"Ecosystems are being threatened and undermined, including by crimes that affect the environment. Illicit logging and timber trafficking are turning our forests from carbon sinks into carbon sources. Illegal pollution and waste dumping are suffocating our oceans and harming fishing communities. Wildlife poaching and trafficking are threatening fragile ecosystems, with over 4,000 plant and animal species at risk globally. Crimes that affect the environment are among the most lucrative forms of organized crime, generating billions annually and causing irreversible damage to people and ecosystems, particularly in the Global South. These crimes also fuel other illicit activities such as arms smuggling, corruption, and money laundering.”
UNODC Executive Director, Ghada Waly, at UNTOC COP12 2024
The Environment Team of the UNODC Border Management Branch assists Member States to prevent and respond to crimes that affect the environment such as wildlife and forest crime, crimes in the fisheries sector, illegal mining, and trafficking in precious metals and waste. Crimes that affect the environment are serious organized crime with far-reaching impacts for the economy, security, the environment, and human health, contributing to biodiversity loss and climate change. UNODC’s efforts to address these crimes contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Sustainable Development Goals 3, 13, 14, 15 and 16.
