Land and environment defenders protect irreplaceable rainforests, rivers, ancestral lands and ways of living in the face of violence, intimidation. Even murder.
They are on the frontline of fighting climate change, preserving ecosystems, safeguarding human rights and ensuring a cleaner, greener planet for us all. They stand up for sustainability, biodiversity, and justice. We need them. And if we want to ensure they can continue to do their work in safety, we have to become a critical part of the equation.
It’s up to us to let businesses know that their reputations will suffer if they don’t do more to prevent attacks against defenders, and that governments who fail to protect them will be called out. To do so, we need to use our voices to amplify the voices of defenders, highlighting the critical work they do and the challenges they face on a daily basis.