering the killing; one of them was released in 2018 and ordered back to prison in 2019.

Adolfo Ich killing and the Fénix nickel project

Adolfo Ich Chamán was killed on 27 September 2009 in El Estor, Guatemala. He had opposed the Fénix nickel project of CGN, then owned by Hudbay.

DuPont, Chemours and Corteva: PFAS cost-sharing and water-system settlement

In 2021 DuPont, Corteva and Chemours agreed to share the costs of legacy PFAS claims. In 2023 the three companies agreed to a US$1.185 billion fund for US public water systems, and further settlements with Ohio and New Jersey followed. The companies deny the allegations.

Asbestos 524(g) bankruptcy trusts and J&J talc two-step

US asbestos claims are paid from trusts set up in bankruptcy under Section 524(g). A 2011 federal audit found a median payment of 25% of claim value; later, companies moved talc and asbestos claims into new entities that filed for bankruptcy.

Karachaganak oil arbitration and the sulphur-fine reports (Kazakhstan)

Times of Central Asia reported, citing an anonymous source, that the consortium at the Karachaganak field was ordered to pay in an arbitration with Kazakhstan. The roughly $5 billion sulphur fine reported in April 2026 is described in its sources as a Kashagan fine and is recorded under that case.

Nauru and Banaba phosphate mining compensation

Phosphate from Nauru and Banaba (now part of Kiribati) was sold at half the world price between 1920 and 1968, according to Te Ara. Britain and New Zealand gave A$10 million, according to RNZ; a larger Australian payment and an ex gratia payment for Banaba are reported only in summary-level sources.

Gulf War compensation (UNCC) and Kuwait oil-damage remediation

A UN commission was set up after the 1991 Gulf War to handle claims against Iraq. Soil remediation in Kuwait was still producing new contracts in 2025, with remediation contracts of USD 949 million in 2021 and USD 460 million in 2023.

Turmeric, neem, basmati, Nap Hal patent revocations

Evidence from India's Traditional Knowledge Digital Library is reported to have stopped 265 patent applications by March 2022, and the Nap Hal wheat patent was revoked at the European Patent Office in 2004. Several other revocations are reported but not independently verified. The sources reviewed record no payment returning to the source communities.

Texas anti-ESG law SB 13 and the states' suit against BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street

In 2021 Texas passed SB 13, which blacklists financial institutions that boycott fossil-fuel companies. In November 2024 Texas and other states sued BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street, alleging they coordinated through climate initiatives to curb coal production; Vanguard settled in February 2026 for $29.5 million without admitting wrongdoing.

Nature Conservancy gas drilling on Texas City Prairie Preserve

The Nature Conservancy drilled for gas on a Texas prairie that Mobil Oil had donated in 1995 and that was the last wild breeding area of the endangered Attwater's prairie chicken. The Washington Post reported in 2003 that the well earned about $8 million by January 2002 while the number of nesting birds fell.

Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, Acre

The Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve was created in Acre, Brazil, in March 1990, fifteen months after the rubber-tapper leader was shot dead. Records for 2019–2024 show clearing, cattle and pasture inside it.

Green Belt Movement and Karura Forest, Kenya

A tree-planting movement founded in Kenya in 1977 campaigned against land grabs in public forests. The record shows 477 hectares of Karura Forest allocated to 64 developers in 1994–1999 and continuing tree-cover loss in the Mau Forest.

Rockhopper v. Italy (Ombrina Mare): the ICSID award and who financed it

A tribunal ordered Italy to pay Rockhopper Exploration EUR 190 million plus interest after Italy banned oil and gas activity within 12 miles of its coast. An ICSID committee annulled the award in 2025, and the claim was re-opened.

Sengwer evictions from Embobut forest and the EU Water Towers programme (Kenya)

A Sengwer herder was shot dead in January 2018 in Embobut forest, Kenya, by Kenya Forest Service guards during evictions linked to an EU-funded water-tower programme. The EU suspended the programme the next day and closed it in 2020; evictions continued in 2024.

US Endangered Species Act rollbacks 2025–2026 (God Squad Gulf exemption, critical habitat rules)

Between 2025 and 2026 US authorities exempted Gulf of Mexico oil and gas activity from Endangered Species Act consultation, removed the regulatory definition of “harm”, and ended automatic protection for newly threatened species. Lawsuits were filed over the exemption.

PFAS water utility settlements by 3M, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva

3M's settlement with US public water systems over PFAS received final approval on 29 March 2024; the present value of the payments was put at US$10.3 billion. The American Water Works Association said in 2023 that treating PFOA and PFOS would cost more than US$3.8 billion a year, with the burden falling on customers.

Cambodian sand exports to Singapore (Koh Kong, Mekong, Bassac)

Singapore's recorded sand imports from Cambodia for 2007 to 2015 were 72.7 million tonnes; Cambodia recorded exports of 2.8 million tonnes. Sand licences on the Koh Kong coast, the Mekong and the Bassac went to firms linked to senators and officials, and activists who documented the dredging were jailed.

1,4-dioxane in Tide: Prop 65 settlement and New York limit

1,4-dioxane forms as a by-product when laundry-detergent surfactants are made, and does not appear on labels. The EPA revised its risk determination in November 2024; a 2011 test of Tide, a 2013 California settlement and New York limits are reported but not yet verified.

Milas–Yatağan olive groves opened to mining (Law 7554, temporary article 45)

A 2025 law added a temporary article to Turkey's Mining Law that opens mapped olive groves in Milas and Yatağan to mining if the trees are moved or an equivalent grove is established. Producers, courts and the Constitutional Court are now involved.

Aydın geothermal plants and fig orchards (Sarı Zeybek, Çamköy, Germencik)

In Aydın, Turkey's main fig-growing province, courts annulled environmental decisions for geothermal wells planned in fig orchards, and a minister reported a non-standard discharge from a geothermal plant. Plant owners are paid under a purchase guarantee set in Law 5346.

Owino Uhuru lead poisoning (Mombasa, Kenya)

A record of lead poisoning at Owino Uhuru, Mombasa, with a compensation award reported to have been overturned on appeal in 2023. The research file for this case holds little verified material.

Lliuya v RWE

A Peruvian farmer sued the German energy company RWE for €17,000, a sum corresponding to RWE's share of about 0.47% of global emissions, because a glacial lake above his home could overflow. In May 2025 the court in Hamm accepted such liability in principle and dismissed the claim.

EDF spying on Greenpeace (France)

In November 2011 a court in Nanterre fined the French utility EDF €1.5 million and ordered it to pay €500,000 to Greenpeace in a surveillance case. In February 2013 the Versailles appeal court acquitted EDF.

PepsiCo potato variety registration (India)

The registration of PepsiCo's FL-2027 potato variety in India was revoked in 2021. The Delhi High Court upheld the revocation in 2023, and a division bench of the same court set it aside in 2024.

Mar Menor legal personhood (Spain)

In 2022 Spain's Law 19/2022 gave the Mar Menor coastal lagoon legal personality, after a popular legislative initiative with 639,826 signatures. The Constitutional Court upheld the law on 20 November 2024.

La Oroya smelter ruling (Peru)

In March 2024 the Inter-American Court of Human Rights held the Peruvian state responsible for pollution from the La Oroya metallurgical complex and for a lack of oversight. A separate arbitration claim of at least US$800 million by Renco against Peru was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

Great Nicobar project compensatory afforestation (India)

About 130 km² of tropical forest on Great Nicobar island was set aside for an airport, port, power plant and city, with the compensatory afforestation planned about 2,400 km away in Haryana. On 20 June 2023 a Haryana village's land was placed under protection, and the state's mining department auctioned a quarter of it the same day.

Indus Waters Treaty suspension

India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in April 2025. In August 2025 a Court of Arbitration issued an award on the treaty's general interpretation, which Pakistan welcomed and India did not recognise.

Mau Forest loss and forest excisions (Kenya)

Satellite data showed the Mau Forest lost 19% of its tree cover in 2001–2022. Kenya's Forest Service said satellite images did not reflect the situation on the ground, and the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights ruled on the eviction of the Ogiek people from the forest.

REDcycle soft plastics collapse (Australia)

REDcycle, a soft-plastic collection programme run with the supermarkets Coles and Woolworths, was wound up on 27 February 2023. Reports said it had stockpiled more than 12,000 tonnes of collected plastic in warehouses.

Portland Harbor Superfund cleanup plan (Willamette River, Oregon)

In 2016 the US Environmental Protection Agency proposed dredging 150 acres of the Portland Harbor Superfund site and leaving 1,876 acres to monitored natural recovery. Its January 2017 decision chose active cleanup of 365 acres and natural recovery for about 1,774 acres.

PCB pollution and the Monsanto Anniston settlement

Monsanto settled claims by Anniston, Alabama residents over PCB pollution, reported at US$700 million. In 2025 Bayer, which owns Monsanto, sued an insurer over cover for later PCB settlements.

Alexander II fishing boat sinking attempt

In August 2009 the owner of a fishing boat arranged for its crew to flood and sink it off New Jersey. The attempt failed and the Coast Guard rescued the crew. The insurer denied the owner's US$400,000 claim.

Chico Mendes murder (Brazil)

Chico Mendes, a rubber tappers' leader who opposed forest clearing for cattle ranching, was shot at his home in Xapuri, Acre, on 22 December 1988. A rancher and his son were sentenced to 19 years each, and the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve was created in March 1990.

José Cláudio and Maria murder

José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva and Maria do Espírito Santo were killed on 24 May 2011 in Nova Ipixuna, Pará, Brazil. They had opposed illegal logging and charcoal production in a sustainable-use settlement.

Samir Flores murder and the Huexca power plant

Samir Flores Soberanes was killed on 20 February 2019 in Amilcingo, Morelos, days before the federal consultation on a state-owned power plant and gas pipeline he opposed. The only suspect was acquitted in March 2026.

Bazooka Rhadebe murder and Xolobeni mine (South Africa)

Sikhosiphi "Bazooka" Rhadebe, chair of the Amadiba Crisis Committee, was shot dead in March 2016 after opposing a titanium-sands mine at Xolobeni. No arrests had been reported by 2018, and the investigation was later reported to have been abandoned.

Shell Nigeria pipeline spill ruling (Hague Court of Appeal, 2021)

On 29 January 2021 the Hague Court of Appeal held Shell Nigeria liable for damage from leaks in oil pipelines at Oruma and Goi. The matter was settled in December 2022 for €15 million, without an admission of liability.

TotalEnergies v Greenpeace France

In 2023 TotalEnergies sued Greenpeace France over a November 2022 report on the company's emissions. On 28 March 2024 the Paris Judicial Court dismissed the suit on procedural grounds.

Lafarge La Malle sabotage and Soulèvements de la Terre dissolution

About 200 people sabotaged a Lafarge cement plant in France in December 2022. In June 2023 the government dissolved the movement Les Soulèvements de la Terre by decree; the Conseil d'État annulled the decree in November 2023.

Bayou Bridge pipeline arrests (Louisiana)

Sixteen activists and one journalist were arrested in August 2018, eight days after Louisiana's critical-infrastructure trespass law took effect. A court challenge to the law failed and the law remains in force.

Just Stop Oil / M25 conspiracy sentences (UK)

Roger Hallam was sentenced in July 2024 to five years over the M25 protest conspiracy; the Court of Appeal cut it to four years in March 2025. Just Stop Oil ended direct action in April 2025.

Topacio Reynoso killing and the Escobal silver mine

A 16-year-old was killed in Mataquescuintla, Guatemala, in April 2014. The record lists her among people killed who opposed the Escobal silver mine, which has been suspended since 2017 by a Constitutional Court order.

Dicamba drift (Bader Farms) and EPA re-registration

A peach grower, Bader Farms, won a jury verdict over dicamba drift from Monsanto and BASF products. Courts vacated the over-the-top dicamba registration in 2020 and 2024, and the EPA re-registered it in February 2026.

NEOM evictions and death sentences

UN human rights experts raised alarm in May 2023 over death sentences against tribal members who resisted eviction for NEOM in Saudi Arabia. In May 2026 Semafor reported that work on The Line was halted until after 2030 and the population target cut.

Los Cedros mining permits annulled (Ecuador)

In 2021 Ecuador's Constitutional Court annulled mining permits in the Los Cedros forest, finding that they violated the rights of nature. Reviewers reported that legal mining stopped while illegal mining and deforestation continued.

Kashagan sulphur environmental fine (Kazakhstan)

Kazakh authorities pursued an environmental fine of about $5 billion over sulphur at the Kashagan oil field. In April 2026 a report described the fine as upheld on appeal, setting back the oil majors in the consortium.

Bears Ears national monument shrinkage (USA)

Utah's Bears Ears National Monument was declared in 2016, reduced by about 85% in 2017, restored in 2021 and reduced by about 91% on 13 July 2026. Seven mining claims were filed in the removed area the next day.

Kenya logging ban lifted and eucalyptus felling

Kenya lifted its 2018 logging ban in July 2023 and a court set the decision aside in October 2023. A 2024 report cited six million eucalyptus trees in six months, while the government set a target of 15 billion trees by 2032.

Synagro biosolids and PFAS in Texas

Five farm families in Johnson County, Texas, sued Synagro in 2024, alleging that sewage sludge spread on a neighbouring field contaminated their water and killed animals. The company denies the claims.

K+S: Werra salt discharge and Monte Kali

The potash company K+S discharges saline wastewater into the Werra river in Germany and is seeking a permit to continue until 2039. It also holds a salt heap of about 150 million tonnes at Monte Kali.

India EPR fake certificates

India's plastic packaging system lets brands meet recycling duties by buying certificates. In October 2023 the central and state pollution control boards identified about 700,000 fake certificates, according to the Centre for Science and Environment.

New York v PepsiCo and LA County v PepsiCo/Coca-Cola

The State of New York sued PepsiCo over plastic pollution in the Buffalo River; a judge dismissed the suit in 2024 and the attorney general's office appealed. Los Angeles County sued PepsiCo and Coca-Cola over recyclability claims.

Bien Hoa dioxin cleanup and Agent Orange suit (Tran To Nga)

A French lawsuit by Tran To Nga against Agent Orange manufacturers was found inadmissible in 2021 and 2024; in July 2026 the Court of Cassation referred her appeal to its plenary assembly.

Tyson and Sanderson Farms 'no antibiotics' label cases

Two US poultry producers faced legal challenges over 'no antibiotics' and '100% natural' marketing. A 2024 federal test of 'no antibiotics' beef found residues in about one-fifth of samples.

Netherlands Q fever outbreak and goat sector growth

A Q fever outbreak linked to goats in the Netherlands was followed by culls and by growth in the goat population to more than 600,000 by 2019. Reporting on compensation for patients and families describes a maximum payment of EUR 15,000.

Lagos waterfront evictions (Otodo-Gbame, Badia East) and Eko Atlantic

Lagos State demolished waterfront settlements, citing public health and the environment, while the Eko Atlantic project dredged and reclaimed land from the sea. Amnesty International recorded forced evictions that it said went ahead despite court orders.

Alter do Chão and Dia do Fogo fire allegations

After the 2019 Amazon fires in Brazil, an allegation circulated that NGOs had set fires to attract donations. The Federal Police found no culprit among them. Two investigations into the separate "Dia do Fogo" were closed in 2024 without an indictment.

AdBlue cartel (Daimler, BMW, VW)

Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen coordinated the dosing of AdBlue, the fluid used to clean diesel exhaust. The European Commission fined VW and BMW 875 million euros in total; Daimler reported the cartel and was not fined.

End-of-life vehicle recycling cartel (EU carmakers, ACEA)

The European Commission fined 15 car manufacturers and their trade association ACEA a total of 458 million euros for agreeing, over 2002–2017, not to advertise recycled content in vehicles and not to pay dismantlers.

Niger Delta oil spills and sabotage attribution (Shell, Eni)

In the Niger Delta, the cause of an oil spill is recorded in joint investigations run with the operating companies, and spills classed as sabotage attract no compensation. Critics say this lets companies avoid payment; Shell attributes most spills to sabotage.

South African west coast rock lobster quota and WWF court case

In September 2018 the Western Cape High Court found the 2017/18 west coast rock lobster quota unlawful and unconstitutional. The stock was at about 2% of its pre-exploitation level.

US tax deductibility of environmental settlements (IRC 162(f))

US tax law denies a deduction for amounts paid to a government for violating a law, but allows one for amounts identified in the settlement as restitution, remediation or compliance. A 2005 GAO review found that agencies did not negotiate the point and that responding companies deducted all or part of the payment in 20 of 34 settlements.

Volkswagen, Audi and Daimler diesel fines (Germany)

In 2018 German prosecutors issued administrative fine orders of 1 billion euros to Volkswagen and 800 million euros to Audi over diesel emissions. In each order 5 million euros was the fine and the rest was the recovery of economic benefit.

Georgia-Pacific, Bestwall and the Texas two-step

In 2017 Georgia-Pacific, a Koch-owned company, moved its asbestos liabilities into a new unit, Bestwall, which then filed for bankruptcy with about 64,000 cases pending. The proceeding had run more than nine years by 2026.

Peabody, Patriot Coal and coal self-bonding

US coal companies were allowed to back mine-cleanup obligations with their own balance sheets rather than third-party guarantees. After bankruptcies in 2015–2016 and 2019, the sums at stake became visible.

UNESCO World Heritage listings and Indigenous rights

Four African sites (Odzala-Kokoua, Lake Bogoria, Simien, Bwindi) were listed, or removed from the danger list, while questions about Indigenous peoples' consent, eviction or compensation were on record. The cases show how the listing process treated those questions.

Bou Craa phosphate mine and Morocco green hydrogen in Western Sahara

Phosphate from the Bou Craa mine in Western Sahara is carried to the coast on a conveyor powered by a wind farm, and Morocco has allocated land in the territory for green hydrogen. The EU's Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that agreements covering the territory require the consent of its people.

Peru Ley 31973 forest clearing amnesty and Constitutional Court

Peru amended its forest law in January 2024 to cover clearing carried out before that date. In February 2025 the Constitutional Court annulled only two transitional provisions of Law 31973, and the amnesty provision remained, according to press reports.

Hwang Woo-suk and the Sooam cloning business

A South Korean cloning scientist later worked in the United Arab Emirates, where he said he had cloned more than 150 camels. Most of the wider record on his earlier research and company is reported but not verified.

Turkish holdings' coal expansion alongside renewables (Cenal, Akbelen, İçdaş)

Several Turkish energy groups run coal or lignite plants and renewable projects under the same corporate roof. Reports from 2023 to 2026 describe a coal unit approval at Cenal, tree felling at Akbelen and loans to renewable arms of coal-owning groups.

Olkaria geothermal projects (Kenya)

Four Maasai villages were moved in 2014 to make way for the Olkaria IV geothermal plant in Kenya. In 2015 the World Bank Inspection Panel found the Bank had not applied its indigenous-peoples policy.

Seneca Village and Central Park (USA)

Central Park in New York was built between 1857 and 1876 on land that included Seneca Village, a community of about 225 people that was cleared in 1857. The park's neighbouring properties now carry a measured price premium.

North Sea platform decommissioning tax relief (UK)

UK tax law lets oil and gas operators recover part of the cost of dismantling North Sea platforms. The regulator estimated the remaining cost to the Exchequer at GBP 10.8 billion.

Golfrid Siregar death and Batang Toru hydro

A WALHI lawyer who was litigating against the 510 MW Batang Toru hydropower project in Indonesia was found injured in Medan in October 2019 and died three days later. Police concluded it was a single-vehicle accident; WALHI disputes this.

Vida Manglar mangrove project

A blue-carbon project in the Cispata mangroves of Colombia, run with Conservation International, issued 67,000 credits. The developer reports that all were sold and that 92% of proceeds go to local people; no published criticism was found.

DuPont CFC phase-out and the ozone treaty

In February 1988 DuPont declined a request from three US senators to stop making CFCs; in late March 1988 it announced a phase-out. The Montreal Protocol's 2016 Kigali Amendment later regulated HFCs, which do not harm ozone but are potent greenhouse gases.

Philippines activists Castro and Tamano disappearance

Two activists who opposed land reclamation in Manila Bay were abducted in Bataan in September 2023. The Supreme Court granted them protection writs and found elements of enforced disappearance.

WWF Nepal Chitwan ranger death (Shikharam Chaudhary)

A farmer died in the park jail at Chitwan National Park, Nepal, in 2006. Three park officials were charged with murder; the government withdrew the case in 2007.

Uzbek cotton boycott ends forced labour

A global boycott of Uzbek cotton was lifted in March 2022 after the ILO reported that the state-organised harvest mobilisation had ended. Later monitoring reports recorded continuing local coercion, pressure on farmers, and land and purchasing control concentrated in private cotton clusters.

Keep America Beautiful founding and Crying Indian ad (US)

Keep America Beautiful was founded in December 1953 by a can maker and a glass-bottle maker. In 1971 its 'Crying Indian' advertisement presented litter as a matter of individual behaviour, while its executives opposed container deposit laws.

MSC certification of Australian orange roughy trawl fishery

An Australian deep-sea trawl fishery for orange roughy was certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in February 2025, after an independent adjudicator had upheld an objection against an earlier assessment in January 2021. MSC narrowed its objections process the same month.

Newfoundland and Labrador community resettlement programmes

Since the 1950s the province has paid residents of small coastal communities to move, and in recent decades it has weighed each closure against twenty years of service costs. The northern cod fishery, banned from 1992, reopened in 2024 under a quota that critics questioned.

Raja Ampat nickel licences revoked

In June 2025 Indonesia revoked four of five nickel mining permits in the Raja Ampat islands. The state-linked company Gag Nikel kept operating.

Gabon debt-for-nature swap

In August 2023 Gabon bought back a US$500 million bond at US$436 million and issued a US$500 million blue bond with a US cover from the DFC. The Nature Conservancy sponsored the deal; Bank of America did not disclose its fee.

Saudi regional voluntary carbon market auction

In 2023 the Regional Voluntary Carbon Market Company, founded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, held a voluntary carbon credit auction. Saudi Aramco and the state electricity company were among the buyers.

Costa Rica payments for ecosystem services and forest recovery

Since 1997 Costa Rica has paid landowners not to cut forest or to plant trees, and forest cover rose from about 21% in the late 1980s to nearly 60%. An independent study of the early years found no significant effect of the payments on deforestation.

ARC drought insurance payout to Malawi

Malawi held African Risk Capacity drought insurance for the 2015/16 season. The model first estimated 20,594 people affected against about 2 million, and a USD 8.1 million payout came about nine months after the emergency declaration.

India PMFBY crop insurance

India's government-subsidised crop insurance scheme, run through public and private insurers, has been described by the agriculture ministry and by critics with different premium and claims figures. The sources reviewed give no ecological assessment of the scheme.

Ogijo battery recycling lead poisoning (Nigeria)

Journalists' blood and soil tests around lead smelters in Ogijo, Nigeria, found widespread lead poisoning; the smelters' lead went through a trader to a US battery maker. Authorities closed the plants in November 2025 and plants reopened from February 2026.

Onagawa and Fukushima Daiichi site elevation decisions

Two Japanese nuclear plants on the Tohoku coast were built at different heights above sea level in the 1960s and 1970s. When the 2011 tsunami arrived, the heights set decades earlier had different consequences at each site.

Jamaica catastrophe bonds and the Hurricane Melissa payout

Jamaica bought hurricane cover through World Bank catastrophe bonds and a Caribbean risk pool. The 2021 bond paid nothing; the 2024 bond paid its full US$150 million after Hurricane Melissa in 2025.

Verra registry fee structure, auditor ties and the Follow the Money response

Verra runs the largest voluntary carbon-credit registry; project developers choose and pay the auditors, and Verra earns a levy on each credit. Follow the Money argued this gives Verra a financial interest in being less strict; Verra replied that the arrangement is standard practice.

Carbon credit rating agencies and Space Intelligence rebuttal (Sylvera, BeZero)

Private firms such as Sylvera, BeZero and Calyx rate carbon credits, and sell their reports largely to credit buyers. Their investors and clients, and a company that sells monitoring to forest projects and led calls to retract a study critical of REDD+ credits, are examined in the record.

SBTi funding, Scope 3 EAC announcement and CEO exit

The Science Based Targets initiative, which validates company climate targets, is funded by donations and by approval fees paid by companies. In April 2024 its board issued a statement opening the door to environmental attribute certificates for supply-chain emissions; staff and advisers objected and the CEO stepped down in July 2024.

Coca-Cola and ILSI: influence on obesity policy in China and India

The International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), founded in 1978 by a Coca-Cola executive, has branches in China and India. A 2019 BMJ study and later reporting describe ILSI's links to health regulators in both countries; ILSI and Coca-Cola dispute the reading that it shaped policy.

Corio, ABP and forest land investments (Netherlands)

Corio N.V. was a Dutch shopping-centre investor, and the sources reviewed record no rainforest purchase by it. Its reported main shareholder, the pension fund ABP, separately held a majority of a forestry fund in Mozambique whose subsidiary a 2010 government review found occupying 32,000 hectares without land-use rights.

Hyphen green hydrogen project (Namibia)

A planned green hydrogen and ammonia export project inside the Tsau //Khaeb National Park near Lüderitz, in which the Namibian state holds 24%. Its final investment decision was postponed to the end of 2027.

Cane toad introduction (Australia)

In 1935 the cane toad was released in Queensland to control a sugar-cane pest. A warning issued the following year did not stop the releases, and the toad is now widespread.

Tropical Forest Forever Facility

A fund launched at COP30 in November 2025 targets 125 billion dollars to pay tropical forest countries for keeping forests standing. Its payment order puts private investors first and forest countries last.

Fikile Ntshangase murder and Somkhele coal mine (South Africa)

Fikile Ntshangase, who opposed the expansion of Tendele's Somkhele coal mine in KwaZulu-Natal, was killed in October 2020. The mine continued to operate.

Great Barrier Reef 'in danger' listing delayed

In 2021 an expert panel recommended listing the Great Barrier Reef as 'in danger' under the World Heritage Convention. The World Heritage Committee postponed the decision after the Australian government lobbied its members.

Sabarmati Riverfront Development (Ahmedabad)

Ahmedabad's Sabarmati riverfront project was presented as reclaiming the river for the city and won awards. Sources report thousands of families moved 7 to 15 km away and a river that downstream carries industrial effluent and sewage.

Cabo Pulmo National Park (Mexico) community no-take success

A village of about 100 people stopped fishing on its own reef in 1995. A peer-reviewed measurement found fish biomass rose from 0.75 to 4.24 tonnes per hectare between 1999 and 2009, while control areas did not change.

California forest carbon projects burned (Verra buffer pool)

Wildfires burned forests enrolled in carbon-offset projects in California. Credits for the burned carbon were replaced from the registry's shared buffer pool, which the records reviewed say was largely used up.

Coca-Cola plastic pledges and brand audits

Coca-Cola pledged in 2018 to collect a bottle or can for each one it sold by 2030. In December 2024 it revised its goals, while brand audits counted its products as the largest share of branded plastic waste.

Cosmos 1408 anti-satellite test (Russia)

On 15 November 2021 Russia destroyed its own satellite Cosmos 1408 with a missile in low Earth orbit. The test produced 1,807 catalogued pieces of debris, and the International Space Station crew sheltered in their spacecraft.

Standing Rock / Dakota Access: arrests, TigerSwan and the Greenpeace damages award

Between 761 and 854 people were arrested during the Dakota Access pipeline protests at Standing Rock, depending on who counted. A private security firm described the movement in leaked documents as an insurgency, and a North Dakota jury later awarded the pipeline developer damages against Greenpeace entities.

Fukushima nuclear damage compensation financing (Japan)

After the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident, Japan financed compensation through government bonds to be repaid by utilities and electricity consumers. Courts acquitted three former TEPCO executives and, in 2025, overturned a shareholder judgment against four former executives.

China National Sword plastic import ban and container returns

China banned imports of most plastic waste from 1 January 2018. A 2018 study estimated the ban would displace 111 Mt of plastic waste by 2030, and later shipments ended up in other countries, some of which returned containers to the senders.

Amazon's water-positive pledge and a leaked 2022 memo

Amazon Web Services has pledged to be water positive by 2030. A leaked 2022 internal memo, reported in October 2025, discussed whether to leave the water used in generating electricity out of the pledge.

Malaysia imported plastic waste crisis (Jenjarom)

After China largely closed its doors to plastic waste in January 2018, imports into Malaysia rose and unlicensed plastic-burning plants opened around Jenjarom. In January 2020 Malaysia sent 150 containers back to 13 countries.

Earthshot Prize funders, DP World and Edelman Cannes award

DP World is a founding funder of the Earthshot Prize and the client of a campaign that won a Titanium Lion at Cannes in June 2024. The agency, Edelman, is estimated to earn part of its revenue from fossil-fuel clients.

Clayoquot Sound protection (Canada)

In 1993 the British Columbia government issued a land use decision for Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver Island. The sources reviewed for this record are secondary summaries and none could be checked in full.

Nexia Biotechnologies: BioSteel spider-silk goats and Protexia

A Canadian company announced goats that produced a spider-silk protein in their milk and promised bulletproof vests and surgical thread. Its sellable asset proved to be a nerve-agent antidote made the same way, and the company went bankrupt in 2009.

Vietnam's forest recovery and logging displaced abroad

Vietnam restricted logging in its natural forests from 1992 and its forest cover rose. A 2009 study found that wood harvesting equal to 39.1% of the domestic regrowth was displaced abroad, about half of the imports being illegal.

Australian government water purchase from Eastern Australia Agriculture (Cayman-linked firm)

In 2017 the Australian government bought flood-water licences in Queensland from Eastern Australia Agriculture, a company whose parent was registered in the Cayman Islands, for about A$80 million as water for the environment. A minister had founded the company, and a June 2020 press report said the deal had provided no water.

Tasman Spirit oil spill (Pakistan)

An oil spill at Karachi in July 2003 in a country that was not a member of the IOPC Funds. The ship's insurer declined to discuss compensation until the crew was released, after nine months in detention.

EU banned-pesticide exports

Exports from EU countries of pesticides banned in EU fields rose from about 81,000 tonnes in 2018 to about 122,000 tonnes in 2024, according to Public Eye, despite a 2020 Commission pledge.

Whaling after the moratorium (Japan, Norway, Iceland)

The International Whaling Commission adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982, in force from 1986. Whaling by Japan, Norway and Iceland continued in later decades, and recovery has differed widely between whale populations.

India CAMPA compensatory afforestation fund

India's compensatory afforestation fund collects payments from projects that clear forest land and spends them on planting. Civil-society records document planting on land communities held or claimed, and an official audit found fund money used on consumer goods.

Hill & Knowlton, the Frank Statement and the TIRC

A public-relations firm ran the tobacco industry's research committee from 1953 and later worked for oil and plastics-industry clients and for the 2022 COP27 climate summit. The same agency name recurs across industries in the record.

Torrey Canyon spill and creation of the IOPC Funds

The 1967 Torrey Canyon spill off south-west England led governments, the shipping industry and the oil industry to build a two-tier compensation system for oil spills from tankers. Later spills show where that system's limits fell.

TNC Hawaii coral reef parametric insurance

In 2022 The Nature Conservancy bought a wind-triggered insurance policy for Hawaii's coral reefs, paid for by donor grants. It was triggered for the first time in August 2026.

MAR Fund Mesoamerican Reef parametric insurance

A parametric insurance policy covers protected reef areas along the Mesoamerican Reef in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. Its only documented payout, US$175,000, followed Hurricane Lisa in November 2022.

Rena grounding (New Zealand)

The container ship Rena ran aground in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, on 5 October 2011. The sources reviewed give figures for government costs and an insurer settlement, none of which could be checked against a primary document.

Lagunes and Díaz disappearance near Ternium Las Encinas mine (Mexico)

Ricardo Lagunes Gasca and Antonio Díaz Valencia disappeared on 15 January 2023, hours after a meeting about the Las Encinas iron-ore mine of Ternium in Michoacán. They remained missing as of January 2026.

Plastic Bank and rePurpose collector schemes

Two companies pay people to collect plastic and sell the result to brands as plastic credits or recycled-content claims. Their collection totals are the companies' own figures; no independent audit was found.

Yasuní ITT oil wells closure (Ecuador)

In 2023 Ecuadorian voters chose to leave the oil of the Yasuní ITT block underground. By August 2025 the sources record 10 of 246 wells closed, and the block was still producing in 2026.

Big Tech data-centre emissions accounting (Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta)

Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta report data-centre emissions using accounting rules that count purchased renewable certificates. Company reports, press and researchers give differing pictures of what those figures show about electricity, emissions and water.

Indonesia waste-to-energy (PSEL) tariff and Danantara

In 2025 Indonesia replaced the fee municipalities paid waste-to-energy plants with a 30-year electricity tariff of 20 US cents per kWh. In 2026 the Danantara investment fund selected operators, and the environmental group WALHI objected.

UK anaerobic digestion gate fees and the Hanford-Stoke dispute

In the United Kingdom, the fee that councils pay anaerobic digestion plants to take food and garden waste fell from a median of £24 to £13 per tonne, and new contracts signed from April 2022 had a negative median. Separately, an energy-from-waste operator at Hanford asked Stoke-on-Trent City Council for about £650,000 over waste it did not deliver.

FAO Plant Treaty multilateral system and benefit-sharing fund

Under the Plant Treaty's Multilateral System, 116,763 standard material transfer agreements had been signed by 1 January 2025, while a Third World Network account says only 5 or 6 of more than 25,000 recipients made monetary contributions. Negotiators in Lima in 2025 did not agree on expanding the system.

EU mirror measure on antimicrobials and Brazil beef exclusion

A measure adopted by the European Union in 2019 became applicable seven years later. From 3 September 2026 Brazil, which the EU did not list as providing sufficient antimicrobial assurances, can no longer export meat to the EU.

WHO Pandemic Agreement and the PABS annex

A Pandemic Agreement was reported adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2025, but its pathogen access and benefit-sharing (PABS) annex was not adopted in May 2026, and the agreement had not opened for signature by the latest date on record.

Johor and Batam data centres for Singapore

After Singapore limited new data centre capacity, planned capacity grew in neighbouring Johor (Malaysia) and Batam (Indonesia). Johor paused approvals of water-intensive facilities in November 2025, and residents of Batam's Nongsa area, without piped water for three to six months, blocked the road to a data centre park in October 2026.

Chennai water-body restoration evictions and Perumbakkam resettlement

Since 2015, 19,817 families have been evicted from 83 settlements in Chennai, 95 per cent of them for water-body restoration. Of these, 12,045 families were resettled at Perumbakkam, which flooded six times in nine years.

Sveaskog logging of old forest in Luokta-Mávas Sámi reindeer land (Sweden)

Sveaskog, Sweden's state-owned forest company, wanted to fell about 700 hectares in the Luokta-Mávas reindeer grazing area; a Sámi representative said only 200 hectares had been agreed. A 2022 study found that old forest lost to felling does not show up in official forest statistics.

Paraquat bans, UK production for export and Chinese exports

Switzerland banned paraquat in 1989 and the EU withdrew its approval in 2007, while paraquat continued to be made in the United Kingdom and exported. Brazil and Thailand also moved to restrict it in 2017–2019.

Québec caribou emergency order and the 17 percent protection target

In 2024 the Canadian federal government began an emergency-order process for three Québec caribou herds. The Québec Chief Forester estimated it would cut the allowable timber harvest by 4.1% province-wide; the Québec government opposed it.

TASSC, Tozzi and Milloy: a tobacco-funded 'sound science' campaign

The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC) was set up in 1993 by Philip Morris and the public relations firm APCO. Philip Morris also paid the consultant Jim Tozzi and the Weinberg Group.

Tobacco groups' diversification into oil, food and shipping

Several large tobacco groups are reported to have owned oil, food, packaging and shipping businesses. The filings reviewed document the board roles of one Loews family member across insurance, pipeline and offshore-drilling companies.

Spiber collapse and restructuring

A Japanese maker of fermentation-derived protein fibres, reported to have raised more than 100 billion yen, entered private restructuring in December 2025 after reporting 414 million yen of revenue for 2024. A state-backed fund that had invested about 14 billion yen exited in June 2026.

Whale oil, kerosene and the 1986 whaling moratorium

A widely repeated account says kerosene replaced whale oil and saved the whales. Reported research puts the large-whale kill at about 2.9 million in the twentieth century, after kerosene was widespread, and ties the end of most commercial whaling to the international ban in effect from 1986.

AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa)

AGRA was set up in 2006 by the Gates and Rockefeller foundations to double the yields and incomes of 30 million households by 2020. A 2021 evaluation commissioned by the Gates Foundation said it did not meet its headline goal; reports on hunger and yields in its focus countries give conflicting figures.

Tesco fictional farm brands (UK)

In 2016 Tesco launched seven fictional farm brand names for its products. A farmers' union complained to Trading Standards; Tesco said the names denote a quality specification, not a farm.

Sri Lanka fertiliser ban

In 2021 Sri Lanka banned chemical fertiliser as part of an organic farming drive and reversed the ban within months. The main-season rice harvest fell by about 40%.

Papua food and energy estate (Indonesia)

Indonesia declared a food and energy project in Merauke, South Papua, a National Strategic Project in 2024. Sources put its size at between 1.2 million and over 2 million hectares, and report forest clearing with military participation.

Kolwezi forced evictions (Cité Gécamines, DRC)

Amnesty International and a Congolese rights group documented forced evictions around six copper and cobalt projects near Kolwezi, and reported about 39,000 residents of Cité Gécamines under threat from a Zijin–Gécamines mine.

Blue Carbon LLC forest carbon deals (UAE, Africa)

A Dubai company founded in 2022 signed memoranda in 2023 covering about 24.5 million hectares of forest in Africa and elsewhere. By late 2025 the Liberian deal was reported halted and no credits had been issued.

Chut Wutty killing (Cambodia)

Chut Wutty was killed on 26 April 2012 in Koh Kong province while near a Timber Green logging site with journalists. A court said a military police officer shot him and then died himself; the inquiry into Wutty's death was closed in October 2012.

Bahamas debt-for-nature swap

In November 2024 the Bahamas took part in a US$300 million debt-for-nature transaction arranged by Standard Chartered, with a partial guarantee from the Inter-American Development Bank and US$30 million of insurance from AXA XL. The Nature Conservancy was a named participant.

Verra suspension of Chinese rice project verifiers

In March 2025 the carbon standard Verra rejected 37 rice methane projects in China and suspended four verification bodies that had audited them. The case raises the question of who pays and who checks the checkers.

Biosphere 2 experiment

Eight people lived for two years in a sealed 1.27-hectare structure in Arizona. Oxygen fell from 20.9% to about 14.5% over about 16 months and oxygen was supplied from outside.

Brazil's general environmental licensing law: Congress overrides the vetoes

Brazil's Congress overrode 52 of the 63 vetoes the government placed on the General Environmental Licensing Law, on 27 November 2025, days after the COP30 climate summit in Belém. The restored provisions include a self-declared licence and licence exemptions for some activities.

Rosy wolfsnail introduction, Moorea (French Polynesia)

A predatory snail was introduced to Moorea to control the giant African snail. A University of Hawaii record states that it ended the island's endemic Partula tree snails in the wild.

Indonesian nickel oversupply: BHP Nickel West suspension and the LME green contract

Indonesia supplied about two thirds of global nickel mine output in 2025, much of it processed with captive coal power. Australian producers closed, BHP suspended Nickel West, and the London Metal Exchange declined a separate green nickel contract.

Norway Longship and Northern Lights CCS; Sleipner

Norway funds Longship, a carbon capture and storage chain whose Northern Lights storage site, owned by Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies, began injecting carbon dioxide in August 2025. The Sleipner field has reportedly stored carbon dioxide under the seabed since 1996.

Fieldwood bankruptcy and US offshore decommissioning

Estimated decommissioning liabilities for US offshore oil platforms are far larger than the supplemental bonds held against them. The bankruptcy of Fieldwood Energy moved about $9 billion of liabilities to co-owners and previous owners.

Fengyun-1C anti-satellite test

On 11 January 2007 China destroyed its Fengyun-1C weather satellite with a missile. The catalogue lists 3,532 pieces from the event, of which 2,312 were still in orbit on 15 October 2026.

Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 collision

On 10 February 2009 the Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 satellites collided at about 776–791 km altitude. The catalogue lists 1,715 pieces from Cosmos 2251 and 657 from Iridium 33.

WWF-supported ecoguards in Cameroon and CAR (Lobéké, Dzanga-Sangha)

Ecoguards trained and paid with WWF support were accused of beatings and torture around Lobéké in Cameroon, and WWF staff were accused of involvement in a rifle purchase in Dzanga-Sangha in the Central African Republic. An independent panel reported in November 2020 that it found no evidence that WWF staff directed abuses, and that WWF had not taken adequate steps once it knew of the allegations.

Kaziranga shoot-on-sight killings (India)

Dozens of people were reported killed in encounters with forest guards at Kaziranga National Park in Assam between 2013 and 2016. The park director described the deaths as crossfire; critics said the guards worked under a shoot-on-sight policy, which the park management denies.

Homero Gómez González death (Monarch reserve, Mexico)

The manager of a monarch butterfly sanctuary in Michoacán, Mexico, who opposed illegal logging, disappeared on 13 January 2020 and was found dead in a well on 29 January. No conviction has been found.

ISS battery pallet debris hits a Florida home

A piece of equipment jettisoned from the International Space Station in March 2021 survived re-entry and struck a house in Naples, Florida, on 8 March 2024. The family filed a claim against NASA for more than $80,000.

Falcon 9 upper stage reentry over Poland

A Falcon 9 second stage that could not perform its deorbit burn reentered uncontrolled on 19 February 2025, dropping fragments in Poland. A lidar in Germany recorded a roughly 10-fold lithium spike in the upper atmosphere about 20 hours after a reentry of the same stage.

Long March 5B uncontrolled reentries

The core stage of China's Long March 5B rocket reentered the atmosphere without control after launches in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Debris was reported on the ground in Côte d'Ivoire in 2020 and in Indonesia and Malaysia in 2022.

China small hydropower closures, Yangtze Economic Belt

China's Ministry of Water Resources said in May 2021 that a rectification of small hydropower plants in the Yangtze Economic Belt had closed more than 3,500 plants by the end of 2020. It said water had returned to more than 90,000 km of river sections where flow had been reduced or cut.

North Aral Sea restoration via Kokaral dam (Kazakhstan)

Kazakhstan's Kokaral dam is credited by the Kazakh ministry with enlarging the North Aral Sea by 36% and halving its salinity. The sources reviewed hold few independent figures.

Cambodia REDD+ indigenous consultation failure

Human Rights Watch reported that Chong Indigenous communities were not consulted for 31 months about the Southern Cardamom REDD+ project in Cambodia, and documented evictions and detentions. Wildlife Alliance denied the abuses.

Antarctic krill fishing near penguin colonies

Press reports say that in 2024 a rule spreading krill fishing across Antarctic areas lapsed and the catch concentrated near penguin colonies. The fishing industry says krill is healthy and the catch is under 1% of biomass.

Marange diamonds and the Kimberley Process (Zimbabwe)

Human Rights Watch reported that soldiers killed more than 200 miners at the Marange diamond field in 2008. The Kimberley Process approved Marange exports in 2011, because its definition of a conflict diamond covers only rebel financing.

Nepal forest carbon deals (World Bank ER-MR, LEAF)

Nepal received US$9.4 million from the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility for 1.88 million tonnes of CO2 reductions in 2025, and has a LEAF Coalition agreement worth up to US$55 million. Studies of community forests report that benefits reached poorer and lower-caste households unevenly.

Indorama Agro cotton project (Uzbekistan)

A cotton producer in Uzbekistan took loans from the IFC, the EBRD and the Asian Development Bank and repaid them early in January 2025. Civil-society groups reported job losses, displacement and reprisals in its area of operation.

DR Congo oil blocks auction after forest deal

The Democratic Republic of Congo offered oil and gas blocks for tender in 2022 and again in May 2025. Greenpeace and Rainforest Foundation UK reported that the blocks overlapped protected areas and forest.

North Atlantic right whale deaths and US vessel-speed rule withdrawal

NOAA maintains an Unusual Mortality Event page for North Atlantic right whales covering 2017 to 2026. A news report carried the headline that NOAA had withdrawn a proposed rule requiring ships to slow down.

Taiji dolphin drive hunt

In the town of Taiji, Japan, dolphins are driven into a cove each season; some are killed and some are captured alive. Advocacy groups report that the live animals are sold to aquariums and marine parks, including parks in China.

India SATAT compost and compressed biogas shortfalls; Indore bio-CNG plant

India promotes compressed biogas plants and market support for city compost. Reports describe a private bio-CNG plant in Indore that pays the municipality, and a fall in city compost sales despite a per-tonne subsidy.

Indian plastic roads and plastic building-material ventures

India has used waste plastic in tens of thousands of kilometres of roads, and ventures in Kenya and elsewhere make building materials from plastic waste. Reported volumes are small, and test results on emissions and fire behaviour are mixed.

Gaza reconstruction and the Board of Peace's first contract

The first construction contract issued under the Board of Peace for Gaza was for a military post, ahead of a USD 2.45 billion plan. Researchers and UN agencies have put figures on the war's emissions, the rubble and the cost of recovery.

Indonesia's H5N1 sample withholding and the WHO PIP Framework

In 2007 Indonesia stopped sending H5N1 virus samples to the WHO over how its strain was used in a vaccine. The dispute preceded the WHO's Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, and the pathogen access and benefit-sharing annex to the Pandemic Agreement remained unadopted in 2026.

Patancheru pharmaceutical effluent and Hyderabad drug resistance

A 2017 study found an antifungal at high concentration and drug-resistant bacteria in Hyderabad sewage. India proposed discharge limits for 121 antibiotics in 2020 and left them out of the 2021 final rule.

Zoetis growth-promoter sales in India and portfolio sale to Phibro

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported in 2018 that Zoetis sold antibiotics in India with a promise of faster livestock growth, without a prescription. In 2024 Zoetis sold its medicated feed additive portfolio to Phibro for $350 million.

Florida Citizens depopulation and insurer affiliate profits

Florida's state-run insurer of last resort fell from about 1.4 million policies in 2023 to 293,772 in May 2026 as private insurers took policies over. A state regulator's internal analysis of 2017-19 showed insurers losing money while their affiliates earned more.

Venezuela 2026 twin earthquakes insurance gap

Twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on 24 June 2026. Munich Re put the loss at about 30 billion dollars with under 1 billion insured; UNDP and UNDRR gave damage estimates of 6.7 and about 37 billion dollars.

Net-Zero Insurance Alliance collapse and insurers’ fossil underwriting

The UN-convened Net-Zero Insurance Alliance, launched in 2021, lost its major members in 2023 and was closed in April 2024. Reports in the same period recorded continued insurance of coal, oil and gas projects, including by Lloyd’s market members.

Nairobi River regeneration and riparian demolitions

After flooding in 2024, Kenya’s national government ordered homes along Nairobi’s riverbanks demolished on 48 hours’ notice. In 2025 the presidency launched a KSh 50 billion river regeneration programme that includes 50,000 housing units in reclaimed areas.

Harita Nickel, Kawasi chromium-6 water and sago loss (Obi Island)

An April 2025 investigation reported chromium-6 in Kawasi village’s drinking-water source above Indonesia’s limit, next to Harita Group’s nickel operations on Obi Island. Harita disputes the findings; a 2026 report recorded a fall in sago palm area in the district.

Palau National Marine Sanctuary

Palau closed 80% of its exclusive economic zone to fishing under a 2015 law that took effect in 2020. Proposals to reopen part of it have been tabled since 2022.

Edelman: API contract, Energy Citizens and the COP30 contract

The public relations firm Edelman worked for the American Petroleum Institute from 2005 to 2016 and later won the communications contract for the COP30 climate summit in Brazil. The record shows it holding fossil-fuel and climate-related work at the same time.

Microsoft forestry carbon deals and the Apple Restore Fund

Microsoft contracted tens of millions of tonnes of forestry-based carbon removal from re.green, Rubicon, Chestnut Carbon and Kijani Forestry, while its own emissions rose 29% between 2020 and 2023. Apple's Restore Fund, managed by Climate Asset Management, invests partly in plantings of commercial species such as eucalyptus.

EU Deforestation Regulation delays and trade pressure

The EU regulation requiring that cocoa, coffee, soy, palm oil, cattle, rubber and wood sold in the EU did not come from land deforested after 2020 has been postponed twice. Trading partners, the United States government and industry groups pressed for delay.

Leonard Leo network and the anti-ESG campaign

A campaign against ESG investing in the United States was funded through a network linked to Leonard Leo, including Consumers' Research, which a 2026 investigation traced largely to DonorsTrust. State officials, model legislation and lawsuits followed between 2021 and 2026.

Chlorpyrifos: exports of an EU-banned pesticide

Chlorpyrifos, an insecticide the EU no longer allows, was still notified for export from Belgium and Denmark in the second half of 2022. It was listed for global elimination under the Stockholm Convention in 2025 with 22 exempted uses.

ATryn: a drug made in goat milk

ATryn, an antithrombin made in the milk of genetically engineered goats, was approved in the EU in 2006 and in the US in 2009. Its EU marketing authorisation was withdrawn in December 2018 for commercial reasons; it had not been sold since 2015.

Mekong upstream dams and the decline of Tonle Sap flow reversal

Each monsoon the Mekong pushes the Tonle Sap River backwards into Cambodia's Tonle Sap lake. A 2022 peer-reviewed study found this reverse flow fell by 56.5% between 1962–72 and 2010–18, and attributed about 21% of the fall to dams.

Lapindo mud flow (Sidoarjo, Indonesia)

A mud eruption beside a gas well drilled by Lapindo Brantas in East Java began in 2006, swallowed twelve villages and was still flowing in its twentieth year. In 2009 the Supreme Court saw no compensation liability and police closed their investigation for lack of evidence; in 2015 the state lent the company money to pay compensation.

Mozambique LNG environmental assessment (ERM)

ERM, a consultancy about 60% owned by the private equity firm KKR, prepared the environmental impact assessment for the Mozambique LNG project for Anadarko and Eni. A 2024 Drilled report examined the project manager's later move to Anadarko and TotalEnergies; ERM rejects the conflict-of-interest claim.

Bezos Earth Fund: first grants and SBTi funding

In November 2020 the Bezos Earth Fund made a first round of grants of $791 million to 16 organisations, $100 million each to five of them. It was also a core funder of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which validates company climate targets.

Great Barrier Reef Foundation A$443m grant (Australia)

In 2018 the Australian government awarded a A$443 million grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation without a tender. The national audit office reviewed the award in January 2019.

Mexico water concessions concentration

A study by IBERO, reported by the newspaper Crónica in August 2026, found that fewer than 1% of Mexico's water-concession holders hold about one-fifth of the water under concession.

Macquarie Island cat eradication and rabbit boom

Cats were removed from Macquarie Island, and the rabbit population then increased. A 2009 paper recorded that about 40% of the island's vegetation changed and that the extra cost exceeded A$24 million.

Eliasch Amazon land purchase

In 2006 Johan Eliasch said he had bought about 160,000 hectares in the Brazilian Amazon. An executive of the seller said the legal entitlement was 45,511 hectares.

NYSE natural asset company proposal withdrawn

In 2021 the New York Stock Exchange and Intrinsic Exchange Group announced a new class of listed companies that would hold rights to the ecosystem services of natural areas. The Exchange withdrew its listing proposal on 17 January 2024, after a regulatory review and an objection from 25 state attorneys general.

Vale ore-sand (Agera) tailings sand

Vale set up a company, Agera, to sell sand made from iron-ore mining tailings. About 0.9 million tonnes were sold from 2021 to 2023, against an estimated Brazilian sand consumption of about 214 million tonnes in 2018.

Rooibos benefit-sharing agreement (South Africa)

A rooibos industry benefit-sharing arrangement in South Africa paid 12.2 million rand to two San and Khoi councils in its first year, set at 1.5% of the farm-gate price. Cultural Survival reported that about 2% of rooibos farmers come from Indigenous communities.

Querétaro data-centre water use (Mexico)

Oxfam said a Microsoft campus in Querétaro, Mexico, held a permit to draw 25 million litres of water a year. An El País estimate put new data centres in Querétaro at 13% of metropolitan water consumption.

Chicago 606 trail gentrification

A study by DePaul University's Institute for Housing Studies found prices rising 48.2% on the west end of Chicago's 606 trail. Median sale prices along the trail were reported at 97,000 dollars in 2012 and 462,000 dollars in 2018.

Quest CCS (Shell, Alberta)

Shell's Quest carbon capture facility in Alberta, Canada, was presented as proof that the technology is safe and effective. Global Witness reported that over five years it captured 5 million tonnes of carbon and emitted 7.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Sierra Club donations from Chesapeake Energy

From 2007 the Sierra Club received about 26 million dollars from the head of gas producer Chesapeake Energy and associated people for its campaign against coal. The club later refused a further 30 million dollars.

Ethylene oxide in Indian sesame (EU recalls)

Sesame seed exported from India was found to have been treated with ethylene oxide, a fumigant, and was recalled in Europe from 2020. The sources reviewed give few verified details.

Barbados debt-for-nature swap

In September 2022 Barbados refinanced about US$150 million of debt through a Credit Suisse-led transaction backed by guarantees from the Inter-American Development Bank and The Nature Conservancy. The record reviewed puts the conservation commitment at US$50 million.

Worldview International Foundation mangrove project (Myanmar)

A Myanmar mangrove planting programme registered with Verra reports seedling survival of 86 to 96 percent and an AA rating from BeZero. The sources reviewed contain no independent audit.

Chikweti forestry plantations (Mozambique)

A Dutch pension fund held a majority stake in a fund that planted pine and eucalyptus in Niassa province, Mozambique. A 2010 government review found that 32,000 hectares were occupied without land-use rights.

Volgoneft 212/239 spill (Kerch Strait)

Two Volgoneft tankers were involved in an oil spill in the Kerch Strait on 15 December 2024. In August 2025 a Krasnodar court was reported to have awarded RUB 49.46bn against the owner of the Volgoneft 212.

Princess Empress oil spill (Philippines)

The tanker Princess Empress spilled oil off Mindoro on 28 February 2023. Of PHP 15.06bn claimed, PHP 3.88bn was approved and PHP 2.71bn paid.

Dark Basin hacking of climate groups (#ExxonKnew)

An Israeli private investigator was sentenced in a US federal court for his part in a spearphishing campaign that targeted US climate and environmental organisations. Exxon denied any knowledge.

Spain: environmental liability financial guarantee (EU Directive Art. 14)

The EU Environmental Liability Directive leaves it to each Member State whether to require operators to hold financial security for environmental damage. Spain is among the states that made it mandatory, with a cap of €20 million.

Akbelen forest felling for YK Enerji coal mine (Türkiye)

Trees were felled at Akbelen in 2023 under gendarmerie escort for the coal operations of YK Enerji, a partnership of Limak and İçtaş. A 2025 law later opened mapped olive groves in Milas and Yatağan to mining; court challenges are pending.

High Line property value effect (New York)

A 2020 study reported that homes within 0.1 mile of New York's High Line gained 35.3% more in value than homes in the 0.1 to 0.4 mile band. The sources reviewed measure prices, not the number of people displaced.

Brent Spar decommissioning controversy (North Sea)

The sources reviewed describe the Brent Spar controversy only through later references: a 1995 trade-press headline on a Greenpeace admission of error (unverified) and the later cost to the UK public of North Sea decommissioning.

Pribilof fur seal harvest and Alaska Commercial Company

The Alaska Commercial Company held the Pribilof Islands fur seal harvest in the late nineteenth century. A federal agency history records that the Aleut residents were later compensated by the US government, not by the company.

Peruvian guano trade and the Gibbs family

Peru exported guano from its coastal islands from the 1840s and later defaulted on its debts. A British estate bought with guano wealth was acquired by the National Trust in 2002 with a public grant of GBP 17.425 million. Guano bird numbers stood at 529,400 in January 2025.

Octopus farm project (Nueva Pescanova, Canary Islands)

Nueva Pescanova proposed an octopus farm in the Canary Islands. A July 2026 headline in Diario de Avisos stated that no octopus farm would be built there.

Ghazipur landfill and India legacy-waste claims

India reports that it processes most of its waste. At the Ghazipur landfill in Delhi, a report found that only a small share of the old waste had been bio-mined by 2022.

Korea and China swine-fever swill-feed bans

China banned feeding food leftovers to pigs in 2018 and South Korea in 2019 because of African swine fever. Korea partly lifted its ban in 2025, and swine-fever cases were reported to have risen about fourfold in 2026.

Permian produced water discharge and North Dakota brine spills

Oilfield wastewater, known as produced water, has grown about 30-fold in the Permian Basin since 2010, and most of it is injected underground. In North Dakota, brine spills have recurred every year, and the land they damaged has never been calculated.

US coal ash ponds, groundwater contamination and EPA delay

A 2022 report found that 91% of US power plants with coal ash ponds were contaminating groundwater. In February 2026 the deadline for groundwater monitoring at such sites was reported extended to 2031.

India fly ash utilisation and the Singrauli ash dam breach

India's official figures count about 96% of fly ash as utilised. In 2021–22, 13.14% of that was low-lying area filling, a term without a definition. In April 2020 an ash dam breached in Singrauli and six people died.

Holcim Geocycle and brand-cement plastic co-processing

Holcim's waste unit Geocycle burns plastic and other waste as fuel in cement kilns, and Holcim describes the material it processes as recycled. Reuters reported in 2021 that the plant partnerships with consumer brands were growing, and that the US Environmental Protection Agency had found no meaningful climate benefit from burning plastic instead of coal in kilns.

Kenya plastic bag ban enforcement and manufacturers' opposition

Kenya banned the production and use of plastic bags in 2017 over the objection of its manufacturers' association. Reports on enforcement describe arrests of bag users rather than producers.

Myanmar Kachin heavy rare earth mining and Kok River arsenic

Thai and Mekong River Commission measurements in 2025 found arsenic at 2.5 times the World Health Organization limit at four of five sites on the Kok and Mekong rivers. Reports attributed it mainly to rare earth and gold mining in Myanmar's Shan State.

MoroccanOil and argan (Israel/Morocco)

An Israeli cosmetics brand named for Morocco reported revenue of USD 60.6 million in 2024. No benefit-sharing with the Amazigh women's cooperatives that work with argan in Morocco is on record in the sources reviewed.

Marine genetic sequence patents (BASF) and BBNJ

A 2018 analysis reported by AAAS counted 12,998 patented genetic sequences from 862 marine species, 47% of them held by one company, BASF. The High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) was reported to have entered into force in January 2026.

US National Flood Insurance Program debt and FEMA reinsurance

The US National Flood Insurance Program owed the Treasury USD 22.525 billion in March 2026. FEMA bought reinsurance in 2017 and a catastrophe bond in 2021 to transfer part of the program's flood risk to private capital.

Mexico IBRD catastrophe bonds (Otis, Polo) and FONDEN abolition

Mexico buys storm protection through catastrophe bonds issued by the World Bank's IBRD. The bond paid part of the cover after Hurricane Otis in 2023 and paid nothing after Hurricane Polo in 2026.

Manila Bay rehabilitation resettlement and Pasig riverwalk

The Manila Bay rehabilitation programme has moved informal settler families away from the shoreline. A separate privately financed Pasig riverwalk plans temporary container housing for up to 10,000 families.

Cheonggyecheon stream restoration merchants (Seoul)

Seoul removed a highway and restored the Cheonggyecheon stream. Merchants displaced by the project were offered space in the Garden Five shopping centre outside the centre, where about 350 remained by 2014.

HFC-23 destruction credits under the CDM (China, India)

The UN Clean Development Mechanism issued carbon credits for destroying HFC-23, a by-product gas of refrigerant manufacture. Records describe production of the gas rising during crediting and global emissions reaching a record in 2018.

Deliver-or-pay waste incinerator contract (Pietrasanta, Italy)

A waste-to-energy plant contract in Italy required a minimum of 10,000 tonnes a year. When separate collection rose and deliveries fell below it, the operator asked for €13 million and the municipalities paid €5 million.

Net Zero Banking Alliance exits and closure

Major banks left the Net-Zero Banking Alliance from December 2024, and its members voted on 3 October 2025 to cease operations. In 2024 it had covered more than 140 banks.

Half-Earth and 30x30 advocacy funding (Wyss Campaign for Nature)

A Swiss philanthropist pledged US$1 billion, later US$1.5 billion, to a campaign for protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030. The target was adopted in 2022; reports on the coverage reached so far and on what the protected areas protect are partial.

Sandoz Schweizerhalle fire and Rhine recovery

In November 1986 a fire at a Sandoz warehouse near Basel sent pesticides and a mercury compound into the Rhine and killed fish along about 400 kilometres. The river was later declared a living river again, but its salmon population depends on stocking.

Bhutan constitutional forest rule and Bhutan for Life

Bhutan's 2008 Constitution requires at least 60% of the country to stay under forest, and in 2017 the Green Climate Fund and WWF launched a US$43 million conservation partnership. The sources reviewed record who bore local costs and note that the 'carbon negative' figures vary between sources.

Oregon bottle bill (1971)

In 1971 Oregon passed a container deposit law at a time when a packaging-industry-founded group, Keep America Beautiful, promoted anti-litter messaging aimed at individuals. Many of the details come from sources that favour deposit laws and could not be checked against primary documents.

Save the Whales campaign and IWC whaling moratorium

A 1971 campaign by the Animal Welfare Institute and allies led to a 1982 International Whaling Commission moratorium on commercial whaling. Sources reviewed describe uneven recovery, continued whaling by some countries and unpunished unreported Soviet catches.

Shell nature-based solutions and carbon-neutral driving ads

Shell announced up to $300 million for natural ecosystems and offered customers carbon-neutral driving by offsetting fuel emissions. The Dutch Advertising Code Committee found the carbon-neutral advertising misleading; its rulings are not binding.

TotalEnergies Batéké acacia carbon project (Congo)

A 40,000-hectare acacia plantation on the Batéké plateau in the Republic of Congo was planned to generate carbon credits for TotalEnergies. Reporting found that farmers lost land, and that the project stopped in May 2025 with about 12.5% of the target planted.

ACCCE clean coal advertising and forged letters (US)

A coal-industry association is reported to have spent heavily on 'clean coal' advertising in 2008, and a subcontractor is reported to have sent forged letters against climate legislation in 2009. The reports are available only in summary form and are not independently verified.

Harrison campaign against Silent Spring and Burson-Marsteller crisis PR

A public-relations executive ran the chemical industry association's campaign against Rachel Carson's Silent Spring in 1962 and later designed the Global Climate Coalition's communications. Burson-Marsteller, now BCW, handled crisis communications and set up grassroots-style groups for several industries.

Occidental Stratos direct air capture plant (Texas)

Occidental is building a direct air capture plant in Texas with a planned capacity of 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. The plant draws on federal tax credits, a federal hub allocation and outside investment, and its start-up has slipped to the end of 2026.

Make Sunsets stratospheric balloon launches (Mexico)

A start-up founder launched weather balloons in Baja California in April 2022 without permits and later sold USD 10 "cooling credits" tied to releasing sulphur dioxide in the stratosphere. Mexico announced a ban on such experiments in January 2023.

EU taxonomy hydropower exemption and California large hydro exclusion

In 2021 the EU taxonomy exempted hydropower above 5 W/m² power density, and run-of-river plants, from life-cycle emissions analysis. California has not counted hydropower above 30 MW towards its renewable quota since 2002, citing river ecology.

Mangrove restoration failures (Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia, Sundarbans)

Mangrove planting programmes in four regions announced targets in hectares or seedlings. Field studies and press reports record low survival at many sites, and in two cases the implementing body's announcement could not be matched with survival data.

England Biodiversity Net Gain market and Natural England statutory credits

Since February 2024 major building projects in England must deliver a 10% biodiversity gain for 30 years, on site or by buying off-site units. The state agency Natural England sells statutory credits as a last resort.

Offshore wind wake effect disputes (Ørsted, UK and Germany)

Offshore wind farms slow the wind for farms downwind of them. In UK and German waters, developers dispute who bears the resulting losses, and UK law does not define the effect.

Mkuju River uranium mine and the Selous boundary change

In 2012 the World Heritage Committee approved a change to the boundary of Tanzania's Selous Game Reserve so that a uranium mine could be developed, calling the decision exceptional. A pilot processing plant opened in July 2025.

Halmahera nickel complex (IWIP, Weda Bay) and the Hongana Manyawa

Nickel mines and smelters on the Indonesian island of Halmahera overlap the territory of the Hongana Manyawa, some of whom live without contact with the outside world. Climate Rights International and other groups report forest clearance, river pollution and health effects; companies dispute parts of the account.

Great Bear Rainforest agreement (Canada)

A February 2016 agreement set 85% of the Great Bear Rainforest on the British Columbia coast aside as protected and left a 550,000-hectare zone open to logging. Reporting since has disputed how much old forest remains in the logging zone.

FACE Foundation Mount Elgon carbon forest (Uganda)

A 1994 agreement covering 25,000 hectares of Mount Elgon in Uganda is listed as a carbon forest project. Reporting links the project area to the eviction of the Benet people.

Indonesia seizure of illegal plantations and transfer to Agrinas Palma

In 2025 an Indonesian task force said it had reclaimed about 3.4 million hectares of plantations in forest areas and handed about 1.5 million hectares to the company Agrinas Palma. A research centre disputed how much of the first area was palm oil.

Sellafield decommissioning and Hanford cleanup budgets

Two state-funded nuclear clean-up programmes, Hanford in the United States and Sellafield in the United Kingdom, carry cost estimates of hundreds of billions of dollars and many decades of work. At Hanford, contractors settled False Claims Act cases in 2016 and 2020.

Lagos Visionscape waste contract (Nigeria) and Zoomlion/Jospong (Ghana)

A ten-year waste-management contract in Lagos State, Nigeria, was reported to have collapsed within about three years, and a Ghanaian investigation examined payments to the waste companies Jospong Group and Zoomlion. The figures in the sources reviewed are not independently verified.

Dutch PFAS soil limit, 2019

In July 2019 the Dutch government set a PFAS limit of 0.1 microgram per kilogram for soil moved to agricultural and nature land. The national health institute RIVM states that this value is a measurement limit, not a risk threshold.

Nonylphenol ethoxylates: Swiss ban and EU restriction

EU Directive 2003/53/EC restricted nonylphenol and its ethoxylates from 17 January 2005. A Swiss ban on their use in laundry detergent in the 1980s is reported but not verified in the sources reviewed.

Lake Biwa phosphate-detergent ban

After a freshwater red tide in 1977, Shiga Prefecture banned the sale and use of phosphate-containing detergent around Lake Biwa in an ordinance of 1979–1980. The prefecture's page says the ordinance remains in force.

Green tobacco sickness in Rio Grande do Sul and tobacco curing deforestation

Two reported harms of tobacco growing: nicotine poisoning among small farmers in southern Brazil, and wood burned to cure tobacco leaf in Africa. The sources reviewed give a prevalence figure for the first and an annual wood figure for the second; neither has been independently verified here.

PPL Therapeutics collapse and transgenic sheep cull (Scotland, New Zealand)

PPL Therapeutics, the company created to commercialise the research behind Dolly the sheep, laid off about 90% of its staff in July 2003 and began culling a New Zealand flock of about 4,000 transgenic sheep.

Sinogene pet and police dog cloning (China)

Sinogene, a Chinese company, sold dog and cat clones and kept more than 1,000 beagles as egg donors and surrogates, according to a 2019 report. In South Korea a state agency produced six cloned working dogs in 2013.

Black-footed ferret cloning (Antonia) and wild plague

A black-footed ferret cloned from cells frozen in 1988 gave birth in 2024, the first clone of a U.S. endangered species to produce young. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said no release of the clone or her young was planned.

FDA 2008 clone food decision

On 15 January 2008 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared meat and milk from cattle, pig and goat clones and their offspring as safe as that of conventional animals and set no labelling requirement.

Bolt Threads Microsilk and SPAC listing

Bolt Threads, a U.S. company making silk-like protein by yeast fermentation, sold 50 Microsilk neckties in 2017 and listed on Nasdaq through a special-purpose acquisition merger in 2024. Its 2024 revenue was $1.37 million against a net loss of $65.4 million.

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories: recombinant spider silk claims

A Michigan company that breeds genetically modified silkworms announced record cocoon output in 2026 and described it as spider silk. The announcements gave cocoon weight but not the share of spider protein, revenue or customers.

US withdrawal from 66 international bodies and Paris/UNFCCC

On 7 January 2026 the United States announced its withdrawal from 66 international organisations, including the IPCC, IPBES, the UNFCCC and IUCN. The UNFCCC withdrawal takes effect on 27 February 2027.

Turkish sugar law, starch-based sugar quota and 2018 sugar factory privatisation

Turkey's Sugar Law of 2001 capped the share of starch-based (maize) sugar in the national sugar quota, and the cap moved from 10% to 2.5% over two decades. A multinational maize-sweetener producer, a beet cooperative union, the Treasury and beet and tobacco growers all appear in the record as gainers or losers at different dates.

Mexico avocado: US inspection suspensions and Michoacán deforestation

The United States suspended inspections of Mexican avocados three times between 2022 and 2026 after threats and attacks in Michoacán. Reports link the export boom to forest clearing, extortion and, in Chile's Petorca, to water shortages.

EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism burden on Turkish exporters

The EU's carbon border mechanism entered its definitive period on 1 January 2026. Estimates put the 2026 burden on Turkish exporters between EUR 399 million and EUR 771 million, and several governments have objected to the rule.

Lessepsian invasions: pufferfish in Turkey and bounty payments

Since the Suez Canal opened in 1869, hundreds of Red Sea species have entered the Mediterranean. On the Turkish coast, fishers report net damage from pufferfish, and the state pays a bounty for each one removed.

Japan plastic waste exports to Asia

Japan exported 683,000 tonnes of plastic waste in 2024, almost all of it to East and Southeast Asia. Japan's reported recycling rate counts a large share of that export.

Fukushima treated water discharge and Chinese seafood ban

Japan began discharging treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant into the Pacific on 24 August 2023 after the IAEA found the plan consistent with international standards. China banned Japanese seafood imports, partly reopened in 2025 and suspended them again in November 2025.

Fresh Del Monte closure of four Costa Rica banana farms

On 5 May 2026 Fresh Del Monte announced the closure of four banana farms in Limón province, Costa Rica, covering about 1,200 hectares and more than 850 workers. The company cited currency, plant disease, climate and cost factors.

CIHEAM Bari and Italian state funding

CIHEAM Bari, the Italian institute of an intergovernmental Mediterranean agronomic organisation, is funded mainly by the Italian state. The record shows extensive counted activity, mostly self-reported, and thin independent measurement of field effects.

Chevron, Texaco and the Lago Agrio judgment: the RICO ruling and the Donziger cases

A court in Ecuador gave judgment against Chevron, usually cited as $9.5 billion. A US federal court found in 2014 that the judgment had been obtained by corrupt means, an international arbitration tribunal ruled for Chevron, and the lawyer who won the judgment, Steven Donziger, was disbarred and sentenced for criminal contempt.

Kaeng Krachan: Karen evictions and the disappearance of Billy

Park officials burned Karen homes at Bang Kloi inside Thailand's Kaeng Krachan National Park in 2011. Karen rights defender Porlajee "Billy" Rakchongcharoen disappeared in 2014 after detention by park officials, and the park was listed as a World Heritage site in 2021.

UK packaging recycling notes (PRN) system and export fraud

The UK counts packaging recycling through tradable notes, which producers buy to meet recycling obligations and which exporters obtain for waste sent abroad. The National Audit Office found in 2018 that half of the recycling the notes subsidised was exported, with no check on what happened to the waste on arrival; later cases include a note-fraud conviction and arrests.

England and Wales water privatisation and Thames Water: debt, dividends and the record Ofwat fine

Since privatisation in 1989 the water companies of England and Wales have paid out large dividends while their debt grew. In May 2025 the regulator Ofwat fined Thames Water £122.7 million, reported as a record, and customers are due to pay higher bills for a £104 billion investment programme.

Colossal Biosciences: de-extinction ventures, funding and the Burgum remark

Colossal Biosciences announced in April 2025 pups it presented as dire wolves; the IUCN Canid Specialist Group said they were not, and the company's chief scientist later described them as cloned grey wolves with 20 edits. The company announced a valuation of US$10.2 billion in January 2025, up from US$1.5 billion, and the US Interior Secretary cited the announcement while criticising the endangered species list.

Amazon Soy Moratorium

A voluntary pact among soy traders, in force from 2006 and measured to have cut deforestation in soy-suitable Amazon areas by 35% over 2006-2016, ended in January 2026 when the traders left it, after a Mato Grosso state law took effect that allows tax incentives to be withdrawn from firms applying environmental criteria beyond the legal requirement.

Río Sonora copper sulphate spill and repair fund

In August 2014 about 40,000 cubic metres of acidic copper sulphate solution from a Grupo México mine entered the Sonora River in Mexico. A fund committed at 2,000 million pesos was closed in 2017 after about 1,000 million had been deposited; the Supreme Court later held the closure invalid, and in February 2026 the federal government said 500 of an agreed 1,500 million pesos had been deposited.

Hidroituango dam and the Ríos Vivos defenders (Colombia)

Two members of Ríos Vivos, a movement that opposed the Hidroituango dam in Colombia, were killed in May 2018, weeks before communities complained to the Inter-American Development Bank, which had financed the dam. The bank group's private-sector arm exited the project in February 2022; no court outcome for the killings was found.

Sino-Metals Leach tailings dam failure and the Kafue River (Zambia)

A tailings dam at the Sino-Metals Leach site in Zambia's Copperbelt failed in February 2025 and acidic waste reached the Kafue River system. The company's first statement put the spill at 50,000 tonnes; a contractor reported at least 1.5 million tonnes. The government penalty was reported at 1.5 million kwacha, while damages claims exceeded US$420 million and 176 residents sought US$80 billion.

Starbase launch site, Boca Chica, Texas: environmental review, penalties and Starship debris

SpaceX's Starbase launch site at Boca Chica, Texas, sits beside habitat for the piping plover and red knot. The FAA approved the Starship programme without a full environmental impact statement, a lawsuit sought one, state and federal agencies found water-discharge violations, the annual launch cap was raised from 5 to 25, and debris from two 2025 flights fell in the Turks and Caicos.

Cali Fund (digital sequence information)

A UN fund created in 2024 asks companies that use digital genetic sequence data to contribute a share of profit or revenue, with about US$1 billion a year expected. By August 2026 it had received US$6,000 from two companies.

Rio Tinto's QMM ilmenite mine: net positive impact pledge and biodiversity offset (Madagascar)

Rio Tinto made a 'net positive impact' pledge on biodiversity in 2004 that covered its QMM ilmenite mine in Madagascar, and dropped it in 2016. Accounts record all members of its biodiversity committee resigning, and the World Rainforest Movement reported forest destruction and restrictions on local communities at the offset project.

Simandou iron ore project, Guinea

Rights to Simandou blocks 1 and 2 passed from Rio Tinto to BSGR in 2008; a Geneva court convicted BSGR's owner of bribery in 2021 and Rio Tinto settled a US SEC case over consultant payments in 2023. The first ore reached China in January 2026, and reports from the railway corridor record lost fields and displaced wildlife.

Boké bauxite mining and the CBG expansion

Bauxite mines in Guinea's Boké region took farmland and affected water for nearby villages, according to Human Rights Watch, Inclusive Development International and Reuters. A 2016 expansion loan to Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée was financed in part by IFC and DFC, and 13 villages complained to the IFC's accountability office in 2019.

Energy Transfer v Greenpeace (Dakota Access)

Energy Transfer sued Greenpeace entities over protests against the Dakota Access pipeline. A North Dakota jury awarded about $666.9 million in March 2025, the judge cut the award to about $345 million, and Greenpeace International sued Energy Transfer in Amsterdam under the EU anti-SLAPP directive.

Roundup litigation, settlements and legal shield (Bayer/Monsanto)

Bayer announced settlements of up to $10.9 billion (2020) and up to $7.25 billion (2026) over Roundup cancer claims. In June 2026 the US Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that federal pesticide law bars state-law claims that require a cancer warning on the label.

California v. ExxonMobil: plastics recycling claims and the Baytown plant

ExxonMobil describes plastic waste processing at its Baytown, Texas plant as advanced recycling. In September 2024 California's attorney general sued the company, alleging that 92% of the waste processed there becomes fuel; ExxonMobil sued the attorney general for defamation.

Plastic recycling symbol, resin codes and “advanced recycling” claims (United States)

In 1988 the US plastics industry's trade association placed numbered resin codes inside the recycling arrows, and about 40 states required the marking. In 2024 California sued ExxonMobil over its claims about “advanced recycling”; the company disputes the claims and has sued the state's attorney general.

Alberta orphan wells, closure liabilities and the Redwater ruling

In Alberta, security held against oil-sands mine closure costs was recorded at $1.46 billion against $28.35 billion of liabilities, an internal 2018 regulator estimate put oil and gas closure liabilities at C$260 billion against a disclosed C$58 billion, and the inventory of wells left without a solvent owner reached 7,302 by July 2026. In 2019 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Redwater that a bankrupt company's closure obligations rank ahead of secured creditors.

SGS audit gives Cobre Panamá mine 88% compliance; environmental groups object

An audit by SGS reported 88% compliance at the Cobre Panamá mine, which has been closed since a 2023 Supreme Court ruling. Environmental groups object to the result.

Central Java issues new permit for Rembang cement plant after court annulment

The Supreme Court annulled the 2012 environmental permit for PT Semen Indonesia's limestone mine and cement plant in Rembang in October 2016. The governor then signed a new permit decision, which he called an addendum rather than a new permit.

Panama moves 1,351 people off Gardi Sugdub island to the mainland

Panama moved 1,351 people from the Gardi Sugdub island to the mainland in June 2024, citing overcrowding and later sea-level rise. The case also covers the 2016 withdrawal of carbon credits for the Barro Blanco hydro dam.

Gunaa Sicarú wind farm contracts cancelled after Zapotec community suit

EDF's planned 300 MW wind farm on Zapotec common land in Oaxaca had its contracts cancelled in June 2022 after a community lawsuit. The case shows how common land rights can decide the fate of large renewable developments.

Tompkins Conservation donates land in Chile to state for two new national parks

Tompkins Conservation transferred 407,625 hectares of land it had bought in Chile to the state in 2019, for two new national parks. The sources reviewed do not give the purchase prices for that land.

Kenyan court rules seed-saving and seed-sharing penalties unconstitutional

A Kenyan court ruled in November 2025 that penalties for saving and sharing seed were unconstitutional, a decision that protects farmers' seed rights. The state agency KEPHIS objected to the ruling.

Myanmar rare earth mining districts lost 32,720 hectares of tree cover

Satellite data reported by Mongabay show 32,720 hectares of tree cover lost in Myanmar's rare earth mining districts after the coup. Global Witness reported that China's imports from Myanmar more than doubled between 2021 and 2023.

Trump's EPA keeps Biden-era veto on Alaska's Pebble mine

In July 2025 the Trump administration's EPA reaffirmed the Biden-era veto on the proposed Pebble mine in Alaska, Alaska Public Media reported. The decision keeps the mine blocked.

Entre Ríos, which bans fracking, mines silica sand for Vaca Muerta wells

Argentina's Entre Ríos province, which bans fracking on its own territory, supplied about 5 million tonnes of silica sand for Vaca Muerta, Canal26 reported in September 2026. Quarries draw about 2 million litres of groundwater per hour, and the Paraná delta wetlands are at stake.

Ho Chi Minh City canal restoration demolished about 7,000 households

Ho Chi Minh City's Nhieu Loc–Thi Nghe canal restoration demolished about 7,000 households, and tenants received no compensation. The sources reviewed report no ecological results from the canal.

Istanbul's municipality and water utility co-own spring-water bottler Hamidiye

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (55%) and water utility İSKİ (45%) co-own Hamidiye, a spring-water bottler. An audit found İSKİ allocated water without tender at low rent, and the sources reviewed hold no record that the environmental water need of a bottling lease was calculated.

US adds Nevada's Thacker Pass lithium mine to fast-track permitting

The US Interior Department added Nevada's Thacker Pass lithium mine to an accelerated federal permitting program in 2025, and three tribes sued over lack of consultation. The sources reviewed give no environmental impact findings for the site.

US moves to end 25-year-old Roadless Rule for national forests

The Trump administration has advanced a proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule, which protects national forest land from road building. The proposal is not final, and the sources reviewed say it would open about 44.7 million acres to roads.

El Salvador lifts its 2017 ban on metal mining

El Salvador lifted its 2017 ban on metal mining in December 2024, a reversal ACI Prensa reported. The sources reviewed give no environmental assessment for the areas now open to mining.

Satellite survey ranks Istanbul's Silivri landfill among top methane plumes

A 2025 satellite measurement recorded 8.4 tonnes per hour of methane from the Silivri landfill in Istanbul, and UCLA Law lists the site among the world's 25 largest landfill methane plumes. At stake is the climate impact of methane escaping from the site.

Addis Ababa's Reppie waste-to-energy plant reported at half capacity

Ethiopia's Reppie incineration plant in Addis Ababa is reported to run at half its capacity, and GAIA said it processes 396 to 650 tonnes a day against a 1,400-tonne design. At stake for nature is whether burning waste at Reppie reduces what goes to the Koshe dump.

Leaked DOE list marks first tranches for two direct air capture hubs 'terminate'

A leaked Energy Department list from October 2025 marked the first tranches for two direct air capture hubs 'terminate', according to Carbon Herald. The hubs are Occidental's South Texas hub and Project Cypress in Louisiana, and at stake for nature is whether public money for removing carbon from the air reaches working plants.

CME Group launches futures tied to a California water price index

CME Group launched futures tied to a California water index in December 2020, and more than 100 groups asked for them to be suspended. The sources reviewed do not show who traded the contracts, and at stake for nature is whether water in California becomes a traded financial asset.

Nile perch released in Lake Victoria in 1954 linked to loss of 200+ cichlids

Uganda's colonial-era fisheries officers released Nile perch into Lake Victoria in 1954, and the IUCN database names it a main cause of the loss of 200 or more endemic cichlid species. At stake for nature is the lake's endemic cichlid fauna.

New York appeals court sides with AIG units in PFAS coverage dispute

A New York appeals court ruled in January 2022 that pollution exclusions in policies issued by AIG companies barred any duty to defend Tonoga against claims over PFOA and PFOS discharges. The state had designated the Petersburg plant a state Superfund site after PFOA reached the municipal water supply.

Courts weigh insurance coverage for asbestos and PFAS liabilities in US cases

In a 1995 Second Circuit case, juries found National Gypsum did not expect or intend its asbestos injuries, and the known-loss defence was rejected except for claims filed before the policy was bought. In 2021 a federal court held that Wolverine World Wide's legacy insurers had a duty to defend it over PFAS discharges from its Rockford, Michigan tannery.

US regulator fines Dish $150,000 over satellite's disposal orbit

The US Federal Communications Commission fined Dish $150,000 in October 2023 after its EchoStar-7 satellite was moved to a disposal orbit about 122 km above the geostationary belt instead of 300 km. It was the first FCC space-debris fine, and the company admitted liability.

Insurers sue Asarco in New Jersey over cover for environmental liabilities

Insurers led by INA and California Union sought a declaration of no cover for Asarco's environmental matters. The sources reviewed do not give the final outcome of the case.

Love Canal: appeals court upholds insurer's pollution exclusion in plumber case

In 2017 the Second Circuit held that a pollution exclusion barred a plumber's insurance cover for work that disturbed Love Canal sediment. Earlier insurer suits and payments linked to Occidental and Hooker are also covered.

Greenpeace ends all engagement with APP and Sinar Mas over deforestation links

Greenpeace International said in May 2018 that it was ending all engagement with APP and Sinar Mas over links to deforestation. Clearing and restoration claims about APP and APRIL in the sources reviewed are not verified.

Pará forest carbon credit schemes face suspension and lawsuits

Verra suspended three Portel credit schemes in 2023 over overlap with public land, and a 2024 state deal to sell 12 million forest credits faces a federal lawsuit. Prosecutors also say Indigenous and quilombola consultations were squeezed into 3 to 5 days.

Kiribati opens Phoenix Islands protected area to fishing; trust dissolved

Kiribati's Phoenix Islands Protected Area, closed to commercial fishing in 2015, was opened to fishing again in November 2021. IUCN reports that the fishing-ban area shrank to about 3% of the protected area and that the compensation trust was dissolved.

Mosaic settles US hazardous-waste case over phosphogypsum handling

The US Justice Department and EPA reached a 2015 hazardous-waste settlement with Mosaic Fertilizer covering about 60 billion lbs of waste at eight sites. The Nature Conservancy lists The Mosaic Company as one of its corporate partners.

DUAL launches insurance for biodiversity net gain units, first at Bunloit estate

DUAL (Howden MGA) launched what its release describes as cover for biodiversity net gain and carbon units, first used on Highlands Rewilding's Bunloit estate. Commentators said 30-year nature outcomes are hard to insure and that the cover must exclude losses caused by landowner failure.

Shell and Greenpeace settle Penguins FPSO case; Greenpeace pays RNLI £300,000

Shell sued Greenpeace UK and Greenpeace International over the boarding of the Penguins FPSO, a climate change protest at the Penguins field, and sought about £800,000 in damages. The case settled on 10 December 2024 with Greenpeace paying £300,000 to the RNLI, admitting no liability and accepting 500m exclusion zones at Shell sites.

Socfin and Socapalm defamation suits against French media and NGOs fail

Socfin and Socapalm, Bolloré-linked palm oil companies, brought defamation suits against Mediapart, L'Obs, Le Point, Sherpa and ReAct over reporting on palm oil. The claimants lost at first instance and withdrew their appeal.

Russia declares WWF and Greenpeace 'undesirable' organisations

In 2023 Russia's Prosecutor General declared WWF and Greenpeace 'undesirable' organisations, citing WWF's 'obstruction' of Arctic industrial development. Greenpeace was closed in Russia, and WWF-Russia cut ties with WWF International.

Kenya evicts more than 700 people from Mau Forest where Ogiek won at court

In November 2023 Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Wildlife Service evicted more than 700 people from the Mau Forest, where the African Court had ruled in favour of the Ogiek. Courts in Nakuru and Narok issued orders halting the evictions.

World Bank $800m Uzbekistan operation; Tanzania project halted

The World Bank announced an $800 million policy operation for Uzbekistan in October 2025, while its REGROW project in Tanzania was suspended in April 2024 and cancelled in November 2024. At stake for nature is whether the 1.73 million hectares of forest reported planted in Uzbekistan survive.

Isidro Baldenegro, Goldman Prize winner, killed in Chihuahua

Isidro Baldenegro López, who had won the Goldman Prize in 2005, was killed on 15 January 2017 in Chihuahua after opposing logging on Rarámuri land. A trial of the alleged shooter was scheduled for January 2019, and the sources reviewed do not record a verdict.

Celedonio Monroy abducted in 2012 after opposing Peña Colorada mine

Celedonio Monroy Prudencio was abducted in Ayotitlán, Jalisco, on 23 October 2012, after opposing illegal logging and the Peña Colorada iron mine run by a Ternium–ArcelorMittal consortium. He remains missing, and no prosecution was found in the sources reviewed.

Sebastián Alonso Juan shot at Ixquisis protest against Pojom dams

Sebastián Alonso Juan was shot on 17 January 2017 at a protest in Ixquisis, Huehuetenango, where he opposed the Pojom I/II and San Andrés hydro dams. Rights in Development reported IDB Invest, CABEI and Cordiant as the dams' financiers, and no prosecution was found in the sources reviewed.

Conservationist Joannah Stutchbury shot in Kiambu, Kenya, in 2021

Joannah Stutchbury was shot dead in Kiambu, Kenya, on 15 July 2021, after a developer had filed a complaint against her over encroachment on the Kiambu forest. No arrests had been reported as of late 2021, and no later update was found in the sources reviewed.

Sombath Somphone disappeared at a Vientiane police checkpoint in 2012

Sombath Somphone disappeared on 15 December 2012 at a police checkpoint in Vientiane, Laos, after being recorded on CCTV. The government denies arresting him, and no specific conservation scheme is linked to the case in the sources reviewed.

World Bank $100m plastic waste bond tied to Verra credit sales

The World Bank's US$100 million, seven-year Plastic Waste Reduction-Linked Bond, dated January 2024, ties investor returns to sales of Verra plastic and carbon credits. For nature, the question is whether those credits pay for less plastic waste, which the sources reviewed do not measure.

Kyrgyzstan takes control of Kumtor gold mine amid penalty dispute

Kyrgyzstan took control of the Kumtor gold mine from Centerra Gold, after an environmental penalty of about US$3 billion became a bargaining point. RFE/RL reported a cyanide spill at the mine about which residents were not informed for five hours.

Indonesian court cancels discharge permits of three Citarum textile factories

An Indonesian court cancelled the discharge permits of three textile factories on the Citarum river, Undark reported in 2017, and a 2025 Unpas thesis says the Citarum programme missed its target. The sources do not give the river's current water quality.

Pakistan Supreme Court sets Rs1 per litre levy on groundwater pumped by bottlers

Pakistan's Supreme Court set a levy of one rupee per litre on groundwater pumped by bottled-water companies, which were reported to draw about 7 billion litres a month. At stake is the groundwater the companies draw; the sources do not say how much the levy has collected.

California water board says bottler Arrowhead had no water right for most diversions

California's water board said Arrowhead, a bottled-water brand, had no water right for most of the diversions it directed, and California halted some of its bottling activities, Courthouse News reported in 2023. The sources do not give the volume of water drawn.

Bottled water sold as mountain water is drawn from boreholes, Indonesian reports say

Indonesian reports say Aqua's water, labelled 'mountain water', is drawn from boreholes 60 to 102 metres deep, and the consumer body BPKN found no violation (Kontan, 2025). The sources do not give the volume drawn from the wells.

South Korea audit reverses river restoration decision

A South Korean state audit board reversed a river restoration decision in 2023. Figures for the earlier Four Rivers works (2009–19), reported without a linked source, put the taxpayer cost at 22.2 trillion won.

Tortum Waterfall dries up after hydro plant operator cuts its water

The hydro plant at Turkey's Tortum Waterfall, privatised for 49 years, cut the water and the waterfall dried up completely, Diken reported in February 2022. The sources reviewed do not give the outcome of the governorship's investigation.

Fethiye village's only water source allocated to a hydro line; detentions follow

Medyascope reported in August 2024 that Söğütlü village's only water source in Fethiye, Turkey, had been allocated to a hydro line, and that villagers were detained when gendarmerie intervened. The village was billed 98,000 lira for the cost of cutting its water, the report says.

Brazilian court orders Vale and Cemig to repair nearly dry Rio Doce reach

A Brazilian federal court found a reduced-flow stretch of the Rio Doce almost dry and ordered Vale and Cemig to repair the damage, IRIB reported in August 2015. The sources reviewed do not say how the repair was carried out.

Akbelen forest defender sentenced after 2023 felling for coal mine

Trees in the Akbelen forest in Turkey were cut in 2023 to widen a coal mining area, and a defender of the forest was later sentenced to prison. The sources reviewed do not give the area cleared or its effect on wildlife.

Stoats and weasels released in New Zealand against rabbits, 1883–1892

Farmers pressed for stoats and weasels to be released against rabbits in New Zealand between 1883 and 1892, although scientists had warned against it. The sources reviewed do not say how the predators affected native wildlife.

New Mexico prescribed burn in 2022 became the state's largest fire

A US Forest Service prescribed burn in New Mexico became the largest fire in the state's history in 2022, according to a review reported by Source NM. The review says 99.84 percent of prescribed burns follow their plan; the sources reviewed give no acreage or ecological damage figures.

62% of UK paraquat exports since 2015 went to poorer countries, analysis finds

Switzerland banned the herbicide paraquat in 1989, while UK exports continued, and a 2022 analysis found that 62 percent of the 122,831 tonnes exported from the UK since 2015 went to poorer countries. The sources reviewed do not quantify the effect on wildlife, water or farm workers in importing countries.

Arbitration tribunal finds UK breached UN sea law over Chagos reserve

A 2015 arbitration tribunal found a breach of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in the dispute over the Chagos marine protected area, which a US cable called the most effective way to block former residents' return. The sources reviewed do not describe the reserve's effect on marine life.

Great Green Wall core area reported at about 4% of its 100 million hectare target

The UNCCD reported about 4 million hectares in the Sahel core area in 2020, roughly 4% of the 100 million hectare target. The stake is whether land restoration in the Sahel reaches that target.

Over one million unplanted saplings in Uzbekistan reported as planted

Kun.uz reported in June 2024 that more than one million saplings in a green space scheme had been added to reports as planted. The stake is whether reported planting matches trees actually planted on the ground.

Historic Nile floating houses removed in Cairo; tree felling in 2026 sparks outcry

Historic floating houses on the Nile in Cairo were removed, and in September 2026 The National reported that tree felling in the city had sparked national outcry. The stake is the city's trees and its historic Nile-side homes.

Felling of 619 old trees begins for Tokyo's Jingu Gaien redevelopment

Felling of 619 old trees began in Tokyo for the Jingu Gaien redevelopment, which was presented as increasing the number of trees. The stake is the loss of mature urban trees against that claim.

Japan 'Kumamoto clam' sales reported at about 120 times the annual Kumamoto catch

Ministry of Agriculture data, reported by Jiji, show 2,485 tonnes sold under the Kumamoto clam name against an annual Kumamoto catch of 21 tonnes. The stake is whether the label matches where the clams come from.

Egg producer penalised by Australian regulator for misleading free-range claims

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) penalised an egg producer for misleading free-range claims, in a release dated 2014 to 2016. The stake is whether hens sold as free-range had outdoor access.

Human Rights Watch reports about 930,000 relocated in Tibet for ecological protection

Human Rights Watch reported in May 2024 that about 930,000 people were moved in Tibet under an 'ecological protection' rationale, and that the moves were not voluntary. The stake is the livelihoods of those moved and whether the protection goal was met.

Pará state pre-sold 12 million REDD+ credits; federal prosecutors sue to cancel

Pará pre-sold 12 million REDD+ credits, which stand for forest protection, to the LEAF Coalition in 2024. Federal prosecutors say the sale went ahead without prior consultation and have sued to cancel it.

Delhi clears Yamuna floodplain homes for riverfront and biodiversity-park schemes

Authorities cleared about 550 homes at Bela Estate in 2018 for a biodiversity park and lake, and about 310 families were evicted without rehabilitation at Yamuna Bazar in June 2026. The clearances were justified as riverfront and biodiversity schemes on the Yamuna floodplain.

Tajik markhor hunts leave about USD 78,000 per hunt with protected areas

A 2019 CITES fact sheet reports that markhor, a wild goat, increased in Tajikistan and that about USD 78,000 per hunt remains with the protected area. The sources reviewed do not give the hunt fees or the share kept by hunting operators.

Bolivia's decree 3973 allowed forest clearing and controlled burns before 2024 fires

Decree 3973 permitted forest clearing and 'controlled burning' in Santa Cruz and Beni. Bolivia recorded about 12.86 million hectares of fire in 2024, 8.5 million of them in Santa Cruz, and the forests of those departments are at stake.

BP and Eni do not declare gas flared at Iraq's Rumaila field, citing non-operator status

BP and Eni say they are not operators at Rumaila and do not declare the gas flared there, a site one source calls the world's most gas-flared. The sources reviewed do not quantify the flaring or its effect on climate or health.

Sulawesi 'green nickel' runs on coal power; respiratory infections rose

Nickel processing in Sulawesi relies on 6,965 MW of coal power, according to a May 2025 Mongabay Indonesia report. Respiratory tract infection cases in the area reportedly rose from 85 to 549.

Kazakhstan plans saiga antelope cull as population recovers

Kazakhstan planned to cull up to 337,000 saiga antelope after the population recovered to about 2.8 million, citing crop damage. The carcasses were to be sold to meat plants.

Kyrgyzstan 1998 cyanide accident: residents not informed for five hours

A 1998 cyanide accident in Kyrgyzstan was not disclosed to residents for five hours. Compensation covered only a small part of the damage, and a claim by 54 victims was rejected 24 years later.

EU narrows supply-chain law and delays deforestation rule twice

The EU narrowed its corporate due diligence directive (CSDDD) and postponed its deforestation regulation (EUDR) twice. Leaked documents and lobbying records show oil and agribusiness interests sought the changes.

EU seal-product ban's Inuit exemption found ineffective

A Nunatsiaq News report found the Inuit exemption to the EU's seal-product ban ineffective.

Philippine appeals court blocks commercial GM rice and Bt eggplant

An appeals court in the Philippines blocked commercial propagation of genetically modified rice, known as golden rice, and Bt eggplant, ELAW reported in April 2024. A national science academy said the crops do more harm than good; a farmers' network called the ruling a win.

Adviser said UN environment award helped sway UNESCO on Rampal coal plant

Bangladesh's energy adviser said a UN environment award helped persuade UNESCO to withdraw its objection to the Rampal coal plant near the Sundarbans mangrove forest. The sources reviewed do not report the plant's effects on the forest.

FSC suspends Vietnamese pellet producer over false certification claims

The Forest Stewardship Council suspended An Viet Phat Energy, a Vietnamese wood-pellet producer, over false certification claims on large volumes of pellets. The sources reviewed do not report any forest impact of the claims.

Red sandalwood funds made up most of India's benefit-sharing payouts

India reports 268 crore rupees of benefits from access and benefit-sharing approvals since 2017, and 101 of the 127 crore rupees distributed came from red sandalwood funds. The sources reviewed do not report the effect on red sandalwood forests.

Cargill's Turkish factory kept operating despite court annulments

Cargill's Orhangazi factory in Bursa kept running after Turkish courts annulled its permits and the European Court of Human Rights found the non-enforcement violated a fair trial. The sources reviewed do not confirm the factory's groundwater use.

Indonesia returns 883 of 2,194 flagged waste containers

Indonesia sent 883 of 2,194 flagged import containers back to their countries of origin, according to a 2019 report. Paper waste bales that reached East Java in 2018 were reported to hold 30–35% plastic, against a 2% legal limit.

Four global fashion brands launch second-hand clothing recovery coalition in Ghana

Brands including H&M, Inditex, Bestseller and adidas set up a recovery coalition at Kantamanto market in Accra, which Ghana News Agency said returns about 25 million garments a month. The sources reviewed give no measured environmental outcome for the market's garment waste.

Insect-farming firm Ynsect enters judicial liquidation

Ynsect, a French insect-farming company that had raised about $600 million, entered judicial liquidation in December 2025 after financing efforts fell through, according to Vertical Farm Daily. The sources reviewed give no measured environmental outcome for the company's operations.

Alteo has discharged red mud from Gardanne into the Calanques since 1966

Red mud from Alteo's Gardanne operation has been discharged into the Calanques canyon since 1966, according to Made in Marseille. The sources reviewed give no current measurement of the effect on the marine environment.

Swedish incinerator fly ash dumped on Langøya island in Norway

Swedish fly ash from waste incineration has been dumped on Langøya, an island in the Oslofjord in Norway, and chloride from it reaches the fjord, The Local reported. The sources reviewed give no measurement of the fjord or the island.

German ministry links Oder fish die-off to salt discharges and toxic algae

About 1,000 t of aquatic life died in the Oder in 2022, which the German environment ministry linked to salt discharges that fed a toxic alga. In 2023 AP reported that Germany alleged Poland had not stopped the pollution, and the sources reviewed give no measured recovery of the river.

Indian court closes 700 Tiruppur dye units; river solids at 3,000 mg/l

A court closed 700 dye units in Tiruppur, India, in 2011, when the river carried 3,000 mg/l of dissolved solids against a norm of 250, according to Down To Earth. Operators of shared treatment plants say they recover 95–98% of water and 70–80% of salts, a claim the sources reviewed do not verify.

Firms paid 569 million yuan over waste water evaporated in Tengger Desert ponds

Waste water was evaporated in ponds in China's Tengger Desert and the residue buried in the sand, Beijing News reported in a ten-year follow-up. Companies paid 569 million yuan and 824 million yuan was spent on repairs; the sources reviewed give no current measurement of the site.

AES coal ash sold as road fill in Guayama, Puerto Rico; arsenic above standard

Coal ash from AES's Puerto Rico plant was sold as fill for 'caminos blancos' (white roads) in Guayama after the Dominican Republic refused it, and the distribution was not recorded. Canary Media reported that the company's own measurements found arsenic in groundwater at more than twice the standard.

US chemical recycling plants run far below capacity, and some have closed

Plants sold as advanced recycling processed a small share of their declared capacity, and at least one closed in 2024. At ExxonMobil's Baytown plant, about 92% of the feed was mostly converted into fuel.

Philippines reports 55.98% plastic recovery under EPR, including co-processing

The Philippine Environment Ministry reported plastic recovery of 55.98% under its producer responsibility scheme, a figure that counts co-processing as recovery. The sources say the share of plastic that is burned is not disclosed, and only 1,017 of 2,130 firms were registered.

Paris court finds Volvic recycling claims misleading; Coca-Cola, Nestlé change labels

A Paris court found Volvic's “100% recyclable”, “100% recycled” and “carbon neutral” bottle claims misleading. The sources report label changes by Coca-Cola and Nestlé, and do not report any change in bottle production.

Marshall Islands nuclear tribunal awards over USD 2bn; payments are a small fraction

A Marshall Islands tribunal awarded more than USD 2 billion for nuclear-testing damage, but the fund financed with USD 150 million from the United States was depleted in 2009. A Bikini resettlement trust fund has also shrunk sharply, and a lawsuit alleges excess payouts to its manager.

Ukraine plans private demining tenders as US-Ukraine fund signs first minerals deal

Ukraine reported 43 farmland demining contracts in July 2026, covering 11,700 hectares at an average of UAH 62,900 per hectare. The sources reviewed do not report the environmental outcome of the clearance, and the US-Ukraine fund's first minerals deal is worth USD 30 million.

Okinawa pays for US base PFAS treatment as Henoko cost rises to 930 billion yen

Okinawa's prefectural government has paid for PFAS water treatment linked to US base contamination, after on-base inspection requests were rejected four times since 2016. The Henoko base relocation cost estimate rose from 350 billion yen in 2014 to 930 billion yen in 2019.

US Defense Department PFAS costs top USD 9.3 billion at 718 installations

The US Government Accountability Office reported that Defense Department PFAS costs reached USD 9.3 billion or more and tripled since 2022. None of the 718 installations is yet in long-term cleanup, while the Department promotes its land as a refuge for wildlife.

Army-built Tren Maya caused deforestation of 6,659 hectares, mostly without permits

Data from CartoCrítica, reported by Vanguardia, link the Tren Maya railway to the deforestation of 6,659 hectares, 87% of it without permits. The Mexican army built the line.

Brazil's army-led Verde Brasil spent USD 90.3m; deforestation rose above average

Brazil's Operation Verde Brasil, run by the armed forces, spent USD 90.3 million in two years, while deforestation rose to 62% above the 2009 to 2018 average and violation notices fell 65%. In Colombia's Artemisa operation, villagers were arrested while financiers were not.

Colombia's Operation Artemisa: 113 arrests and 13 convictions

Colombia's military Operation Artemisa, launched in April 2019 against deforestation, saw 113 arrests and 13 convictions, Mongabay Latam reported. Experts quoted by the outlet said it targeted small settlers rather than large-scale deforesters, after Amazon forest loss had already risen following the FARC withdrawal.

US PACT Act: $281.5bn for veterans exposed to burn pits, none for Iraqi civilians

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the US PACT Act would cost about $281.5 billion through 2031 for veterans exposed to burn pit smoke. The sources reviewed report no compensation mechanism for Iraqi civilians exposed to the same smoke.

Iran calls attack on Tehran fuel depots 'ecocide'

Iran described an attack on fuel depots in Tehran as 'ecocide', according to Stop Ecocide International. An early risk summary by CEOBS, based on social media monitoring, reports damaged Gulf oil facilities and at-risk desalination plants, but no damage or emissions totals yet.

Brazilian court fines Sigma Lithium over blast damage in Jequitinhonha valley

Sigma Lithium marketed its lithium as 'five-zero green lithium', a carbon-neutral claim based on credits from a suspended Amazon scheme. Prosecutors in Minas Gerais found blast-related cracks in about half of inspected homes, and a court imposed a 50 million real guarantee and a daily fine.

DRC replaces cobalt export ban with 96,600-tonne annual quota

The Democratic Republic of the Congo turned a February 2025 cobalt export ban into a quota of 96,600 tonnes a year for 2026 and 2027, Bankable reported. The IEA linked a rise of about 130% in cobalt prices to the DRC constraint; the sources reviewed do not state environmental effects of the quota.

China's Ganzhou rare earth clean-up estimated at 38 billion yuan

A preliminary 2012 estimate by China's deputy minister of industry put the clean-up of rare earth pollution in Ganzhou at 38 billion yuan, covering 302 abandoned mines on about 97 km2. In Yichun, thallium in drinking water exceeded limits in November 2022 and lithium companies were investigated.

India exempts critical mineral mines from public consultation

India's environment ministry exempted atomic and critical-strategic mineral mines from public consultation on defence grounds in September 2025, and Tamil Nadu asked for the exemption to be withdrawn. A Reasi lithium block auction was annulled twice for lack of bids, and nine more critical mineral blocks were annulled in a seventh round.

Catamarca court orders cumulative impact study for lithium sites

The Supreme Court of Catamarca ordered a precautionary cumulative environmental impact study for lithium sites and halted new permits in March 2024, Microjuris Al Día reported. In Jujuy, Indigenous communities blocked roads in 2023 against a constitutional reform that would centralise lithium oversight.

Indonesia reopened sea sand exports in 2023; Supreme Court annulled them in 2025

Indonesia lifted a 2003 ban on sea sand exports in 2023, citing sediment management. Fishing communities report lost income, and the Supreme Court struck down the export articles in 2025.

Peru says it blocked 180 biopiracy cases, but records no benefit payments

Peru says it prevented 180 biopiracy cases in patent systems over 20 years. The sources reviewed record no monetary benefit reaching producers of maca or sangre de grado, and no commercial access contract until 2020.

US sales of medically important antibiotics for food animals rose 16% in 2024

The FDA reports that US sales of medically important antimicrobials for food-producing animals rose 16% in 2024, to 6,127,991 kg, though still 27% below the 2015 peak. The figure measures sales, not animal use.

Spanish public pool pays over €4 billion in Valencia flood claims

Spain's Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros had paid more than €4 billion for losses from the 2024 Valencia DANA floods, La Moncloa reported in November 2025. Ivie, a Valencian institute, estimated losses above €17 billion; the sources reviewed do not address effects on nature.

Turkish public quake pool paid TL 39.7 billion after 2023 earthquakes

DASK, Türkiye's public earthquake insurance pool, paid TL 39.7 billion on about 630,000 notifications after the February 2023 quakes. Insurance cover was about 56% nationally and 39.9% in Diyarbakır; the sources reviewed do not connect the scheme to nature or land use.

Morocco's catastrophe fund expected reinsurance after the 2023 El Haouz quake

After the 2023 El Haouz earthquake, Morocco's catastrophe fund (FSEC) was reported to expect 250 to 300 million dollars from Gallagher Re, and the fund had not been used for uninsured losses. In 2025 the government planned to raise the solidarity levy on premiums, a cost that Hespress reported is passed on to insured vehicle owners.

France's clay-shrinkage drought claims: one in four victims compensated

Public Sénat reported that clay-shrinkage (RGA) drought claims cost 2.4 to 2.9 billion euros in 2022, and that one in four victims were compensated. A Senate record says the CatNat surcharge rose from 12 to 20 percent from 1 January 2025.

Stargate Abilene installed gas turbines and diesel generators under a rule-based permit

The Texas Tribune reported that the Stargate Abilene site installed 10 gas turbines and 62 diesel generators under a rule-based permit. Permits for nine planned Texas data center gas plants exceed 130 million tonnes a year, a permitted maximum rather than measured emissions.

Louisiana regulators fast-track second batch of gas plants for Meta data center

Louisiana regulators approved three gas plants for Meta's Hyperion data center in 2025 and fast-tracked seven more in April 2026. As You Sow and partners reported that Meta's location-based Scope 2 emissions rose about 150 percent from 2019 to 2024.

Greenpeace says AI chip production emissions rose to 453,600 tonnes by 2024

Greenpeace East Asia reported that AI chip production emissions rose from 99,200 tonnes to 453,600 tonnes between 2023 and 2024. DatacenterDynamics reported that TSMC's Taiwan plants had an 11.4 percent renewable share in 2025.

Rents near Barcelona's Consell de Cent green axis rose 12.6–14% more than elsewhere

Ara reported that rents for rented homes nearest Barcelona's Consell de Cent green axis rose 12.6 to 14 percent more than in the rest of the city. A study cited by Ara found support for the ruling party rose 1.5 to 3 points among voters in the green zone.

Kigali cleared Bannyahe as a 'high-risk wetland' for high-income investment

KT Press reported in 2019 that Kigali cleared the Bannyahe settlement, labelled a 'high-risk wetland', while the city master plan sought the land for high-income investment. Yale Environment 360 reported that the restored Nyandungu wetland could cut wetland access for more than 14,000 farming households if the plan proceeds.

4,700 families moved for Cairo's Fustat Gardens; Heliopolis lost 390,000 m² of green

Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities reported that 4,700 families moved from Ezbet Abu Qarn to make way for the Fustat Gardens park on a former dump. Ahram Online reported in 2020 that about 390,000 square meters of Heliopolis green space were removed in four months for roads.

Medellín's 30 green corridors won a 2019 Ashden award; 2 °C claim unverified

Medellín's 30 green corridors, some running through poor neighborhoods, won the 2019 Ashden award. The city says they cool the local microclimate by up to 2 °C, but no independent measurement was found, and a 2014 slope intervention in Comuna 8 drew objections over heavy structures.

Post-disaster coastal buffer zones in Sri Lanka and the Philippines exempted hotels

After the tsunami, Sri Lanka set a 100 to 200 metre coastal building ban, later reduced to at most 55 metres. After Typhoon Haiyan the Philippines set a 40 metre ban that allowed commercial rebuilding such as hotels, and post-tsunami mangrove planting in Sri Lanka largely failed.

Addis Ababa riverside and corridor demolitions led to evictions without compensation

Demolitions for the 29-billion-birr Beautifying Sheger riverside scheme began before design approval. Arab News, citing AFP, reported that corridor works had demolished in more than 58 cities, and 872 people were evicted without compensation in Bole and Lemi Kura in November 2024.

Study attributes habitat loss in Bahrain to reclamation and sand dredging

A study indexed by FAO AGRIS found that Bahrain's land area grew by 91 square kilometres through reclamation between 1963 and 2008. It attributes about 153.58 square kilometres of habitat loss to ten reclamation and dredging schemes.

Ten Mother Nature activists sentenced over documenting sand dredging

Ten Mother Nature activists who documented sand exports and coastal damage were sentenced in July 2024 to six to eight years on conspiracy charges. In 2018, two activists who filmed sand ships were jailed and fined after a complaint from LYP Group.

Syngenta settles thousands of paraquat lawsuits and keeps selling diquat

Paraquat, sued over claims it causes Parkinson's disease, is still produced and exported from countries that ban it at home, and its maker has moved to diquat as a substitute. The New Lede reported more than 8,000 lawsuits in 2026, and Syngenta settled without admitting liability.

France's Constitutional Council annuls pesticide clause of Duplomb farm law

France's HRI1 pesticide-use indicator fell 32% over 2011–2021, while the dose-based NODU measure rose 3%. The EU pesticide reduction regulation was withdrawn, and in 2025 the Constitutional Council annulled the clause of the Duplomb law that brought back acetamiprid.

Kenyan court removes seed-sharing offence in 2025; destruction costs fall on farmers

Kenya's seed law made sharing unregistered seed a crime until a court ruling in November 2025, and the permanence of that ruling is unclear. Farmers paid for the destruction of banned pesticides, while EU exports of banned pesticides rose.

Evaluations find AGRA missed its headline goal; Yara buys Italian organic fertiliser firm

AGRA, largely funded by the Gates Foundation, set a 2020 goal of doubling yields and incomes for 30 million households; evaluations disagree on the outcome. Yara, 36.2% owned by the Norwegian state, agreed in 2023 to buy an Italian organic fertiliser business.

Kerala endosulfan compensation delayed as producer's Shroff family sells stake

Endosulfan, a banned pesticide, was produced in India by a company linked to the Shroff family, and Kerala's victims were still owed compensation five years after a court order. In 2016 the family sold a 24.75% stake for about 343 crore rupees to Sumitomo.

Philippine Supreme Court fined Manila's water firms over untreated sewage

The Philippine Supreme Court fined Manila Water, Maynilad and the state agency MWSS in 2019 for collecting sewerage charges while no treatment plant was built. The fine was cut to 404 million pesos in 2022, and untreated sewage reached Manila Bay.

Illegal gold mining raised turbidity at a Ghana Water plant, cutting output 30%

Illegal gold mining, known as galamsey, pushed turbidity at Ghana Water's Sekyere Hemang plant to 8,000–13,000 NTU in 2024, far above the 500 NTU design level, and output fell by 30 percent. The utility and its customers carried the cost, and no compensation from the miners is recorded.

Chinese appeal court did not make chemical firms pay remediation at Changzhou

In 2018 the Jiangsu Higher People's Court did not require chemical firms to pay remediation costs at the Changzhou toxic land site, and the state carried out the clean-up. Separately, China's environment ministry said the Guigang treatment plant had sent 13,600 tonnes of sludge to unsuitable sites and falsified more than 30 documents before inspection.

Australian government settled PFAS claims at three defence bases and sued 3M

Australia's federal government settled class actions over PFAS foam contamination near the Katherine, Williamtown and Oakey defence bases in 2020, and later sued 3M for more than A$2bn. The sources say taxpayers have borne the cost so far, with no recovery from the foam makers reported before that suit.

Indonesia's Supreme Court orders Wilmar to pay Rp 11.88 trillion

Indonesia's Supreme Court overturned an acquittal in a crude palm oil export permit case and ordered Wilmar to pay Rp 11.88 trillion. Between 2015 and 2023 palm groups led by Wilmar received the largest share of a Rp 179 trillion biodiesel subsidy.

45Q lobby coalition's founding director was named to head DOE carbon office

The coalition that campaigned for the US 45Q carbon capture tax credit saw its founding director named to head the Energy Department's fossil and carbon management office in 2022. The 2025 law raised the oil recovery credit to match storage, and much captured CO2 is used to recover more oil.

Loss and damage fund has paid about 55% of its $822m pledges

Pakistan's 2022 floods were met with an $11bn pledge, and about $2.8bn had been paid, roughly half of it in credit unrelated to the floods. The Fund for responding to Loss and Damage had $822m pledged and about $449m paid, and no approval had been granted by October 2026.

GE ran a 'Let Nature Clean Up the Hudson' campaign against EPA dredging

General Electric discharged about 1 million pounds of PCBs into the Hudson River, and dredging removed contaminated sediment from 2009 to 2015. Fish advisories remain, so the stake for nature is the river's fish and sediment recovery.

Newfoundland pays residents to leave Little Bay Islands, a dwindling fishing village

Newfoundland and Labrador's relocation programme offered C$250,000 to C$270,000 per household to leave outport villages after the 1992 cod moratorium. Nature's stake: the cod stocks behind the moratorium and the coastal land left empty.

Danone, Unilever and BP scaled back sustainability goals between 2021 and 2025

Danone replaced its chief executive, Unilever withdrew a plastic target and BP cut its low-carbon spending. Nature's stake: the plastic and emissions goals that were meant to reduce pressure on ecosystems.

Kivalina village in Alaska still awaits relocation after 2008 suit against ExxonMobil

Kivalina, an Inupiat village on a thin barrier island in Alaska, has lost much of its land to erosion while relocation stalled. Its 2008 damages suit against ExxonMobil and other large emitters was dismissed. Nature's stake: the island's shrinking coastline.

Walton family grants and board ties link Conservation International to Walmart

Walton family grants and board seats connect a conservation group to the retailer's former chair and to a seafood certifier the foundation funds. Nature's stake: wildlife parks in Africa, where the sources record rights and funding disputes.

Paris court finds TotalEnergies' 2050 carbon-neutral claim misleading

A Paris court ruled in October 2025 that TotalEnergies' claim to be carbon neutral by 2050 misled consumers, while its production was rising. Nature's stake: whether carbon-neutral claims rest on emissions that continue.

Indigenous land registration cut Amazon deforestation; recent Brazilian rulings reverse course

Full legal registration of Indigenous territories in the Brazilian Amazon was linked to lower deforestation. In 2025 clearing rose in some territories, and courts and Congress were still disputing the cut-off rule for land claims.

Basel plastic waste rules took effect in 2021; UK waste exports to Türkiye rose again in 2023

The 2019 Basel plastic waste amendments, in force since January 2021, put mixed plastic waste under prior consent. UK exports to Türkiye reached 141 million kg in 2023, up from 88 million kg in 2022.

Japan's JBIC financed Vietnam's Vung Ang 2 coal plant from an environment-labelled fund

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation provided $636 million for the Vung Ang 2 coal plant in Vietnam from a fund whose name refers to environmental protection. Japan had also pressed for exceptions to the G7's 2021 coal pledge.

Santos's Moomba CCS stores 2 million tonnes and earns 1.19 million carbon credits

Santos's Moomba carbon capture and storage operation in South Australia stored about 2 million tonnes of CO2 in 18 months and had earned over 1.19 million Australian carbon credits (ACCUs) by September 2025. The reviewed material does not say whether the stored volume was independently verified.

US 2025 tax law gave oil recovery the same carbon credit as permanent storage

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of July 2025 gave carbon used for enhanced oil recovery the same 45Q tax credit as stored carbon. Enverus said this cut the breakeven price of an enhanced-oil-recovery barrel from $28 to $16, so public tax money now supports oil extraction.

Alberta and Ottawa tie new oil pipeline to Pathways carbon capture plan

A November 2025 agreement between Alberta and the federal government links a new 1 million barrel-per-day West Coast oil pipeline to Pathways, a planned carbon capture scheme for oil sands. Whether it cuts emissions depends on how much carbon is captured and stored, which the sources reviewed do not measure.

ExxonMobil completes USD 4.9 billion purchase of Denbury CO2 pipelines

ExxonMobil bought Denbury, which operated more than 1,300 miles of CO2 pipeline, for USD 4.9 billion in November 2023. The pipelines feed enhanced oil recovery, which injects CO2 to push more oil out of ageing fields, and the sources reviewed do not show how much of that carbon stays underground.

After Sackett ruling, NRDC says at least 60% of individual wetlands are unprotected

A 2023 US Supreme Court ruling in Sackett v. EPA required a wetland to have a 'continuous surface connection' before it gained federal protection. NRDC modelling, reported by Inside Climate News, found that at least 60 percent of individual wetlands would be left unprotected even under the mildest reading.

OPEC members' declared oil reserves jumped in the late 1980s

Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Iraq and Saudi Arabia raised declared oil reserves sharply between 1985 and 1990, when OPEC quotas took reserves into account and no major discovery was made. The sources reviewed do not link these figures to any measured environmental effect.

Santo Antônio dam sought 51 million tonnes of UN carbon credits

The Santo Antônio dam on Brazil's Madeira River was registered under the UN Clean Development Mechanism, and credits for 2013 to 2020 appear to have been issued. Philip Fearnside called the 51 million tonne reduction claimed under the registration 'hot air', meaning credits with no real cut behind them.

Blackjewel bankruptcy and mine reclamation bonds in Kentucky, Virginia and Wyoming

Coal producer Blackjewel filed for bankruptcy in 2019 with mine cleanup bonds in Kentucky, Virginia and Wyoming. Whether the bonds would pay to reclaim the land depends on figures the sources report only in part.

Woodside's Northern Endeavour transfer to NOGA and state-funded decommissioning

Woodside transferred its Northern Endeavour production vessel and fields in Australia to a small company, NOGA, along with A$24 million in cash. After NOGA collapsed in 2019 the state took over removal, and a special sector tax to meet the cost exceeded A$1.1 billion.

Exide's Vernon lead smelter abandoned in bankruptcy, leaving California to pay for cleanup

Battery recycler Exide left its Vernon, California, lead smelter through bankruptcy in 2020. The state has spent $260 million on the cleanup, and a further $390 million is reported as needed.

Prestige oil spill compensation cap in Spain and 1992 Fund limits

The 2002 Prestige spill off Galicia, Spain, falls under capped international compensation rules. IOPC Funds reports that the Spanish Supreme Court awarded €1,439.08 million, of which €554.10 million for environmental and moral damages could not be recovered from the 1992 Fund.

ASARCO bankruptcy environmental settlement and Grupo México's return in 2009

ASARCO left bankruptcy in 2009 with a $1.79 billion environmental settlement covering more than 80 sites in 19 states. Grupo México regained the company in the same year.

C-Quest Capital cookstove credit case: founder charged over inflated credit counts

Verra approved C-Quest Capital's cookstove method in September 2020 while founder Kenneth Newcombe sat on Verra's board, and US prosecutors charged him in October 2024 with falsifying data to inflate credit counts. At stake is whether the credits reflected real emission cuts.

Germany rejects 215,000 carbon credits from Chinese oil-sector projects

Credits from upstream emission reduction projects in China were used to meet part of Germany's fuel quota. After re-examination, the environment agency rejected 215,000 credits in September 2024 and the system was closed.

Dominica passes law for sperm whale reserve; carbon claim has no credit scheme

Dominica set up a sperm whale reserve whose law does not tie it to carbon credits. Scientists have disputed the carbon estimates behind the whale-credit idea, and the sources reviewed show no whale carbon credit sold.

Trade rules curb green industrial policy; WTO rules against Indonesia nickel ban

Trade challenges have struck down several green industrial policies, including India's solar local-content rule and Ontario's renewable tariff. A WTO panel also ruled against Indonesia's raw nickel export ban, and Public Citizen counts only two successful general-exception defences out of 48.

Bloomberg, Steyer and Bezos money shapes coal and nature campaigns

Large donors funded campaigns to close coal plants and to protect 30 per cent of land, often through pooled funds and intermediary foundations. Critics say links to industry are hard to measure because much corporate-linked income is reported as a single line.

China's natural forest logging ban and the shift of timber imports

China limited natural-forest logging from 1998 and banned it fully from 2014, while timber imports rose above domestic commercial output. A 2010 study cited in the sources says 74% of China's forest gain over the last five years was offset by displacement abroad.

US Northwest federal logging limits and the shift of timber cutting

Federal logging on Pacific Northwest forests fell from 12.7 billion board-feet in 1987 to 1.7 billion in 2002. A 2019 letter by Brian Murray confirms an earlier finding that more than 80% of the blocked volume moved to other North American forests, mainly the US South.

Dutch royal couple's Machangulo holiday-village investment, Mozambique

The Dutch heir couple invested in a Machangulo peninsula holiday-village development in 2007–2008, promoted as ecologically responsible. A 2009 report found five schools without clean water or toilets, and a local police chief was arrested over the killing of a resident who opposed the development.

Shell's 2022 stake in Brazilian REDD+ developer Carbonext

Shell Brasil bought a minority stake in Carbonext, a Brazilian REDD+ developer, in 2022. Police and prosecutors later acted against REDD+ schemes, including some the sources say Carbonext developed, and the sources do not say whether Carbonext or Shell were charged.

ELAW and Ecolex list M.C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath, an Indian environmental case

The Indian case M.C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath is listed by ELAW and Ecolex. The case details are not verified here.

New Zealand's 2014 Te Urewera Act, a legal-personhood law for a former park

New Zealand's Te Urewera Act of 2014 is cited as a legal-personhood case for a former national park. The terms of the land's protection and the settlement behind them are reported but not verified here.

BP acquires majority stake in Finite Carbon, a US forest carbon developer

BP bought a majority stake in forest-carbon developer Finite Carbon in December 2020. South Pole left the Kariba forest-carbon scheme in Zimbabwe in October 2023, saying it was disappointed with how the operator ran it on the ground.

Shell buys Australian carbon-farming firm Select Carbon in August 2020

Shell announced in August 2020 that it would acquire Select Carbon, an Australian carbon-farming company. Shell later dropped its offset targets in October 2023, including a target of 120 million tonnes by 2030.

Sören Jensen identified PCBs in 1966 while testing for DDT

Stockholm University researcher Sören Jensen found unidentified peaks in a DDT analysis in 1966 and identified them as PCBs. The sources link PCBs to harm in wildlife, which this record does not verify.

3M agrees to pay US public water suppliers $10.3bn over PFAS

3M's settlement with US public water suppliers over PFAS was approved on 29 March 2024 at a present value of $10.3 billion, with a nominal ceiling of $12.5 billion paid over 13 years. It covers systems that have detected or could detect PFAS, and the company's chief executive described it as a way to reduce risk and uncertainty.

Compensation for Kerala endosulfan victims reported delayed

Compensation for victims of the pesticide endosulfan in Kasaragod, Kerala, was reported delayed between 2011 and 2022, according to Down To Earth. The sources reviewed give no verified figures for victims or payments, so the scale of the harm is not established here.

adidas unveiled a shoe prototype made from AMSilk spider-silk fibre

A 2016 adidas Futurecraft Biofabric prototype was made from AMSilk's bacterially produced silk fibre, and no retail sale is recorded in the sources reviewed. At stake for nature is whether the fibre can replace conventional materials at a scale that changes their land and resource use, a question the sources do not settle.

Indian indigo area and exports fell sharply, 1895 to 1956

India Environment Portal records that Indian indigo cultivation and exports fell sharply between 1895 and 1956. At stake for nature is where the released land went and where the chemical load of synthetic indigo fell, which the sources reviewed do not establish.

Italy's lower house passes ban on cultivated meat, 159 to 53

Italy's lower house voted in November 2023 to ban the production and sale of cultivated meat, and several US states have since banned it. At stake for nature is whether replacing livestock meat would release land, a question the sources reviewed do not answer.

Gates holds about 275,000 acres of US farmland in 17 states

Bill Gates's investment group holds about 275,000 acres of US farmland in 17 states through Cascade and Cottonwood Ag Management, according to The Land Report and Entrepreneur. At stake for nature is which land use the holdings support, which the sources reviewed do not establish.

Killings alleged at Del Monte's pineapple farm in Thika, Kenya

Guards at Del Monte's pineapple farm in Thika, Kenya, have been accused of killings and rape, and security was outsourced to G4S in 2024; the company says no fault has been established. At stake for nature is how the farm and its neighbours are managed, which the sources reviewed do not describe.

USAID funding for Kenya's Northern Rangelands Trust ended in 2025

USAID, the main donor to the Northern Rangelands Trust, ended its funding in January 2025, and the agency closed on 1 July 2025. At stake for nature is the conservation work that funding supported, which the sources reviewed do not measure.

Bayer buys Monsanto for $66bn; four firms hold most seed and pesticide sales

Bayer bought Monsanto in 2018 for US$66 billion, and four firms now hold most global seed and pesticide sales. The sources reviewed do not measure what this concentration does to nature.

Greens report: parts of German glyphosate assessment copied Monsanto file

A Greens/EFA report says up to half of some sections of Germany's BfR glyphosate assessment were taken from Monsanto's licence application file. The sources reviewed do not show whether the safety assessments of the weedkiller glyphosate were independent.

Bayer's carbon program pays farmers per practice, not per tonne

Bayer pays farmers in 28 states for practices such as cover crops and reduced tillage, and Bayer measures the results and keeps the carbon assets. The sources reviewed do not measure whether the payments add carbon removal beyond what farmers already do.

World Bank US$600m farm loan coincided with a 90% fall in farm support

The World Bank approved a US$600m loan in June 2001 to move growers away from hazelnut, tobacco and sugar beet. OECD (2011) reports that the crop-switch targets were only partly met.

About 150,000 orangutans lost in Borneo; RSPO palm saved only 21 km² of forest

Most of the roughly 150,000 orangutans lost in Borneo between 1999 and 2015 were lost inside forest, according to Mongabay (2018). A Queensland study found certified and uncertified plantations no different on orangutan loss, fire or village welfare.

WTO panel backs EU on palm biofuel rules in Malaysia case

Malaysia and Indonesia challenged EU rules that take palm-based biofuel out of renewable status by 2030 while not doing so for EU-grown sunflower and rapeseed. The sources reviewed do not measure the forest or land effect of that choice.

Major agrochemical firms buy biological input makers and sell organic-approved lines

Syngenta, Bayer and Corteva have bought biological input makers or sold products approved for organic farmers, including Syngenta’s 2020 purchase of Valagro and Bayer’s 2012 purchase of AgraQuest. The sources reviewed do not say how these deals changed sales of chemical pesticides, which is what is at stake for soil and water.

Bursa’s bottled-water plants draw 4.4m m3 a year; dams hit 0.54% in 2025

Turkish provinces lease spring flows and lake water to bottled-water companies, and villagers in Gözede, Bursa, say their irrigation water was given to a factory. The sources reviewed record volumes and tariffs, but do not show what share of Bursa’s water supply bottling takes.

Soviet nuclear satellite Cosmos 954 crashes in Canada; USSR pays C$3m in 1981

The Soviet nuclear satellite Cosmos 954 crashed in northern Canada in January 1978. A 1981 protocol settled Canada’s claim for C$3 million with no admission of liability, and the sources reviewed say there was no specific rule for space debris.

Consultant ERM wrote the Keystone XL environmental impact statement

ERM, a consulting firm, wrote the environmental impact statement for the Keystone XL pipeline for the US State Department. It was alleged that ERM did not disclose earlier work for TransCanada, and the sources reviewed do not establish that the conflict changed the review’s findings.

TotalEnergies’ Tilenga oil fields in Uganda: biodiversity claims and insurance

TotalEnergies is developing the Tilenga oil fields in Uganda and presents its biodiversity programme as a net gain. The sources reviewed record a 2022 insurance arrangement for the pipeline, but do not establish whether the biodiversity claims have been independently verified.

Marfrig co-founded Biomas, a Brazilian forest-restoration company

Marfrig is one of six companies that founded Biomas in 2022 to restore and conserve 4 million hectares of Brazilian forest, under a model based on selling carbon credits. Reports that Marfrig bought cattle from deforested land with bond money are not verified in the sources reviewed.

Hess agreed to buy at least US$750 million of Guyana forest credits

Guyana agreed in 2022 to supply REDD+ forest credits to Hess, a partner in its Stabroek oil block, and IATA said in September 2025 that all CORSIA-eligible supply came from Guyana. Greenpeace said in 2011 that the McKinsey-assisted Guyana forest plan would let logging rise 20-fold.

Italian courts sentence executives over Ilva steelworks and Eternit asbestos

Italian courts convicted Stephan Schmidheiny over asbestos deaths linked to Eternit at Casale Monferrato and sentenced Riva family executives over the Ilva steelworks in Taranto. The Ilva verdict was quashed and sent for retrial, and the Eternit sentence was reduced on appeal.

Seychelles 2016 debt-for-nature swap listed among TNC Nature Bonds

A 2016 pilot debt-for-nature swap in Seychelles is among The Nature Conservancy's Nature Bonds. The sources reviewed do not give the amount, the lenders or the conservation terms.

Chevron pleads no contest to six counts over 2012 Richmond refinery fire

A fire at Chevron's Richmond refinery in August 2012 led about 15,000 people to seek hospital treatment. Chevron pleaded no contest in 2013; the sources reviewed do not describe any environmental damage.

Dow to cut air pollution at four US chemical plants under Clean Air Act settlement

A January 2021 Clean Air Act settlement covers flaring at four Dow plants in Texas and Louisiana. It includes about $294M in pollution controls; the sources reviewed do not say what the flaring released.

Colombian regulator fines Prodeco for breaches at Calenturitas coal mine

Colombia's environmental licensing authority, ANLA, fined Grupo Prodeco for breaches at the Calenturitas coal mine from 2010 to 2018. The sources reviewed do not describe any environmental damage from those breaches.

Ghana committee finds Kosmos negligent over 2010 Jubilee field spills

A Ghanaian government committee found Kosmos Energy negligent over drilling-fluid spills at the Jubilee field in 2010 and proposed a GH¢40 million fine. A 2011 settlement was reported at $15 million; the sources reviewed do not describe the environmental damage.

Norway's Økokrim fines Equinor over Mongstad refinery spills and emissions

Norway's economic crime agency Økokrim fined Equinor NOK 220 million and ordered NOK 500 million confiscated over spills and emissions at the Mongstad refinery. Equinor is contesting the decision; the sources reviewed do not describe the environmental effects.

Los Angeles wildfires cause $41bn insured loss; 75% of survivors underinsured

Aon put the insured loss from the Palisades and Eaton fires at $41bn, against $58bn in economic losses. Spectrum News 1 reported that 75% of survivors were underinsured; the sources reviewed do not describe environmental effects.

Farmers Insurance ends about 100,000 Florida home, auto and umbrella policies

Farmers Insurance stopped its Farmers-branded home, auto and umbrella policies in Florida in July 2023, citing risk exposure. Florida's state-run Citizens Property Insurance peaked at about 1.4 million policies and fell below 400,000 by December 2025; the sources do not link the exit to any environmental outcome.

Report says a man died after ecoguard beating in Republic of the Congo park

A December 2017 Rainforest Foundation UK report says a man died in November 2017 after being beaten by park ecoguards in the Nouabalé-Ndoki area. The sources reviewed record no response from WCS and no prosecution.

Jury awards $250 million punitive damages over dicamba drift, later overturned

A US federal jury held Monsanto and BASF liable over dicamba drift that damaged a farm and awarded $250 million in punitive damages. The punitive award was cut and then overturned, while liability was upheld. Dicamba drift damages neighbouring crops.

Stockholm Convention agrees chlorpyrifos phase-out with 22 uses exempted

Parties to the Stockholm Convention agreed in May 2025 to phase out the insecticide chlorpyrifos, but its exemptions rose from 7 to 22 uses. The chemical's use on farmland affects the water and ecosystems around treated fields.

Kenyan water-tower forest evictions followed a 2018 killing by forest guards

A Kenyan water fund is reported to overlap Sengwer land in Embobut forest, where forest guards shot a herder in 2018 and evictions continued into 2024. Water-tower forests feed rivers, so evictions and conservation funding affect both communities and catchments.

MSC certification of Pacific purse-seine tuna faces repeated disputes

The Marine Stewardship Council certified the Pacific tuna purse-seine fishery, and an independent adjudicator halted a fish-aggregating device (FAD) expansion in 2022. Drifting FADs catch juvenile bigeye and wash ashore, so certification decisions affect tuna stocks and coasts.

Rabobank co-financed a Brazilian eucalyptus carbon plantation contested by locals

Rabobank co-financed the Plantar eucalyptus plantation in Minas Gerais, Brazil, whose carbon credits were sold to a World Bank fund. Local communities say they were dispossessed, and offsets built on contested land raise questions for forests and the people who live on them.

José Tendetza, who opposed the Mirador copper mine, found dead before COP20

José Tendetza, an Ecuadorian leader who opposed the Mirador copper mine, was found dead in December 2014, days before he was due at COP20. The sources reviewed find no prosecution.

Indra Pelani beaten to death by guards of an APP supplier in Jambi

Guards working for an APP supplier beat Indra Pelani to death in Tebo, Jambi, in February 2015. APP suspended the guards and cut ties with the security contractor; the sources reviewed find no verdict.

Gloria Capitan, who opposed a coal storage site, shot dead in Bataan

Gloria Capitan, who opposed an open coal storage facility in Bataan, Philippines, was shot dead in July 2016. The sources reviewed identify no suspects.

Starship debris from two 2025 test flights lands in Turks and Caicos

Debris from two Starship flights in early 2025 fell on the Turks and Caicos Islands, where a vehicle was hit and flights were disrupted. The sources reviewed do not say who pays for the clean-up.

Gabès students reported poisoned near chemical plant; Barskoon cyanide spill

Students in Gabès, Tunisia, were reported repeatedly poisoned near a state chemical plant. In Kyrgyzstan, the public at Barskoon was not told of a 1998 cyanide spill for five hours. At stake for nature are the rivers and air around both sites.

Nine die in Çöpler gold mine heap collapse; mine gets temporary operating certificate

A cyanide ore heap at the Çöpler gold mine in İliç, Türkiye, collapsed in February 2024 and nine workers died. An expert panel reported environmental exceedances, and the mine's 80% stake was sold in 2026. At stake for nature are soil, groundwater and surface water near the mine.

Arrests at Kazakhstan recycling fee operator; $1.58 billion reported collected

A private operator that collected Kazakhstan's recycling fee was reported to have gathered $1.58 billion, and its president and a deputy minister were arrested. At stake for nature is whether money raised under the recycling fee reaches recycling.

Most Nestlé Philippines 'plastic neutral' credits burned in cement kilns

Nestlé Philippines' 'plastic neutral' claim relied on plastic credits, 86% of which were burned in cement kilns, according to Source Material. At stake for nature is whether such offsets remove any plastic from the environment.

Desert greening firm with UNEP award penalized for fake revenue and delisted

A Chinese desert greening company that won a UNEP 'Champion of the Earth' award was penalized for fake revenue and removed from the stock exchange, Jiemian reported. At stake for nature is whether desert greening claims backed by an international award can be trusted.

Monsanto faces US bribery charge over Indonesian environmental review

The US Justice Department announced in January 2005 a bribery charge against Monsanto over payments in Indonesia to have an environmental impact assessment requirement removed. At stake is whether a required environmental review can be bypassed by payment.

Corteva settles $35m US case over loyalty payments that excluded generics

Corteva settled a US case for US$35 million over loyalty payments that excluded generic products. The sources date the settlement to 2026.

Vattenfall's nuclear exit claim against Germany ends in 2021 settlement

Vattenfall's arbitration claim against Germany over the nuclear phase-out ended in a settlement in 2021. A separate claim over the Moorburg coal plant was settled in 2010 on confidential terms. The claims concern the cost of ending coal and nuclear power.

Afghanistan's Qosh Tepa canal to divert 6 to 13 km³ of Amu Darya water a year

Afghanistan's Qosh Tepa canal is set to take 6 to 13 cubic kilometres of water a year from the Amu Darya river. Times of Central Asia reported that no environmental impact assessment had been carried out and that the canal raises water security concerns.

World Bank inspection panel registers complaint over Rogun dam financing

The World Bank Inspection Panel registered a complaint about Rogun, a hydropower dam in Tajikistan, which was presented as clean energy and linked to US$650 million of financing. The panel's case page concerns resettlement.

Model finds 42% erosion rise after Coca Codo Sinclair; state firm disputes it

An Ecuadorian model reports erosion rates rose 42% after the Coca Codo Sinclair hydropower plant, a finding the state company rejects. The river bed and banks are the nature at stake.

Four Mekong dams trap an average 81% of sediment, Reuters reports

Four dams on the Mekong retain an average of 81% of sediment, according to a 2022 Reuters/EOMAP report. The river's natural sediment flow is the nature at stake.

Expert panel says hydropower amplified 2013 Uttarakhand flood

An Indian expert panel reported that hydropower schemes worsened the 2013 Uttarakhand flood, and the Supreme Court halted 24 of them. River valleys in Uttarakhand are the nature at stake.

Court in Bosnia and Herzegovina cancels small hydropower permits

A court in Bosnia and Herzegovina cancelled permits for small hydropower plants in 2018, the NGO Arnika reported. River flows at the affected sites are the nature at stake.

EU court finds Spain ignored illegal water abstraction in Doñana

The EU Court of Justice found that Spain had not taken illegal water abstraction in Doñana into account. The Doñana aquifers are the nature at stake, and three of its five aquifers are reported in poor condition.

Changing water use cited in background to Menindee fish kills

A 2023 report citing the New South Wales Chief Scientist places changing water use in the background of fish deaths at Menindee, Australia. The fish of the Menindee waters are the nature at stake.

Annual sewage entering Lebanon's Litani equals its natural inflow

An-Nahar reports that about 50 million cubic metres of sewage enter Lebanon's Litani River each year, equal to its total natural inflow in 2025. The river's water quality is the nature at stake.

CAG audit finds 12 of 44 Ganga sewage plants discharge untreated water

India's Comptroller and Auditor General found 12 of 44 sewage treatment plants on the Ganga discharged untreated water. The river's water quality is the nature at stake.

Tannery relocation in Bangladesh shifted pollution to Dhaleshwari river

IMED reported that moving Bangladesh's tanneries solved one pollution crisis but caused pollution of the Dhaleshwari river, according to a 2024 TBS News report. The river is the nature at stake.

Danone plant in Puebla occupied by people, then cleared by state forces

A Danone plant in Puebla, Mexico, was occupied by people and cleared by the National Guard, El Universal reported in 2022. The case is a local conflict over a bottled-water plant.

New Zealand Supreme Court bars transfer of industrial water permit to bottling

The Supreme Court of New Zealand ruled in 2023 that an industrial water permit cannot be transferred to bottling. The ruling limits the transfer of such permits to bottled-water production.

Ontario bottled-water fee about 0.0005 CAD a litre; 2017 proposal to raise it

Ontario charged bottled-water companies about 0.0005 CAD a litre for water taken, CBC reported in 2017, and proposed a higher fee that year. The case concerns water taken at near-zero cost.

Michigan allows Nestlé to take up to 576,000 gallons of groundwater a day

In 2018 Michigan approved a Nestlé groundwater withdrawal of up to 576,000 gallons a day for an annual fee of $200, despite more than 80,000 public comments against it. The case concerns the low price of groundwater and the effect of pumping on local waterways.

Paris brings water under municipal control; operator says it cut costs and prices

Paris brought its water service under municipal control. The public operator says this brought savings and lower prices; the sources reviewed give no independent figures.

Salmon return to upper Klamath basin after historic dam removal

Salmon returned to the upper Klamath basin within a year of a historic dam removal in Oregon, OPB reported in 2025. The sources reviewed give no counts or costs for the removal.

Court annuls environmental approval for Loç Valley hydropower plant a second time

A court in Kastamonu annulled for a second time the environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval for a hydropower plant in Loç Valley, Cide, Bianet reported in April 2020. The sources reviewed say little about the stream itself.

Turkey allocates hydropower water rights to the highest bidder

State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) allocates water rights for hydropower plants by tender to the highest bidder, the sources say. Draft water laws would allow such rights to be transferred for 49 years or leased for up to 10.

Factories draw about 3.9 million cubic metres a year from Sapanca Lake

Istiklal reported that factories drawing water from Sapanca Lake in Sakarya are charged six times the normal tariff. A Bursa news site reported in 2025 that the lake is at a critical level and that protective work would follow.

Study finds offset schemes overstate climate impacts; Kenyan court orders shutdown

EFI reported a 2023 study in Science which found that carbon offset schemes overstate their climate benefits. Mongabay reported in January 2025 that a Kenyan court ordered two community wildlife conservancies shut; the sources reviewed do not link the two.

Japan declares mongoose eradicated on Amami Oshima island

AFP reported in September 2024 that Japan's environment ministry declared the mongoose eradicated on Amami Oshima island after a 25-year programme. The mongoose had been released to control snakes.

Signal crayfish carried crayfish plague in Sweden, a 2006 study reports

A 2006 article in the journal KMAE reported that signal crayfish in Sweden carried crayfish plague. The sources reviewed do not describe the spread of the disease or its effect on native crayfish.

US paid farmers to plant kudzu against erosion; later declared it a weed

The US Soil Erosion Service paid southern farmers to plant kudzu in the 1930s to control soil erosion. The Agriculture Department declared the vine a weed in 1970.

Madras High Court orders Prosopis uprooted in Tamil Nadu

The Madras High Court ordered the invasive shrub Prosopis juliflora uprooted in Tamil Nadu in March 2026, according to a court digest. The shrub was planted for land reclamation and fuelwood, and the sources say it has invaded pastures and groundwater.

Netherlands rewilding reserve records 3,226 deaths in winter 2017–18

About 3,226 animals died in the Oostvaardersplassen reserve in the winter of 2017–18, and the rewilding experiment ended in 2018. The case tests whether a rewilding reserve can keep its animal numbers in balance.

Mali fire ban did not end burning and produced conflict

A fire ban in Mali, of colonial origin, did not end fires and produced conflict, a 2008 article reports. The case asks what a fire ban achieves for the landscape it covers.

Israel lifts goat grazing ban, citing fire fuel

Israel lifted its goat grazing ban in 2018, citing fire fuel, a Times of Israel report says. The sources reviewed do not show what the reversal did to fire or vegetation.

Indonesia's fire ban falls on small farmers, with at least 202 prosecutions

Indonesia's fire ban fell on farmers with less than two hectares, with at least 202 prosecutions reported in Borneo. The case asks who bears the cost when a fire ban is enforced.

Chisso executives sentenced over Minamata disease in 1979

Mercury-laden waste from Chisso's factory flowed into the bay at Minamata, Japan, for decades. 2,265 people were officially recognised as patients by 2001, and two former managers were sentenced in 1979.

Nuclear test exposure at Moruroa reported at about ten times official estimate

Investigative reporting by Disclose and Princeton said the number of people exposed to the Moruroa nuclear tests in French Polynesia was about ten times the official estimate. The sources reviewed do not give the test years or any compensation outcome.

China's environmental watchdog withdrew its acknowledgement of cancer villages

The South China Morning Post reported in February 2013 that China's environmental watchdog had withdrawn its acknowledgement of so-called cancer villages. The sources reviewed do not say which villages were affected or why the acknowledgement was withdrawn.

Chrysotile asbestos blocked from Rotterdam Convention listing by vetoes since 2006

The Rotterdam Convention secretariat and the Earth Negotiations Bulletin report that chrysotile asbestos could not be listed under the convention because five to seven countries vetoed the decision. The sources do not say which countries cast each veto.

Wildfires have consumed almost 40% of California's forest offset buffer pool

CarbonPlan estimates that wildfire has consumed almost 40% of the buffer pool behind California's forest carbon offsets, against 20% allocated for fire over 100 years. The state's Air Resources Board replaces burned credits from the pool, and buyers are not charged.

Mosquito-control fish threatens critically endangered species in Turkey's Acıgöl

A fish spread to control mosquitoes is reported to threaten a critically endangered species in Acıgöl, Turkey. The source does not name the fish or the species, and does not date the threat.

Invasive seaweed escaped from Monaco museum aquarium and reached Turkey in 2006

An invasive seaweed escaped from the aquarium of the Monaco Oceanographic Museum into the sea and reached Turkish coasts in 2006, according to a Smithsonian record. The sources reviewed do not give the escape date or the seaweed's species.

Rabbit virus most likely escaped quarantine island, probably carried by flies

A rabbit virus is reported to have most likely escaped from a quarantine island, probably on flies, according to a 1996 source. The sources reviewed do not name the island or the virus, and do not describe the effects on wildlife.

Rats wiped out five endemic birds on Lord Howe Island; 2019 eradication succeeded

Rats are reported to have wiped out five endemic birds on Lord Howe Island in 1918, and the Lord Howe Island Board reports that a 2019 eradication effort succeeded. The sources reviewed do not give the cost or funding of the work.

Veterinary drug linked to India's vulture collapse and extra human deaths

A drug used in animal treatment is reported to have collapsed vulture populations in India, and a 2024 estimate put extra human deaths at more than 100,000 a year. The sources reviewed do not name the drug.

Request to move 64,801 families out of India's tiger reserves

Scroll reported that a National Tiger Conservation Authority letter sought the removal of 64,801 families from India's tiger reserves. The sources reviewed do not say whether the removals went ahead.

Colombian court finds REDD+ carbon scheme violated indigenous rights

Colombia's Constitutional Court, in ruling T-248/24, found that a REDD+ carbon scheme violated indigenous rights, Mongabay Latam reported in 2024. The sources reviewed do not name the scheme, the community or the company involved.

Land sales and logging on Sami reindeer pasture in Sweden, NGO reports

Global Forest Coalition reported that 10,400 ha were sold in Sami areas of Sweden, including more than 2,000 ha of reindeer pasture, and that 400 ha of forest were logged in 32 forests. For nature, the stake is forest cover and the grazing land that reindeer herders depend on.

Beijing demolished 59.85 million m² of unauthorised buildings and planned greening

Beijing reported that 59.85 million m² of unauthorised structures were demolished in 2017, with 80% of the vacated land to be set aside as green space, and critics said a 2018 village campaign in Daxing covertly cleared low-end population. The greening is the stated gain; the sources reviewed do not count the residents moved.

Intermediaries take over Morocco's argan oil trade as drought cuts output

A 2023 Human Ecology study reported that intermediaries have taken over Morocco's argan oil trade, and drought has cut argan output by 51%. For nature, the stake is the argan trees and the cooperatives that depend on them.

Ski centre planned inside a national park in Almaty, Kazakhstan

Tengrinews reported in 2019 that a ski centre was planned inside a national park in Almaty. For nature, the stake is development inside a protected park.

JBS net-zero pledge to be a 'target', not a 'commitment'

Food Business News reported a settlement with JBS USA over its net-zero claim, under which the pledge would be called a 'target' rather than a 'commitment'. The sources reviewed give no emissions data.

US Senate probes Nature Conservancy land sales to its own trustees

Senator Chuck Grassley sought answers from The Nature Conservancy in 2003 about insider land deals, in which conservation land was sold to its own trustees at discounts. The sources reviewed give no figures for the land involved.

Turkish court annuls 2021 transfer of Gezi Park ownership

Gezi Park's ownership was transferred to a foundation in 2021, and a court annulled the transfer in 2024. The sources reviewed give no data on the park's ecological condition.

Germany brings coal exit forward to 2030 as Lützerath is demolished

Germany brought its coal exit forward to 2030 while the village of Lützerath was demolished in January 2023. The sources reviewed give no ecological data for the site.

Panguna mine waste on Bougainville exceeds 1 billion tonnes, with no clean-up

An independent assessment reported more than 1 billion tonnes of waste from the Panguna mine on Bougainville, with no clean-up. The sources reviewed give no measurements of land or water effects.

Lake Tefé reaches 39.5 °C in 2023; 209 dolphins die

Revista Pesquisa FAPESP reported that Lake Tefé in the Amazon reached 39.5 °C in 2023, and that 209 dolphins died. The sources reviewed do not state the cause of the deaths.

China is building a mega dam in Tibet, upstream of India and Bangladesh

China is building a large dam in Tibet, upstream of India and Bangladesh, Radio Free Asia reported. The sources reviewed do not describe its effect on rivers or wildlife.

India's Supreme Court ordered evictions of about 1.18 million families, then stayed them

India's Supreme Court ordered the eviction of forest-dwelling families in a case brought by conservation groups, then stayed its own order in February 2019. The case appears unresolved, and the sources reviewed do not say what happened to the families.

WWF-funded ranger units accused of torture and killings in Asia and Africa

BuzzFeed News reported in March 2019 allegations of torture and deaths involving ranger units that WWF funded or equipped. A panel commissioned by WWF found no evidence that WWF directed the abuses, but said serious allegations reached senior management.

Angolan diamond mine tailings leak: DR Congo reports 12 dead, about 4,400 patients

The DR Congo government reported 12 deaths and about 4,400 patients after a tailings leak from the Catoca diamond mine in Angola. Al Jazeera reported that no one had accepted responsibility, and the sources reviewed do not describe effects on rivers or wildlife.

Brazil reports 570 Yanomami child deaths amid illegal gold mining

A Brazilian minister reported 570 Yanomami child deaths in 2019 to 2022, attributed to mercury, malaria and malnutrition. Congresso em Foco, citing monitoring by the Hutukara Yanomami Association, reported that illegal mining on Yanomami land grew 54% in 2022.

European court found Turkish permit for Bergama cyanide gold mine breached privacy

The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2004 that the permit for a cyanide gold mine at Ovacık, Bergama, violated the right to respect for private life. The sources reviewed do not say whether the mine is operating today.

Students in Gabès, Tunisia, reportedly poisoned near state chemical complex

Business News TN reported in December 2025 that schoolchildren in Gabès were being poisoned repeatedly near a state chemical complex. The sources reviewed do not name the substances or the number of students affected.

WTO panel found Indonesia's raw nickel export ban breached rules

A WTO panel ruled in November 2022 that Indonesia's ban on raw nickel ore exports breached WTO rules, in a case brought by the European Union. Indonesia appealed to a body that is not functioning, so the ruling is not final.

Nauru's phosphate fund falls from US$1.3 billion to US$0.3 billion

Nauru's phosphate fund fell from US$1.3 billion to US$0.3 billion, an April 2021 Devpolicy article reported. The sources reviewed do not say how the decline happened.

In Uzbekistan's Aral basin, water is tied to cotton contracts

NPR reported in October 2024 that the Aral Sea, one of the world's largest inland lakes, had dried up after Soviet-era irrigation plans. A farmer in the basin was quoted as saying there is no water without a cotton contract.

Thailand-Swiss electric bus deal books emission cuts to Switzerland

More than 2,000 electric buses came to Bangkok under a Thailand–Switzerland programme, KliK reported. The emission reductions are booked to Switzerland, not to Thailand.

Greenpeace ends all engagement with APP Sinar Mas over deforestation

Greenpeace International ended its engagement with APP Sinar Mas in 2018 after clearing was found in company-linked concessions. At stake: forest cover, and whether zero-deforestation pledges hold up in practice.

Argentina's Forest Law fund got 4.8% of its legal floor in 2021

Argentina's national Forest Law fund was allocated 4.8% of its legal floor in 2021, according to Chequeado. At stake: funding for forest protection under the law.

TotalEnergies reportedly abandoned Congo carbon plantation at 12.5% of target

TotalEnergies presented its Tilenga oil work in Uganda's national park as net positive for biodiversity, while its 40,000 hectare Batéké plantation in the Republic of the Congo reached about 12.5% of target. At stake: park biodiversity and the credibility of carbon sink claims.

Australian government rejects claim that natural regeneration credits are worthless

Australia's natural regeneration (HIR) carbon credits were reported to have limited impact, and the government rejected a claim that the credits are worthless. At stake: whether the credits pay for forest regrowth that would not otherwise have happened.

Indonesia's Merauke food estate released 486,939 hectares of forest

Forest land in Merauke, South Papua, was released for a food estate, and army battalions are reported to be clearing land there. At stake: forest cover and customary land in Papua.

US Congress lifts 2023 mining ban on Minnesota's Boundary Waters

The 2023 mining ban protecting Minnesota's Boundary Waters was removed in 2026 through a Congressional Review Act resolution. At stake: protection of the area from mining pollution.

Alaska's Tongass forest again proposed for exemption from roadless rule

The Tongass National Forest in Alaska was exempted from the roadless rule in 2020, protection was restored in 2023, and a new exemption was proposed in 2025. At stake: undeveloped forest covered by the 25-year-old national roadless rule.

Peru counts 529,400 guano seabirds as it approves a seven-year-high anchovy quota

Peru counted 529,400 guano seabirds in January 2025, down from about 4 million in 2022, and authorities approved a seven-year-high anchovy quota that year. At stake are the seabird colonies and the anchovy stock.

Reportedly $600 million of Indonesia's $5.8 billion reforestation fund left forestry

An Inquirer opinion piece cited in the record reports that $600 million of the $5.8 billion collected for Indonesia's reforestation fund went outside forestry. The figures are not checked against an official source, so the scale is unconfirmed.

Record cites CIA file on Onassis for 1954 whaling off Peru

A CIA reading-room file on Onassis is the only source the record gives for 1954 whaling off Peru. The fine said to have been paid by Lloyd's could not be checked because the source page did not open.

7.2 million pesos meant for vaquita protection diverted, Excélsior reported

Excélsior reported in 2018 that 7.2 million pesos intended for protecting the vaquita porpoise were diverted. Other figures on spending and the vaquita count are not verified, so the scale of harm to the species is not established here.

EIA report examines Dall's porpoise hunt in Iwate, Japan

An Environmental Investigation Agency report, 'Stop the Dall's Disaster', covers the Dall's porpoise hunt in Iwate, Japan, in 2016 to 2018. The sources give no verified catch figures for Iwate, so the size of the hunt is not established here.

Danish opinion piece reports Greenland seal exports down 90 per cent

A 2014 Danish-language opinion piece by NetNatur and KNAPK reports that Greenland's seal exports fell 90 per cent after the EU ban. The Inuit exemption to the ban was reported ineffective, and the figures are not checked against trade data.

California FAIR Plan policies rise 152% as Florida Citizens shrinks

Private insurers have pulled back from high-risk property markets, leaving state-backed pools to carry the risk. California's FAIR Plan grew 152 percent from September 2022 to March 2026, while Florida's Citizens fell from about 1.4 million policies in 2023 to 293,772 in May 2026.

Lebanon's garbage piled up after Naameh landfill closed in 2015

After the Naameh landfill closed in 2015, garbage collection stopped in Lebanon and open burning of waste spread to more than 150 sites, Arab News reported. Open burning puts public health at risk.

Accra's Agbogbloshie scrap market demolished in July 2021

The Agbogbloshie scrap market in Accra was demolished in July 2021, displacing between 4,000 and 10,000 scrap dealers. Record dioxin levels in local eggs, reported in 2019, show the contamination at stake for nature.

India's scrap tyre imports reach 1.398 million tonnes in FY2024

Scrap tyre imports into India rose from 264,000 tonnes in FY2021 to 1.398 million tonnes in FY2024, according to a BBC investigation carried by Resource. The report says about half of India's roughly 2,000 pyrolysis plants are illegal.

FSC suspends Vietnamese pellet maker An Viet Phat Energy over false claims

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) suspended An Viet Phat Energy (AVP), a Vietnamese wood-pellet producer, in 2022 over false claims about large volumes of pellets. FSC Asia-Pacific reported that the integrity of wood-pellet supply chains was at risk.

Milwaukee sewage fertilizer Milorganite found to contain about 7 ppb PFAS

Milorganite, a fertilizer made from Milwaukee sewage, was found to contain about 7 ppb of PFAS in 2025 reporting by Circle of Blue. The product also provides about 10% of the sewer utility's operating budget.

Bordo Poniente landfill biogas concession in Mexico City is delayed

Expansión reported that 82% of Mexico City's 8,500 tonnes of daily waste goes to landfill, and that 42% of organics are correctly separated. Mexico Business News reported that a biogas concession at the Bordo Poniente landfill, worth 1,121 million pesos, is delayed.

Nairobi's Dandora dumpsite stays open despite 2021 court ruling

The Standard reported that Dandora remains open despite a 2021 court ruling and a 2022 Kenyan law requiring waste separation. The sources reviewed do not describe the environmental effects of the dumpsite.

Kabwe lead-poisoning claim against Anglo American is under appeal in South Africa

Leigh Day reported that more than 95% of Kabwe's children have high blood lead levels and that no payment has been made. Amnesty International put the number of people in Kabwe at about 140,000 and said the company is shifting responsibility to others.

Five people to be prosecuted over Jagersfontein tailings dam failure

SAnews reported that five people will be prosecuted over the Jagersfontein tailings dam failure in South Africa, and that the company is paying for the cleanup. The sources reviewed do not describe the release or its environmental effects.

Ramu and Lihir mines discharge millions of tonnes of tailings a year at sea

A 2018 Frontiers in Marine Science article reported that the Ramu mine discharges about 5 million tonnes of tailings a year into Basamuk Bay. The sources reviewed do not describe the ecological effects of the discharge.

French court approves permanent confinement of 42,000 tonnes of Stocamine waste

Banque des Territoires reported that a court approved permanent confinement of 42,000 tonnes of toxic waste at the Stocamine site in Alsace. The additional cost is 226 million euros, and the sources reviewed do not describe the environmental risks.

Herfa-Neurode underground store buried 2.8 million tonnes of hazardous waste

Hesse's environment ministry reported in 2012 that 2.8 million tonnes of hazardous waste had been buried at Herfa-Neurode, about 30 per cent of it from abroad. The sources reviewed do not describe the environmental effects.

Hunter River salt discharges are shared through a 1,000-credit trading scheme

Salt discharges into the Hunter River in New South Wales are linked to river flow and shared through credit trading. The sources reviewed do not report the scheme's effect on river salinity.

Singapore's Semakau island landfill, mainly incineration ash, to fill by 2035

Singapore's Semakau landfill receives mainly incineration ash and is expected to be full by 2035. The sources reviewed do not report its environmental effects, and state that mining its waste for Tuas Port is under study.

Kanpur Rania chromium waste disposal is estimated at 98.46 crore rupees

Down To Earth reported that disposal of 85,008 tonnes of chromium waste at Kanpur Rania was estimated at 98.46 crore rupees in 2022. The state pays the cost first, and the sources reviewed do not say how the cost is finally shared.

68.4% of Port Pirie children had blood lead above 5 µg/dL, SA Health reports

SA Health's 2024 annual report on Port Pirie lead levels found that 68.4% of children were above 5 µg/dL, with the highest levels in ten years for ages 0 to 4. The sources reviewed do not name the source of the lead.

Morocco says it cut cadmium in phosphate fertilisers; EU cannot verify the claim

Morocco says it has reduced cadmium in its fertilisers, but Brussels acknowledges it cannot verify this against the EU limit of 60 mg/kg.

Peru inventories 6,026 mining liabilities, needing over 3,000 million soles

Peru's inventory of environmental liabilities from mining lists 6,026 sites, and the state company AMSAC says more than 3,000 million soles are needed. In Cerro de Pasco, 4 of 5 children were reported with lead poisoning from Centromin's waste.

Chile's tailings inventory: 601 of 795 deposits inactive, 53 abandoned

Chile's tailings inventory lists 795 deposits, of which 601 are inactive and 53 abandoned. The number of abandoned deposits was 173 in 2022, and the sources reviewed do not explain the change or report the deposits' environmental condition.

20,000 tonnes of arsenic-bearing sludge sent to Arica were left exposed

The Ecologist reported in 2019 that a Swedish firm exported toxic waste to Chile, where 20,000 tonnes of sludge were left in the open. The sources reviewed do not report effects on the surrounding environment.

Brazilian expert report confirms leak at Hydro Alunorte tailings deposit

An expert report reported by IHU Unisinos confirmed a leak from Hydro Alunorte's toxic tailings deposit in Pará in 2018. The sources reviewed say lead, aluminium and sodium levels in the water rose, and the company denied the overflow.

Canada's Giant Mine arsenic cleanup cost rises to CAD 4.38 billion

The federal cost of cleaning up the former Giant Mine in Yellowknife has reached CAD 4.38 billion. About 237,000 tonnes of arsenic are to be frozen, with cooling and monitoring needed indefinitely.

Tanzania fines Acacia Mining USD 2.4 million over alleged North Mara pollution

Tanzania fined Acacia Mining USD 2.4 million in 2019 over an alleged leak from the North Mara mine. Barrick says it later invested USD 65 million in treatment.

Nine of ten e-waste storage sites in Thailand found unlicensed in 2024

A 2024 inspection found nine of 10 e-waste storage sites in Thailand to be unlicensed, with lead and arsenic detected. The Thaiger described the operators as nominee-run Chinese recycling plants that leaked toxic waste.

Coca-Cola's partner The Ocean Cleanup reports 25 million kg collected in 2025

Coca-Cola has been a global partner of The Ocean Cleanup since 2021, and the cleanup reports more than 25 million kg collected in 2025. The system's effects on marine life, including bycatch, are disputed.

US regulator said Keurig did not disclose recycler doubts about pod recycling

The US Securities and Exchange Commission set a USD 1.5 million penalty against Keurig Dr Pepper in 2024, saying the company had not disclosed recycler doubts about its pod recycling claim. Keurig Canada had earlier agreed to a CAD 3 million penalty over recyclable-pod claims.

Australian regulator loses case against Woolworths over biodegradable claim

Australia's competition regulator lost a court case against Woolworths over its claim that plates were biodegradable, and the judge criticised the regulator for not running its own test.

Coca-Cola and Unilever revise plastic packaging targets

In 2024 Coca-Cola dropped a 25% reuse target and moved its recycled-content goal from 50% to 35–40%, deferred to 2035. Unilever revised its virgin plastic reduction target to 30% by 2026 and 40% by 2028.

Dioxin found in eggs near Lucknow medical waste incinerator

IPEN reported that eggs near a medical waste incinerator in Lucknow, India, contained dioxin at 16 times background and five times the EU limit. The case concerns dioxin contamination of food near incineration.

South Korea agrees to pay first for cleanup of 12 returned US bases

In December 2020 South Korea and the United States agreed at a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) meeting that the Korean government would bear cleanup costs first for 12 returned bases. The arrangement leaves the initial cost of contamination with the host state.

Pollution at Subic and Clark linked to deaths; US says it has no clean-up duty

The United States argues it has no clean-up obligation at the former Subic and Clark bases in the Philippines, where military pollution has been linked to deaths. The sources reviewed do not describe the contamination itself, so its extent is not established.

Panama asks US to clean up chemical weapons and munitions it left behind

Panama has asked the United States to clean up chemical weapons and munitions it left on an island, and is having the work done with its own budget. The sources reviewed do not state the cost, the exact sites or the extent of the contamination.

Vieques and Culebra military clean-up expected to cost about $800 million

The US military's clean-up of Vieques and Culebra in Puerto Rico is expected to cost about $800 million and to last until 2032. NBC News reported that about 32,000 bombs had been removed. The sources reviewed do not describe the land or water affected.

Caño Limón-Coveñas pipeline suffered 1,500 attacks in 30 years

Attacks on Colombia's Caño Limón-Coveñas oil pipeline over 30 years released about 3.5 million barrels of oil, according to Portafolio. The sources reviewed do not describe the land or waters affected.

Gorongosa's large-mammal biomass largely recovered after war-time collapse

Large-mammal biomass in Gorongosa, Mozambique, fell by more than 90% during the war and has largely returned, a 2019 study reports. The share of elephant, hippo and buffalo fell from 89% to 23%, so the recovery is uneven across species.

Nepal Army guards 14 protected areas; rhino count rose to 752

Nepal's army protects 14 protected areas with about 8,000 soldiers, and the rhino count there has risen to 752, Mongabay reported in 2025. Poaching had increased during the conflict years.

M23 controls area around Virunga as forest loss doubles in southern sector

Mongabay reported in March 2025 that the M23 armed group controls the area around Virunga, where forest loss in the southern sector has doubled. Armed groups there tax charcoal, the report said.

UNEP estimate: about 2,000 tons of depleted uranium used in Iraq

Noon Post, citing a UNEP estimate, reported that about 2,000 tons of depleted uranium were used in Iraq. The sources reviewed do not describe any completed clean-up.

German waters hold 1.6 million tonnes of munitions; Baltic to be disposal pilot

EUWID reported that German waters hold about 1.6 million tonnes of munitions, with 100 million euros allocated for disposal up to 2025. The sources reviewed do not set out the effect on the marine environment.

Court accepts interim measure against Barroso lithium mine land easement

Portugal granted a 228-hectare administrative easement for the Barroso lithium mine at Covas do Barroso, and a court accepted a community request to suspend it. At stake is baldios, or common land, held by a local community.

Oak Flat, an Apache sacred site, transferred to Resolution Copper in Arizona

Ownership of Oak Flat, an Apache sacred site of about 2,400 acres in Arizona, was transferred to the copper company Resolution Copper in March 2026. At stake are the sacred site and the land it covers.

LKAB rare earth plan in Sweden would split Sámi reindeer pasture, herders say

Sámi reindeer herders say LKAB's Per Geijer rare earth project will divide their pasture in two, and the company says permitting could take about 10 years. At stake is the reindeer pasture the Per Geijer plan would divide.

US and DRC sign minerals partnership giving US firms first offer on mining sites

The US-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement gives American companies first right of offer on mining sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The sources reviewed do not set out its environmental terms.

Moroccan miner Managem says cobalt mine water is safe amid arsenic claims

Managem, operator of the Bou Azzer cobalt mine in Morocco, said the mine water was safe after arsenic contamination was alleged. At stake is water quality near the mine, which the sources reviewed do not settle.

Syrah declares force majeure at Mozambique graphite mine after unrest

Syrah declared force majeure at its Balama graphite mine in Mozambique because of unrest, and defaulted on US DFC and DOE loans, Club of Mozambique reported. The sources reviewed do not set out the effect on the local environment or communities.

Pilbara Minerals' profit fell sharply as lithium prices slumped; Li-Cycle went bankrupt

Pilbara Minerals' FY24 profit fell by 86% to 89%, depending on the measure, as lithium prices slumped and its Bald Hill mine closed. Battery recycler Li-Cycle went bankrupt in 2025, and the sources reviewed do not set out any effect on nature.

US takes about 15% stake in MP Materials and sets $110/kg rare earth price floor

The US government took about a 15% stake in rare earth producer MP Materials and set a 10-year price floor of $110 per kilogram for NdPr. The sources reviewed do not set out the environmental effects of the company's operations.

US EXIM Bank approves $1.25 billion for Reko Diq copper-gold project

The US Export-Import Bank approved $1.25 billion in financing for the Reko Diq copper-gold project in Balochistan, Pakistan. The sources reviewed do not set out the environmental or community effects of Reko Diq.

Bolivia's legislature withholds approval of CATL-linked lithium contracts

Bolivia's legislature has not approved lithium contracts with a consortium that includes CATL and with Russia's Uranium One, and the Paz government is reviewing them. The sources reviewed do not say what the deals would do to nature.

Gambian president accepts appeal to discontinue Faraba trial

The Gambian presidency accepted an appeal to discontinue the Faraba Banta trial, and the suspension of two officials was lifted. The sources reviewed do not say what sand mining at Faraba Banta did to the shoreline or to the village.

Pakiri sand mining refused on appeal; applicant seeks Bream Bay consent

New Zealand's Environment Court dismissed an appeal against a refusal of sand extraction at Pakiri, and the company later sought fast-track approval at Bream Bay. The sources reviewed do not describe the effects of the extraction on the beach or marine life.

Lannion Bay shell-sand plan dropped after public resistance

A permitted shell-sand dredging plan in Lannion Bay, France, was dropped in 2019 after public resistance. The sources reviewed do not describe the environmental effects the dredging would have had.

EPO revokes Schwabe's Pelargonium patent after Alice community opposition

The European Patent Office revoked a German company's patent on the Pelargonium plant in January 2010, after an opposition filed on behalf of the Alice community in South Africa. The sources reviewed do not say whether the community received any benefit.

European Patent Office finds French institute's Quassia amara patent valid

The European Patent Office found valid a patent held by the French research body IRD on the plant Quassia amara. A 2016 French law left commonly known traditional knowledge outside benefit-sharing, the source reports.

Shiseido withdrew a jamu patent after NGO pressure; kratom patents were contested

Shiseido withdrew a patent on compounds from jamu, an Indonesian herbal medicine, after pressure from an Indonesian NGO. Patents on Thailand's kratom plant, held by Japanese universities, were challenged by BioThai.

ICARDA reportedly withdrew Aleppo seeds from Svalbard in 2015; not verified

A withdrawal of seed samples from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault for ICARDA's Aleppo collection is reported, but the sources reviewed do not verify it. The Crop Trust reported in June 2026 that the vault held 1.4 million samples.

Philippines raised African swine fever pig indemnification in 2021, ABS-CBN reported

ABS-CBN reported in 2021 that the Philippines increased indemnification for hog raisers hit by African swine fever. The sources reviewed do not verify the per-head amounts, payment totals or herd losses.

Vietnam set per-kilogram compensation for pigs culled in African swine fever outbreak

Decision 793/QĐ-TTg of 2019 set per-kilogram payments for culled pigs for households and small businesses, according to a Vietnamese financial newspaper. Subsidiaries of large companies were excluded.

Bird flu outbreak in South Africa killed or culled about 10 million birds

Business Day reported that the H7N6 bird flu outbreak in South Africa, which it called the country's worst, killed or led to the culling of about 10 million birds. The sources reviewed do not describe effects on wild birds or other wildlife.

Peru to receive US$60 million from Pacific Alliance catastrophe bond after Loreto quake

A magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Loreto triggered a US$60 million payout to Peru from a Pacific Alliance catastrophe bond, according to the finance ministry. The sources reviewed do not describe any conservation use of the money.

Only Ghana has an announced Global Shield guarantee as 17 countries wait

By November 2024 only Ghana had an announced Global Shield guarantee, with 17 countries waiting and a German contribution of about 170 million euros reported. The sources reviewed do not describe any effect on nature.

SEWA heat insurance paid nothing in 2023; Nagaland pilot paid nothing until 2025

India's SEWA heat insurance pilot paid nothing in 2023, and Nagaland's 2021 to 2023 extreme weather pilot paid nothing before its 2025 payouts, according to the sources reviewed. The sources reviewed do not describe any effect on nature.

Galápagos debt-for-nature swap used US$656 million of US political risk insurance

Ecuador bought back bonds with a face value of about US$1.6 billion and issued a US$656 million Galápagos bond insured by the US Development Finance Corporation. Yale Journal put the reduction in external debt at about 2.16 per cent, against conservation funding of at least US$12 million a year.

Rio Grande do Sul flood claims paid reach R$6 billion as farm insurance subsidy is cut

Compensation paid after the 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods reached about R$6 billion, against an estimated R$100 billion total loss, while the government blocked R$445 million of rural insurance subsidy for 2025. The sources reviewed do not describe effects on nature.

Jamaica's World Bank catastrophe bond did not pay after Hurricane Beryl

The Bretton Woods Project reported that Jamaica's World Bank-brokered catastrophe bond failed to pay despite the devastation of Hurricane Beryl in 2024. The sources reviewed do not describe any effect on nature.

Kenya suspends Microsoft and G42 geothermal data centre plan at Naivasha

Kenya suspended a planned geothermal-powered data centre by Microsoft and G42 at Naivasha, reported in May 2026. Local herders said they were competing for water with billion-dollar companies, and the sources reviewed do not state the water volumes involved.

Court voids Digital Gateway rezoning in Prince William County, Virginia

A court annulled the county's rezoning decision for the Digital Gateway data centre development in Virginia. The sources reviewed do not describe the site's natural values or the effect of the ruling on them.

Data centres account for 46% of PJM capacity auction costs, market monitor says

The market monitor, Monitoring Analytics, attributed 29.4 billion dollars of the 63.6 billion dollars in the last four PJM capacity auctions to data-centre load. The sources reviewed do not describe environmental effects of that load.

Andhra Pradesh granted Google-linked data centre incentives in October 2025

Andhra Pradesh set a 22,002 crore rupee incentive ceiling for Raiden Infotech, which the report describes as a Google company. The same reporting describes falling groundwater in Visakhapatnam and a 10 per cent water cut in Mumbai.

Sydney Water forecasts data centres could draw a quarter of usable water by 2035

Sydney Water projected that data centres could draw up to a quarter of the city's usable water by 2035, and said it had signed 12 confidentiality agreements with technology companies. The sources reviewed do not describe effects on rivers or ecosystems.

Council of State lets 60 informal neighbourhoods stay in Bogotá reserve buffer

Colombia's Council of State allowed 60 informal neighbourhoods in the buffer strip of Bogotá's Eastern Hills forest reserve to stay under obligations, and banned new building licences in the reserve. The sources reviewed do not describe the reserve's ecological condition.

Bangkok canal programme tied embankment works to moving all families

A Bangkok canal programme on the Lat Phrao and Prem Prachakorn canals covered 11,004 households with 4.1 billion baht in 2016 to 2018, and embankment construction was tied to all families moving, the Bangkok Post reported. The sources reviewed do not describe its effect on canal water or ecology.

Community land trust for 11th Street Bridge Park holds over 250 housing units

A community land trust set up for the 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C., holds more than 250 housing units, and 131 households bought homes, according to Results for America. The sources reviewed do not describe the park's effect on the natural environment.

Affordable share of London Olympic Park-area homes reached 27%, below 35% target

The regeneration around the London 2012 Olympic Park built 13,259 homes, 27 per cent of them affordable against a 35 per cent target, the Big Issue reported. The sources reviewed do not describe the park's effect on nature.

New York City began exporting waste out of state after Fresh Kills closed in 2001

Fresh Kills, New York City's landfill, closed in 2001 and became a park, after which city waste was exported out of state, according to Untapped Cities. The sources reviewed do not describe effects at the receiving sites.

World Bank-backed Colombo flood work turned Beddagana wetland into a park

The World Bank supported a 213 million dollar flood and wetland programme in Colombo, and the Beddagana wetland became a park. The Centre for Policy Alternatives says the bank stayed silent on evictions by the Urban Development Authority.

China's ecology-oriented development pilots fund restoration with land revenue

94 ecology-oriented development (EOD) pilots ran in 2021–2022, with restoration financed from surrounding industry and land income. The model ties ecological repair to revenue from the land and industry around it.

Australian government rejects claim that 25 million carbon credits are worthless

The Australian government rejected a claim that 25 million ACCU carbon credits are worthless. Whether the credits protect forests that would otherwise be cleared is the question for nature, and the sources reviewed do not settle it.

Kenyan court rules two carbon conservancies were unconstitutionally established

A Kenyan court ruled in January 2025 that two conservancies in the Northern Kenya Grasslands Carbon Project were unconstitutionally established. Meta and Netflix bought the credits, and Survival International said Borana and Samburu herders lost grazing rights.

Corteva and Deere pay to settle FTC cases over loyalty and repair locks

Corteva and Deere paid settlements in 2026 in FTC civil cases over loyalty programmes and repair locks, while the Syngenta case continues. The sources reviewed record no measured effect on nature.

Morocco subsidised drip irrigation as aquifers fell, and desalination followed

Morocco subsidised drip irrigation and built a 4.41 billion dirham desalination plant at Chtouka, while aquifers in Berrechid and Chtouka show annual deficits; at stake is groundwater. A desalination tender won by a consortium linked to a family-owned group drew a political complaint, and the sources reviewed record no penalty.

Murray-Darling irrigation efficiency subsidies, Australia, 2008 to 2018

Irrigation efficiency subsidies in the Murray-Darling basin ran from 2008 to 2018, with return flows to the river recorded as falling. At stake for nature is river flow; the sources reviewed list AUD 3.5 to 4 billion of spending, borne by the river and taxpayers.

Dawn reports Karachi tanker trade worth at least 62m rupees a day

Dawn reported that Karachi's tanker trade earned at least 62 million rupees a day, while the water board collected 60 to 70 million rupees a month from official hydrants. The stake is a scarce urban water supply, with hydrants run outside the water board's control.

CIPER: over 23 billion pesos of Chile's drought tanker spending went to two firms

CIPER reported that Chile spent 92 billion pesos on water tankers over seven years, and that more than 23 billion pesos went to companies linked to one businessman. The stake is water supply in a drought-hit region, where tanker contracts were awarded without tender.

Veolia settles Flint water claims for 53 million dollars, admitting no fault

Michigan's Attorney General announced in February 2025 a 53 million dollar settlement with Veolia North America, which did not admit fault. The state had earlier settled for 626 million dollars, and at stake is a lead-contaminated public water supply and who pays for the harm.

Rio governor cited sabotage for CEDAE water crisis without evidence

In January 2020 Rio de Janeiro's governor said he believed the CEDAE water crisis was linked to sabotage, without showing evidence. The utility was sold in a 2021 auction worth 22.69 billion reais, and at stake is the drinking water supply of Rio.

SIU probes Rooiwal plant tender paid before work was finished

The Daily Maverick reported that a tender of about 295 million rand for Tshwane's Rooiwal plant, awarded to a Sodi-linked joint venture, was paid before the work was finished. At stake is safe drinking water in Hammanskraal, where a cholera outbreak occurred and Tshwane pays private tankers 8.5 million rand a month.

Nairobi water pipes cut and blocked with sand, NMS chairman says

Down To Earth reported in 2018 that about 40 percent of Nairobi's water cartels divert pipes rather than own wells, and that water sold in Kibera costs 300 times the piped price. At stake is water access in Nairobi's poorer neighbourhoods, where in 2020 the NMS chairman said pipes to South C had been cut and blocked.

CAG found delays in 26 of 46 Namami Gange schemes in 2017

The Namami Gange hybrid annuity model pays contractors 60 percent of capital over 15 years, and a 2017 CAG audit found delays in 26 of 46 schemes. At stake are the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, which the reporting says still receive untreated sewage.

3M agrees to pay 571 million euros for Zwijndrecht PFOS clean-up

3M agreed to pay the Flemish government 571 million euros to clean up PFOS pollution at Zwijndrecht, Belgium. 3M has appealed a Flemish decree governing cleanup of gardens, farmland, natural areas and waterways, so what is at stake for nature is PFOS in soil and water.

BP's Gulf spill used Corexit; Nalco board had ex-BP and Exxon executives

BP applied 1.84 million gallons of Corexit dispersants during the Gulf spill, and the dispersant maker Nalco had former BP and Exxon executives on its board. What is at stake for nature is surface and subsurface water, and the sources give no environmental measurements.

Pertamina NRE was sole seller on IDXCarbon's opening day in 2023

Pertamina NRE was the only seller when Indonesia's IDXCarbon opened on 26 September 2023, selling 459,953 tonnes of credits to Pertamina group companies and a coal contractor. What is at stake for nature is whether such trades reduce emissions, and the sources give no emissions outcome.

Derna dams collapse in 2023 after maintenance funds were not spent on upkeep

The dams above the Libyan city of Derna collapsed in September 2023, with death toll estimates from about 4,000 to more than 11,000. Maintenance money allocated in 2012 and 2013 was not spent on upkeep, and the sources reviewed give no environmental figures for the flood.

UK agreed up to £21.7bn over 25 years for two CCS clusters

The UK government agreed in October 2024 to provide up to £21.7bn over 25 years to carbon capture and storage clusters in Teesside and Merseyside, funded through energy bill levies and the Treasury. The sources reviewed do not show how much emissions the clusters would cut.

Gorgon LNG carbon storage fell short; gap closed with credits

Chevron's Gorgon LNG plant in Western Australia was approved in 2006 on condition that it bury at least 80% of its reservoir CO2 over any five-year period, and it missed the target. The shortfall was closed by buying more than 5 million carbon credits, and the sources reviewed do not quantify the net climate effect.

Italy fined Eni 5 million euros over ads calling Diesel+ green

Italy's Competition and Market Authority fined Eni 5 million euros in January 2020 over advertising its Diesel+ fuel as green. Transport & Environment linked the case to palm-oil biofuel, and the sources reviewed do not state the outcome of the fine.

Hess agreed to buy at least $750m of Guyana forest credits

Hess agreed in 2022 to buy at least $750 million of REDD+ forest credits from Guyana for 2022 to 2032, while it is a 30% partner in an oil block in the same country. The sources reviewed do not show whether the credits offset its oil emissions.

Saudi wheat cut and 2018 fodder ban; Almarai's alfalfa farms in Arizona

Saudi Arabia dropped irrigated wheat in 2008 after saying its fossil aquifer was largely depleted, then banned green fodder in 2018. Almarai's subsidiary Fondomonte grew alfalfa in Arizona, where nearby wells and a church well have dried.

Sheridan 6 farmers have capped pumping since 2013; High Plains aquifer still falling

Farmers in the Sheridan 6 local enhanced management area in Kansas have limited groundwater pumping since 2013 under state law. The Kansas Geological Survey says pumping must fall further to halt the High Plains aquifer's decline.

ExxonMobil cut and restored Kearl oil-sands reserves as oil prices moved

ExxonMobil removed Canada's Kearl oil sands from its reported reserves after prices fell in 2016, then re-booked them when prices recovered. The bitumen in the ground did not change; the price used for reporting did.

British Columbia's 13.2 million hectare old-growth count is challenged