Law, regulation and treaties
179 cases in 67 countries, 1872–2026. Most cases: United States (46), Russia (18), Türkiye (10), China (9), India (8).
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 cited sources say it would open about 44.7 million acres to roads.
Japan plans cross-border CO2 storage in Malaysia by 2030
Japan plans to store 20 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030 at nine sites, some in Malaysia, and to count the stored tonnes against its own emissions. Malaysia is to receive a per-tonne fee that has not yet been set, and Friends of the Earth Japan calls the arrangement 'carbon colonialism'.
EPA repeals 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding on legal grounds
The US Environmental Protection Agency repealed its 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding in February 2026. The agency estimates savings of 1.3 trillion dollars, while 24 states and environmental groups have sued.
Arctic lease sale attracts bids from only two companies
Only 5 of 58 parcels drew bids in the Arctic refuge lease sale, totalling $3.74 million. At stake is leasing of Arctic refuge land.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 cited sources do not describe environmental effects.
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 cited sources do not describe the site's natural values or the effect of the ruling on them.
US quits 66 international bodies including the IPCC; NOAA disaster database closed
On 7 January 2026 the US withdrew from 66 organisations, including the IPCC, IPBES, UNFCCC and IUCN. Earlier, NOAA closed its billion-dollar disaster database in May 2025, and Climate Central later restarted it.
El Salvador enacts foreign agents law taxing foreign funding at 30%
El Salvador enacted a foreign agents law on 20 May 2025 that taxes foreign funding at 30% and requires registration. The cited sources do not confirm a link between the law and anti-mining groups.
Turkish competition board fines 13 white-meat firms 3.7 billion lira
Turkey's competition board fined 13 white-meat firms a total of 3.7 billion lira in 2025 for exchanging competition-sensitive information. The cited sources do not link the fine to nature or conservation.
Pakistan's 450,000-acre farming scheme for army company halted
Under the Green Pakistan plan, land described as empty was to be leased for 20 to 30 years to an army company covering 450,000 acres. Al Jazeera reported in March 2025 that the scheme was halted.
European Parliament votes to downgrade wolf protection
The European Parliament voted in 2025 to downgrade the wolf's protection, loosening 46 years of strict protection, according to Eunews. The cited sources do not say who gained or how many wolves are affected.
India approved clearing over 8,500 hectares of forest despite a Supreme Court order
The Indian government approved clearing over 8,500 hectares of forest despite a Supreme Court order, Down To Earth reported. The article refers to FCA 2023 alongside the approval, and the cited sources give no site or developer.
ExxonMobil sues California attorney general and four green groups for defamation
ExxonMobil filed a defamation suit in Texas in January 2025 against California Attorney General Bonta, four environmental groups and the Intergenerational Environment Justice Fund. Exxon linked the fund to Andrew Forrest's Minderoo Foundation, which rejects that account.
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.
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.
Plans to move Iran's capital to the Makran coast, 2024–2025
Iranian officials proposed moving the capital to the Makran coast, citing Tehran's water shortage and land subsidence. The then-interior minister put the cost at around US$100 billion in April 2024; AFP reported in February 2025 that there was no official budget estimate.
Register of Damage for Ukraine, the Claims Commission convention and the money meant to pay claims
The Council of Europe’s Register of Damage for Ukraine opened all 43 claim categories, including B3.1 Environmental damage, on 30 September 2026. The Convention for an International Claims Commission was not in force, with 10 of 25 ratifications reported, and no compensation fund existed.
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.
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 cited sources do not address effects on nature.
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 cited sources do not measure whether the payments add carbon removal beyond what farmers already do.
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 cited sources do not describe its effect on rivers or wildlife.
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.
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.
US indictment alleges Adani solar bribery; three charges later dismissed
A US indictment filed on 20 November 2024 alleges that Adani Green Energy executives planned to pay about 265 million dollars in bribes to win contracts to supply 12 GW of solar power to India. On 10 August 2026 a federal judge in Brooklyn dismissed, at the Justice Department's request and with prejudice, three fraud counts against Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain; on 3 September 2026 he declined to drop the remaining counts against five other defendants.
White phosphorus fires burned farmland across southern Lebanon
Al Majalla reported that white phosphorus caused 812 fires and burned 2.4 million m2 of farmland in southern Lebanon. The cited sources do not describe soil or wildlife effects.
Pakistan cancels five independent power contracts amid capacity-payment costs
Pakistan paid 2.1 trillion rupees in capacity payments to independent power producers in fiscal 2024, then cancelled five contracts under IMF pressure. The sources record no environmental effect of either step.
Somaïr nationalisation, Orano's ICSID arbitration and the Niger uranium stock
Niger's military government took over the Somaïr uranium mine at Arlit in June 2025, and Orano is pursuing ICSID arbitration case ARB/25/8, in which a tribunal ordered Niger on 23 September 2025 not to sell Somaïr uranium. Orano put the uranium stock at nearly $310 million in December 2025.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 cited sources do not answer.
Indian state allocated sacred groves to solar parks recorded as barren land
Rajasthan allocated 44,247 hectares for solar parks in 2023–2025, including orans, sacred groves that villagers say land records list as barren. About 100 villagers began a 700 km foot march in January 2026 to protect the groves.
Brazil Senate passes amendment limiting Indigenous land claims to 1988 occupants
The Senate approved PEC 48/2023 on 9 December 2025, writing the 5 October 1988 cut-off into the constitution and requiring advance compensation for occupiers. Indigenous land recognition is at stake, and the Supreme Court had again ruled the time limit unconstitutional that month.
Indonesia reopens sea-sand exports on a 17.66 billion m3 potential estimate
Indonesia reopened sea-sand exports in 2023 after a 20-year ban. A 2024 decree gave a national sediment potential of 17.66 billion cubic metres, against a domestic need of 435,433 cubic metres.
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.
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.
Sakhalin-2 and Sakhalin-1 in 2022: transfer decrees, the ecological-audit deduction clause and write-downs
Presidential Decree No. 416 of 30 June 2022 passed the rights of the Sakhalin-2 operator to a new Russian company and provided that a government audit, including an ecological audit, would set a damage amount to be debited from foreign shareholders' sale proceeds. Shell recorded a USD 1,614 million impairment on Sakhalin-2, and ExxonMobil said Russia terminated its Sakhalin-1 interests on 14 October 2022.
Sakhalin carbon-neutrality experiment under Federal Law 34-FZ
Federal Law 34-FZ of 2022 set an experiment in Sakhalin Oblast from 1 September 2022 to 31 December 2028 with a goal of carbon neutrality by 31 December 2025. Officials announced on 2 August 2025 that absorption exceeded emissions under the regional cadastre, and representatives of the RSPP were reported as saying the balance came from refining the cadastre rather than from quotas.
FSC suspension of Russia and Belarus and birch plywood sanctions cases in the EU
In March 2022 the Forest Stewardship Council suspended trading certificates in Russia and Belarus and blocked controlled wood sourcing from both. After the EU banned Russian wood imports in April 2022, enforcement actions over birch plywood declared as Kazakh or Turkish followed in Poland, the Netherlands, Latvia and Greece.
Ukraine’s criminal proceedings over wartime environmental harm
Ukrainian prosecutors have registered many proceedings over wartime environmental harm, mostly under Article 438, and few under Article 441 (ecocide). Five Russian officers were charged in absentia over the shelling of the Neutron Source facility in Kharkiv; one court conviction over the Askania-Nova reserve was under war-crime provisions.
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 cited sources give no acreage or ecological damage figures.
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 cited sources report no compensation mechanism for Iraqi civilians exposed to the same smoke.
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.
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.
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 cited sources record no measured effect on nature.
World Court says fossil fuel production may be a wrongful act under international law
On 23 July 2025 the International Court of Justice gave a unanimous, non-binding advisory opinion that fossil fuel production, licensing and subsidies can be internationally wrongful acts. A 2022 UN Human Rights Committee finding said Australia violated Torres Strait Islanders' rights over climate harm.
Court cancels Shell's Wild Coast seismic exploration rights
A South African court cancelled Shell's rights to carry out seismic exploration on the Wild Coast, according to a Legal Resources Centre timeline covering 2022 to 2024. The cited sources do not describe the environmental effects of the exploration.
California panel unanimously rejects Huntington Beach desalination plant
A California panel unanimously rejected a desalination plant proposed for Huntington Beach in May 2022, citing its effect on marine life. The cited sources do not describe the plant's size or expected output.
Russia's national carbon-unit system under Federal Law 296-FZ
Federal Law 296-FZ of 2021 created Russian carbon units, each the verified result of a climate project equal to one tonne of CO2 equivalent. The national registry lists 141 projects and 37,726,274 units in circulation, and sources give conflicting figures for circulation and prices.
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 cited sources do not quantify the flaring or its effect on climate or health.
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.
Milan court acquits Eni and Shell in Nigeria corruption case
A court in Milan acquitted Eni, Shell and all individual defendants in March 2021 in a corruption case over the US$1.3 billion purchase of Nigeria's OPL 245 oil licence. The acquittals became final after prosecutors dropped their appeal in July 2022.
Russia's 1 January 2022 ban on exports of unprocessed softwood and valuable hardwood logs
President Putin instructed in September 2020 that exports of unprocessed or roughly processed coniferous and valuable broadleaf timber be banned from 1 January 2022. The government implemented export duties and EAEU quotas, and in December 2025 extended prohibitive duties on beams and sawnwood to the end of 2028.
Baikal Natural Territory: expertise exemptions and clear-cutting rules
Federal Law 254-FZ of 31 July 2020 added Article 25.1 to the Law on Lake Baikal, allowing railway-capacity works with clear-cutting in the central ecological zone until 31 December 2033. Amendments signed on 16 December 2025 widened clear-cutting rules from 1 March 2026.
Tree felling under the Tashkent moratorium: damage assessments, prosecutor cases and ministry counts
Uzbekistan's moratorium on felling valuable trees outside the state forest fund was made indefinite in 2022, with five-fold fines and doubled damage compensation. In Tashkent the ministry assessed damage of 1.46 billion soums for the Babur Street felling of October 2025, and prosecutors opened or brought cases under the Criminal Code over earlier fellings in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
CEC factual record on Mexico's enforcement for loggerheads in the Gulf of Ulloa (SEM-20-001, USMCA Chapter 24)
Cemda and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a submission on 17 December 2020. The CEC Council instructed a factual record on 3 April 2023 and the CEC published it on 22 April 2024, the first under USMCA Chapter 24.
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.
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.
Siberian wildfire season of 2019: Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk and Yakutia
In July and August 2019 fires burned across Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Oblast and Yakutia while regional authorities left most of the burning area unfought under the control-zone rule. The Accounts Chamber later gave 10 million ha burned and RUB 13.5bn in reported damage for the year.
US Southeast shrimp skimmer-trawl turtle excluder device rule (2019) and the Louisiana Shrimp Association litigation
A final rule of 20 December 2019 requires turtle excluder devices on skimmer trawls of 40 ft and longer. The Louisiana Shrimp Association sued in January 2024; the district court dismissed on 27 June 2025 and the Fifth Circuit affirmed on 28 August 2026.
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.
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.
2019–20 bushfires burned 88,000 ha of mountain ash forest again
Australia's 2019–20 Black Summer fires burned about 24 million hectares. Mountain ash forests, which regenerate from seed, burned again over 88,000 hectares, and aircraft scattered about 4.5 tonnes of seed in 2020.
Shell's 1.5C scenario relied on 700 million hectares of new forest
Shell's February 2021 Sky 1.5 scenario assumed about 700 million hectares of reforestation and net zero in 2058, with fossil fuels still in use. Carbon Brief and Oxfam set out how much land such a route would need.
Ireland imports Latvian peat while private firms keep exporting
In 2021 private firms exported more than 500,000 tonnes of peat from Ireland, while Ireland began importing peat from Latvia. The High Court had ruled against parts of the commercial peat rules in 2019.
Tukolon reserve sanitary logging conviction in Irkutsk Oblast
In May 2022 the Kirovsky District Court of Irkutsk convicted four former officials, including the former regional forestry minister, over a 2018 clear-felling of about 120 ha of relict forest in the Tukolon regional reserve. The cut had been justified as sanitary logging of pest- and fire-damaged forest.
Venezuelan gold exports to Turkey and the UAE and US sanctions on Minerven and the Central Bank
The Central Bank of Venezuela sold tens of tonnes of gold to Turkish and Emirati buyers in 2018–2019. The US sanctioned the gold sector, Minerven and the bank in 2018–2019, and in March 2026 issued licences allowing Venezuelan gold into the United States.
Carpathian beech, IKEA's supply chain and FSC certification: Earthsight's 2020 findings and the responses
In June 2020 the NGO Earthsight reported that beech logged in Zakarpattia during a legal silence period reached FSC-certified IKEA products. IKEA, the Forest Stewardship Council and the Ukrainian processor VGSM gave differing accounts, and Ukrainian prosecutors later notified officials of suspicion in other Carpathian logging cases.
Xcacel-Xcacelito turtle sanctuary, Tulum, Mexico: Semarnat refuses permits for the La Calma hotel (2018)
On 31 August 2018 Semarnat refused permits for La Calma, a 520-room hotel on 26 ha fronting Xcacel-Xcacelito bay. Semarnat said the project would place both land and marine ecosystems at risk.
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.
US Supreme Court hears Boulder County's climate suit against Suncor and Exxon
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments on 5 October 2026 in the case Suncor and ExxonMobil brought against Boulder County's 2018 climate suit, and a decision is pending. A ruling could affect 35 to 60 similar cases.
EU bans three neonicotinoid pesticides outdoors in 2018; Turkey follows in part
The EU banned outdoor use of three neonicotinoid insecticides in 2018 over the risk to bees, and Turkey later restricted them in part. Greenpeace reported that EU companies planned to export 13,274 tonnes of neonicotinoids banned in the EU in 2021.
China halts commercial sea reclamation projects in 2018
China stopped approving general commercial coastal reclamation in 2018. Caixin Global reported that mangrove area had already fallen from 42,000 hectares in the 1950s to 14,600 hectares in 2013.
Indonesian report alleges illegal permit levies in Kutai Kartanegara
An Indonesian outlet, Katadata, reported illegal levies (pungutan liar) in Bumi Etam in 2019.
Iran's Clean Air Law and urban air pollution in Tehran and Ahvaz
A parliamentary commission found 22 of the 2017 Clean Air Law's 57 articles weakly implemented in 2023. The Health Ministry attributed 58,975 deaths among people over 30 to PM2.5 in the Iranian year 1403 and put the economic loss at about US$17.2 billion; the head of the Tehran Province Judiciary said five former managers were convicted of dereliction of duty under the law.
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.
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.
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.
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 cited sources do not show what the reversal did to fire or vegetation.
Japan imposes administrative sanction over unapproved GM silkworm strain
Japan's Ministries of Agriculture and the Environment sanctioned the Gunma Silk Technology Center in May 2019 over an unapproved fluorescent silkworm strain. At stake for nature is a genetically modified organism that was reared on farms without approval.
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 cited sources do not describe the environmental effects.
Mexico ordered to pay $37.1m over denied seabed phosphate permit
Mexico's environment ministry refused Odyssey Marine a permit to extract phosphate from the seabed in 2016, and a NAFTA tribunal ordered Mexico to pay $37.1 million plus interest in September 2024. The company said most or all of the award would go to repaying its litigation funding.
Forty dead tiger cubs found in freezer at Thailand's Tiger Temple
Thailand's Tiger Temple, a paid-entry attraction in Kanchanaburi, was raided in June 2016 and 40 dead tiger cubs were found in a freezer. By September 2019, 86 of 147 seized tigers had died in state facilities, CBS News reported.
Russia's forest-fire control zones and federal fire-service funding
Since 2015 Russian rules have let regional commissions stop or suspend suppression of forest fires in designated control zones when forecast suppression costs exceed forecast harm. The Accounts Chamber put the zones at 534.4 million ha in 2020 and found burned area up 2.2 times and reported damage down 3 times between 2017 and 2021.
Ukraine's ban on raw-log exports and the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement arbitration, 2015–2026
In 2015 Ukraine banned exports of unprocessed timber for ten years. An arbitration panel under the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement ruled on 11 December 2020 that the 2015 ban breached Article 35 of the Agreement; in 2025–2026 the Cabinet replaced the expiring ban with zero export quotas.
In Salah shale gas pilot wells and protests, 2014–2015
Sonatrach announced the completion of the first shale-gas pilot wells near In Salah on 27 December 2014 and a programme of at least US$70 billion over 20 years. Protests that began on 1 January 2015 included clashes on 28 February – 1 March 2015.
Medellín's 30 green corridors won a 2019 Ashden award; 2 °C claim unconfirmed
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.
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 unconfirmed here.
Kiribati buys 5,500 acres in Fiji for $8.77 million, with no sovereignty over the land
In 2014 Kiribati bought about 5,500 acres in Fiji for USD 8.77 million, about 5% of its GDP, and acquired no sovereignty over the land. The seller was the Anglican Church, and about 500 Solomon Islander villagers without land rights were reported to lose out.
Ivanpah solar plant is estimated to kill at least 6,000 birds a year
The 2.2-billion-dollar Ivanpah solar plant in California is estimated to kill at least 6,000 birds a year in mid-air, KNPR reported in January 2025. The cited sources give conflicting accounts of the plant's partial closure, and the bird toll is an estimate, not a measured count.
Botswana's 2014 hunting ban also barred San hunters in the Central Kalahari
Botswana announced a hunting ban in 2014 that Survival International said also stopped San hunting, despite a 2006 court ruling against their eviction. Reports of a 2019 lifting and of elephant licences are unconfirmed.
Burabay National Park land plots, Kazakhstan
Protected land of Burabay National Park in Akmola region was transferred into settlements and private hands; the state is now taking it back through a prosecutor's protest and lawsuits, 29 of which had been filed by December 2024. One owner says he invested KZT 400 million, and owners say their plots predate the documents the prosecutor relies on.
NOAA certifications of Mexico for loggerhead bycatch in the Gulf of Ulloa
Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, NOAA identified Mexico in 2013 for loggerhead bycatch, gave a negative certification in an addendum to its 2015 report, certified Mexico positively on 1 September 2016, and gave a negative certification again in its 2023 report. NOAA states that Mexican vessels in the Gulf of Ulloa gillnet fisheries are barred from US ports.
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 cited sources do not say which villages were affected or why the acknowledgement was withdrawn.
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 cited sources do not describe the reserve's ecological condition.
Tanzania's Tokomeza anti-poaching drive: 19 deaths, four ministers removed
Tanzania's 2013 Tokomeza operation against poaching involved 2,371 officials, including 885 soldiers and 480 police. A parliamentary committee reported 19 deaths, torture and bribery by officials, and four ministers were removed.
Queensland loosened vegetation clearing rules, then reintroduced them in 2018
Queensland relaxed its vegetation clearing laws in 2013 and reintroduced them in 2018 to reduce clearance rates. At stake is vegetation cover; about 400,000 hectares were reported cleared in 2015 to 2016.
Arctic Sunrise seizure at the Prirazlomnaya platform: ITLOS bond, PCA arbitration, 2019 settlement and ECtHR judgment
Russian authorities boarded the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise and detained 30 people after a protest at Gazprom's Prirazlomnaya oil platform in the Pechora Sea in September 2013. An ITLOS order, an arbitral tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, a 2019 Netherlands–Russia settlement and a 2023 European Court of Human Rights judgment followed.
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.
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 cited sources do not describe the park's effect on nature.
Former EPA chief Lisa Jackson named interim chair of Conservation International
During Lisa P. Jackson's tenure as EPA administrator, the agency withdrew an emergency order against Range Resources over Texas water wells. In February 2026 Conservation International named her interim chair of its board.
Canada narrowed federal environmental reviews in 2012 and again in 2025
York University reported that 2025 laws in Canada and Ontario let some environmental reviews be skipped, after the 2012 federal law had removed screening-level reviews. Fewer reviews mean less scrutiny of how approved developments affect forests, water and habitat.
Mediterranean fisheries bycatch of sea turtles: GFCM rules of 2011 and 2021 and a Tunisian fisher study
A review cited in a 2019 paper gives more than 132,000 sea turtles caught per year in the Mediterranean, all species. The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean adopted a landing and release rule in 2011 and a mitigation recommendation in 2021, and a 2023 Tunisian study named ray nets, trawls and pelagic longlines as the main threats.
Bolivia's 2017 law lifted TIPNIS park immunity and cleared a road route
Bolivia's Law 180 of 2011 declared the TIPNIS park inviolable. Law 969, passed on 13 August 2017, repealed it and cleared the way for a road through the park.
Ergene–Kocaeli health study unpublished as a 33.7% cancer figure circulates
A ministry study of the Ergene–Kocaeli area for 2011–16 has not had its results published, Bianet reported. A figure of 33.7 percent circulated for Dilovası, but it is cancer's share of all deaths, not an incidence rate.
Western Ghats protection plan left unimplemented; Wayanad villages were listed
A 2011 expert panel led by Madhav Gadgil proposed declaring much of the Western Ghats ecologically sensitive and banning quarries; Kerala and Karnataka opposed it and it was not implemented. Villages in Wayanad, Kerala, that were on the sensitive list were hit by a landslide on 30 July 2024.
Indonesia's forest moratorium: ministry cited 38% less clearing, Greenpeace disputed it
Indonesia's government said its 2011 to 2018 forest moratorium cut clearing in covered areas by 38%, a claim that Greenpeace's satellite analysis did not support. A matched study found no effect in peat forest, so the effect on carbon and biodiversity is not settled in the cited sources.
Lumber Liquidators Lacey Act guilty plea over Russian Far East oak flooring
In October 2015 Lumber Liquidators pleaded guilty in a US federal court to a felony and four misdemeanor Lacey Act counts over hardwood flooring made in China from timber harvested in the Russian Far East. The plea agreement totalled US$13.15 million, including US$1,230,825 in payments to conservation funds.
Kyparissia Bay (Thines Kyparissias), Greece: construction, roads and beach use at a loggerhead nesting site, CJEU C-504/14 (2016)
On 10 November 2016 the Court of Justice of the European Union found that Greece had breached Articles 6(2) and 12(1)(b) and (d) of the Habitats Directive at Kyparissia Bay, a Natura 2000 loggerhead nesting beach in Messinia. The Bern Convention file opened in 2010 remained open in October 2026.
Virginia court rejected demand for Michael Mann's emails; defamation award later cut
A 2012 Virginia ruling rejected the attorney general's demand for climate scientist Michael Mann's university emails. The cited sources do not describe any effect on the environment.
Russian Joint Implementation credits under the Kyoto Protocol, 2009–2012
Russia approved 108 Joint Implementation projects through tenders run by the state bank Sberbank, and 98 registered projects received about 266 million emission reduction units, according to Sberbank figures cited by the Stockholm Environment Institute. A 2015 SEI study found significant environmental integrity concerns for more than 80% of Russian and Ukrainian units.
Mongolia's 2009 ban on mining at river headwaters and in forests: licence cancellations, compensation duty, 2015 amendment and artisanal gold-mining programmes
A law adopted on 16 July 2009 banned mineral exploration and mining at river headwaters, in water protection zones and in forests, and made the government pay compensation to holders whose licences were cancelled. An amendment in February 2015 let existing holders inside the zones apply to continue.
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.
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.
Coastal sand extraction on the Boumerdès beaches (Cap Djinet, Zemmouri)
Algerian law bans extraction of sand from beaches and adjacent zones that contribute to their balance, with a fine of DA 200,000 to 2,000,000. Press reports from 2008 to 2020 describe sand removal and seizures on the Boumerdès coast; no court judgment with a fine for Cap Djinet is on record.
Las Cristinas gold project: 2008 permit denial in the Imataca reserve, Crystallex ICSID award and court-ordered sale of CITGO's parent
Venezuela denied an environmental permit for the Las Cristinas gold mine in 2008, citing damage to the Imataca forest and global warming. An investment tribunal found the denial arbitrary and awarded Crystallex US$1,202 million plus interest, and a US court later approved a US$5.892 billion sale of CITGO's parent company to pay judgments.
Rusoro Mining award for the El Callao gold mines: Venezuela's unquantified natural-resource counterclaim and Rusoro's role in the CITGO sale
An ICSID tribunal awarded Rusoro Mining US$966.5 million for Venezuela's 2011 nationalisation of its gold mines and declared that it lacked jurisdiction over Venezuela's counterclaim for damage to natural resources, which Venezuela had not quantified. Rusoro's judgment of about US$1.569 billion is discharged inside the court-approved CITGO sale.
Ukraine's Joint Implementation credits and Kyoto unit sales to Japan and Spain, 2008–2021
Ukraine hosted the largest number of Kyoto Joint Implementation projects, with 503.3 million emission reduction units issued, and sold surplus Kyoto allowances to Japan and Spain for money earmarked for emission-cutting and environmental projects. Criminal cases over the use of that money were brought; no verdict is on record.
US summer flounder and spiny dogfish declared rebuilt after target changes
Two US fish stocks, summer flounder and spiny dogfish, were declared rebuilt after their reference points were changed. The summer flounder stock was later found below its revised target, so the rebuilt label followed the rule as much as the fish.
Brisas gold-copper project: 2008 revocation of the environmental permit in Imataca and Gold Reserve's ICSID award
Venezuela revoked the environmental construction permit for the Brisas project on 14 April 2008 for reasons of public order, citing protection of the environment and local populations in Imataca. An ICSID tribunal awarded Gold Reserve US$713,032,000 plus interest for breach of fair and equitable treatment in 2014.
US Endangered Species Act listing of nine loggerhead population segments (2011) and marine critical habitat (2014)
A final rule of 22 September 2011 identified nine loggerhead distinct population segments, four threatened and five endangered. On 10 July 2014 the National Marine Fisheries Service designated 38 marine areas as critical habitat, with no exclusions.
Florida jury awards $38.3 million over Chiquita's paramilitary payments
Chiquita admitted in 2007 that it paid about $1.7 million to Colombian AUC paramilitaries and paid a $25 million fine. A Florida jury awarded $38.3 million to eight families in 2024, and the appeal is ongoing; the cited sources do not report a measured effect on nature.
Shell reserves overstatement case: investors settle for $352.6 million
Shell settled an investor class action for $352.6 million plus administrative costs, and the SEC took no action against three Shell executives in 2006. The 2004 reserve cut itself is unconfirmed in the cited sources.
Iran's Groundwater Restoration and Balancing Plan: unlicensed wells, sealing, meters and budgets
A state programme run through the Ministry of Energy and the Supreme Water Council set out to seal unlicensed wells and meter licensed ones. The Majlis Research Center said in 2018 that over 50,000 billion rials were needed and about 24,000 billion rials had been allocated; national counts of unlicensed wells ranged from 220,000 to 380,000.
Hawaii shallow-set longline swordfish fishery: loggerhead interaction limits, Ninth Circuit ruling and 2018 closure
The Hawaii-based shallow-set longline fishery was reauthorised in 2004 with a limit of 17 loggerhead interactions a year. In 2017 the Ninth Circuit held NMFS's 2012 no-jeopardy finding for loggerheads arbitrary and capricious; a May 2018 settlement closed the fishery for the rest of that year, and a 2019 opinion and 2020 rule set new limits.
China's non-wood pulp output fell as Columbia Pulp's straw mill stopped
Columbia Pulp, a Washington State mill that made pulp from wheat straw, stopped within a year of its 2019 start. China's non-wood pulp output fell from 10.5 million tonnes in 2004 to 3.5 million in 2015, and the cited sources report no measured forest outcome.
Earthsight: eastern Paraguay forest loss fell as Chaco clearing rose
Earthsight reported that Paraguay's 2004 zero-deforestation law was followed by a steep fall in forest loss in the east, while clearing rose in the Gran Chaco. The Chaco losses and the impact on the Ayoreo people are at stake for nature and for an Indigenous group.
Guri dam, drought and the 2010, 2016 and 2019 power crises: catchment, emergency contracts and prosecutions
The Guri reservoir on the Caroní, fed by a catchment that includes Canaima National Park, fell to low levels in drought years and was followed by emergency decrees, rationing and a 2019 national blackout. Contracts with Derwick Associates, Duro Felguera and Corpoelec suppliers are on record, including guilty pleas in a US court over 2016 Corpoelec contracts and a pending case in Spain over the Termocentro contract.
Hardwood logging in the Russian Far East and exports to China
WWF Russia and the Environmental Investigation Agency reported that Mongolian oak logged in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krai for export to China exceeded authorised volumes by 2–4 times in 2004–2011. Russian officials in 2020 and 2023 gave their own estimates of unrecorded and illegally harvested timber.
US Atlantic pelagic longline fishery: loggerhead take limits, Northeast Distant area reopened to circle hooks (2004) and Oceana v. Gutierrez (2007)
NMFS learned in 2003 that its take statement for loggerheads may have been exceeded in 2002. A 6 July 2004 rule reopened the Northeast Distant area to vessels using circle hooks, and the D.C. Circuit affirmed for the government on 1 June 2007.
California and Oregon drift gillnet fishery: Pacific Loggerhead Conservation Area and the SB 1017 buyout
A 2000 biological opinion found the drift gillnet fishery likely to jeopardise loggerheads. NMFS closed an area to the fishery in June–August during El Niño conditions from 2004, and California's SB 1017 of 27 September 2018 phases out swordfish drift gillnets through a buyout.
Queensland, Australia: trawl turtle excluder devices and investment in the Mon Repos turtle centre
Turtle excluder devices became mandatory in Queensland and northern trawl fisheries in 2000-2002, and the Queensland government reports more than $10 million invested in the Mon Repos turtle centre. Dr Col Limpus said in 2021 that preliminary data supported a continued decline in turtle nesting numbers.
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 cited sources do not name the drug.
Zakynthos landfill inside the National Marine Park, Greece: CJEU C-600/12 (2014) and penalty judgment C-368/24 (2025)
The Commission said a landfill inside the National Marine Park of Zakynthos had caused problems since 1999. The Court of Justice found Greece in breach on 17 July 2014 and, on 9 October 2025, ordered Greece to pay a lump sum of EUR 5,500,000 and a periodic penalty of EUR 12,500 per day until compliance.
Anamur (Karaagac) Beach, Mersin, Türkiye: Bern Convention file 2019/5 and Recommendation No. 226 (2024)
A 2019 complaint to the Bern Convention concerns construction of a public beach and picnic area at the Anamur (Karaagac) nesting beach in Mersin. The Standing Committee opened the case in 2022 and adopted Recommendation No. 226 in 2024; the file is open.
Belek, Antalya: 1998 Bern marina recommendation, 2014 hotel-road annulment and 2021 hatchling deaths
Between 1998 and 2021 the Belek, Kadriye and Bogazkent coast in Antalya, Türkiye, appeared in a Bern Convention recommendation on a marina plan, an administrative court ruling that cancelled a hotel road permit, and fines on two hotels after hatchlings died under wooden walkways. EKAD said the 30 km beach had more than 3,000 nests in 2021.
Fethiye and Patara nesting beaches, Türkiye: Bern Convention files and recommendations, 1996-2025
The Bern Convention Standing Committee has dealt with the loggerhead nesting beaches of Patara and Fethiye since 1996 through case files and Recommendations No. 54 (1996), 66 (1998), 182 and 183 (2015). In 2025 the Patara file moved to stand-by and the Fethiye file stayed open.
Limni Bay / Polis-Gialia golf and villa resort, Cyprus: infringement procedure closed (2019), land sold (2025)
A golf, hotel and beachfront-property resort was planned at Limni Bay on the Akamas peninsula, in the Natura 2000 site Polis-Gialia, which has loggerhead nesting beaches. The European Commission closed its infringement procedure on 24 January 2019; the project was cancelled in 2021 and the land was split and sold in February 2025.
Volusia County, Florida: beach driving and lighting, Endangered Species Act suit with sea turtles as named plaintiffs
On 8 June 1995 plaintiffs including loggerhead and green sea turtles sued Volusia County under the Endangered Species Act over beach driving and beachfront lighting. The Eleventh Circuit reversed and remanded on 3 August 1998.
Sary-Shagan test range lease to Russia: rent, a 1992–1996 compensation clause and an ecological commission
Russia leases the Sary-Shagan military test range in Kazakhstan under 1995 and 1996 treaties. Annual rent has been $16.276 million since 1 January 2016; the 1996 treaty fixes compensation of $99.85 million for 1992–1996 property losses and expenses and provides for a joint commission on the range’s ecological consequences, to be remedied at the lessee’s expense.
US power-plant sulfur emissions fell over 95%, EPA says
The 1990 Clean Air Act amendments capped power-plant sulfur dioxide emissions and let companies trade allowances. EPA reports that emissions fell more than 95 percent and that the number of monitored lakes and streams above the critical acid threshold improved by 81 percent.
US import ban on shrimp harvested without turtle protection: WTO dispute DS58 (US – Shrimp)
Section 609 of US Public Law 101-162 bars imports of shrimp harvested with technology that may harm sea turtles unless the exporting nation is certified. India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Thailand challenged the ban at the WTO; the Appellate Body found in 1998 that it failed the Article XX chapeau as applied, and in 2001 that the revised measure was justified.
Dalyan / Iztuzu Beach, Türkiye: Kaunos Beach Hotel project stopped (1987)
Construction of an 1,800-bed hotel complex, the Kaunos Beach Hotel, began at Dalyan in April 1987 and drew protests from IUCN, Greenpeace, WWF and others. The project stopped in September 1987.
Laganas Bay, Zakynthos, Greece: National Marine Park, Bern file 1986/8 and CJEU C-103/00 (2002)
MEDASSET complained to the Bern Convention in 1986 about development at the loggerhead nesting beaches of Laganas Bay on Zakynthos. On 30 January 2002 the Court of Justice found that Greece had failed to fulfil its obligations to establish strict protection for Caretta caretta on the island; the Bern file was reopened in 2020 and remained open in October 2026.
Predatory snail introduced on Moorea; nine Partula species gone from the wild by 1987
A predatory snail released against the giant African snail spread across Moorea, French Polynesia, at about 1.2 km a year, and all nine endemic Partula species were extinct in the wild by 1987. The cited sources do not show that the target snail was controlled.
Wildlife fell on Kenyan rangelands after the 1977 hunting ban, study finds
Kenya banned trophy hunting in 1977 to halt large-scale illegal hunting, according to Ogutu et al. (PLOS ONE, 2016). That study found average wildlife on rangelands covering 88% of the country fell 68% from 1977 to 2016, while sheep and goat numbers rose 76%.
WWF president Prince Bernhard resigned in 1976 after a Lockheed commission surfaced
Prince Bernhard resigned as WWF's president in 1976 after a commission of more than USD 1 million from Lockheed came to light. The case also covers a secret donor club of 1,001 members that he set up in 1970, which bears on how WWF's early money was raised.
1970 US corn blight destroyed about 15% of crop grown from uniform seed
In 1970 about 85% of US corn planted carried the same male-sterile cytoplasm, and southern corn leaf blight destroyed about 15% of the crop. The cited sources link the losses to the uniform seed base.
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.
Vicuna fell to about 5,000 by 1960 and reached about 200,000 in Peru
Mongabay reports about 200,000 vicuna in Peru by 2018, up from about 5,000 in 1960. What is at stake is the animal's recovery and who captures the value of its fibre.
Chile's secret copper law sent 10% of export revenue to the armed forces
Under Chile's secret 1958 Copper Law, 10 percent of copper export revenue went to the armed forces outside budget oversight. The law was repealed in 2019, and the state copper company Codelco is the named company.
Semipalatinsk test site: state compensation to residents under Kazakhstan’s 1992 law
A 1992 Kazakh law sets one-time payments, wage and pension supplements and extra leave for people who lived in zones affected by fallout from Soviet nuclear tests. The payments come from Kazakhstan’s own budgets; the Ministry of Labour reported KZT 16.4bn paid to more than 1.1 million people in 1996–2020.
Soviet whaling catches and the reports to the IWC, 1948–1979
Researchers at NOAA and collaborators estimate that Soviet fleets killed 534,119 whales from 1933 into the 1970s, of which 178,726 were not reported to the International Whaling Commission. The IWC adopted Resolution 1994-6 in May 1994, which contains no penalty or compensation.
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 cited sources do not say how the predators affected native wildlife.
Bison were counted at about 1,091 in 1889, before an 1894 law
PBS Nature gives an 1889 count of about 1,091 bison and 20 in Yellowstone, and cites an 1894 law. What is at stake for nature is the species' wild population.
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.
Monsanto charged in US over bribe to Indonesian official on environmental review
The US Justice Department announced in January 2005 a bribery charge against Monsanto over a payment in Indonesia to have an environmental impact assessment requirement removed; Monsanto entered a deferred prosecution agreement and paid US$1.5 million in US penalties, and the requirement was not repealed. At stake is whether a required environmental review can be bypassed by payment.
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.
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 cited sources give no counts or costs for the removal.
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.
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.
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.
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 cited sources do not give the test years or any compensation outcome.
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.
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 cited sources do not name the island or the virus, and do not describe the effects on wildlife.
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 cited sources do not describe the contamination itself, so its extent is not established.
ICARDA reportedly withdrew Aleppo seeds from Svalbard in 2015; unconfirmed
A withdrawal of seed samples from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault for ICARDA's Aleppo collection is reported, but the cited sources do not verify it. The Crop Trust reported in June 2026 that the vault held 1.4 million samples.
Deloitte's Woodside Browse impact report used peak job figure, critic says
A Deloitte economic impact report for Woodside's Browse gas development, as summarised by the critic Climate Integrity, assumed gas would stay at US$11.5 per MMBtu until 2072. The critic said it did not assess about 38 million tonnes of annual emissions or biodiversity.
Scripps reported a new source of illegal CFC-11 emissions
Illegal production of CFC-11, an ozone-depleting gas, came to light, Scripps reported. NOAA projects the ozone layer to recover to 1980 levels around 2040 globally and 2066 over Antarctica, while the cited sources do not state how much CFC-11 was emitted from eastern China.
ICIJ reports more than 340 companies certified in deforestation investigation
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) reported in March 2023 that more than 340 companies were certified. The cited sources do not describe the certification or the forests involved, so the stake for nature cannot be assessed from them.
Ascent Resources loses EUR 598.7m claim over Slovenia fracking ban
Ascent Resources lost its ICSID claim against Slovenia's ban on hydraulic stimulation, or fracking, at the Petišovci gas field, a claim that sought EUR 598.7 million. The company said in a regulatory announcement that it must pay EUR 3 million in costs.
India's Supreme Court recalls environmental ruling at developers' request
Verdictum reported that the Supreme Court recalled an environmental ruling after the Confederation of Real Estate Developers of India applied. Whether construction that started without clearance can be approved later is at stake for nature.