# The role of business in fighting impunity and corruption to protect environmental defenders URL: https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/the-role-of-business-in-fighting-impunity-and-corruption-to-protect-environmental-defenders Type: Publication or report Published: 2025-10-20 Updated: 2026-03-31 --- 20 October 2025 Environmental defenders are on the frontline of the fight against climate change, yet too often they pay with their freedom, or their lives, for challenging powerful interests. Between 2012 and 2023, more than 2,100 land and environmental defenders were killed worldwide, most in countries struggling with high levels of corruption and impunity. This working paper by Transparency International exposes how corruption enables these attacks - by silencing critics, weakening regulations, and allowing environmental harm to go unpunished. It reveals that corporate misconduct, from bribery to regulatory capture and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), is not just a by-product of weak governance - it is a driving force behind violence and intimidation against defenders. Through case studies from the United States, Australia, Brazil, and Indonesia, the paper shows how private sector corruption fuels repression and environmental destruction. Yet it also highlights how businesses can be part of the solution. Companies that uphold transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights can act as allies in protecting defenders and promoting sustainable development. ### Related publications ## [Whistleblowing Authorities in Europe: Roles, challenges and lessons learned](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/whistleblowing-authorities-in-europe-roles-challenges-and-lessons-learned) Publication • 19 June 2026 This report examines the institutional design, mandates and functioning of national whistleblowing authorities across Europe. ## [How effective is whistleblower protection in the EU? Trends, gaps and emerging practices across member states](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/whistleblower-protection-eu-trends-gaps-practices-member-states) Publication • 16 April 2026 EU whistleblower rules exist, but slow, uneven implementation leaves gaps in protection, enforcement, and support. ## [Whistleblower protection in EU enlargement countries - Towards EU standards and best practice](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/whistleblower-protection-in-eu-enlargement-countries) Publication • 16 April 2026 Whistleblower protections in EU candidate countries lag behind EU standards, with legal gaps and weak systems undermining accountability. ## [Enabler Accountability: Assessing Measures Taken against Professionals Implicated in Cases of Illicit Financial Flows from Africa](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/enabler-accountability-illicit-financial-flows-africa) Publication • 31 March 2026 How often are enablers of illicit financial flows held to account? We examine criminal and administrative action, enforcement gaps and priorities for reform. ## Priorities - [Climate crisis](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/climate-crisis) - [Business integrity](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/business-and-corruption) - [Whistleblowing](https://www.transparency.org/en/our-priorities/whistleblowing) ## Regions - [Global](https://www.transparency.org/en/region/global) ## Projects - [Climate Governance Integrity Programme](https://www.transparency.org/en/projects/climate-governance-integrity-programme) - [Towards Inclusive Governance for Forest Carbon Markets](https://www.transparency.org/en/projects/towards-inclusive-governance-for-forest-carbon-markets) - [Land corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa](https://www.transparency.org/en/projects/land-corruption-sub-saharan-africa) ![A collage of two hands protecting solidarity wrists from rain clouds with "Fighting impunity and corruption to protect environmental defenders" written at the bottom](https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/2510_Report_ProtectingEnvironmentalDefenders_FIN.jpg?auto=compress&fit=crop&fm=webp&w=1200) [Download](https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/The-role-of-business-in-protecting-environmental-defenders_2025-10-20-132820_xliu.pdf)