For the first time in the award's history, the 6 winners of the "Green Nobel Prize" were all women! One winner was picked from each region of the world for the Goldman Environmental Prize, so let's see who won in yours. In Alaska, Alannah Acaq Hurley helped block a massive mining project to protect Bristol Bay, home to 50 million wild salmon, and one of the last intact ecosystems of its kind. In Nigeria, Iroro Tanshi protected an endangered bat species by building a community wildfire-prevention network that now keeps over 1,000 hectares of forest safe. In South Korea, Borim Kim led Asia's first successful youth-driven climate lawsuit, a ruling that could prevent up to 2 billion tons of COz, roughly three years of the country's entire emissions, from entering our atmosphere. In Papua New Guinea, Theonila Roka Matbob held mining giant Rio Tinto accountable for dumping 150,000 tons of toxic waste a day from the abandoned Panguna mine. Sarah Finch took an oil company to the Supreme Court — and won! Forcing the UK to account for ALL the damage a fossil fuel project causes and it's already blocking the dirtiest projects from getting off the ground. And in Colombia, Yuvelis Morales Blanco helped stop commercial fracking after an oil spill devastated her community. Her youth movement drove the court rulings that blocked the projects for good. Which story was your favourite? #goodnews #conservation #wildlife

730+ organisations. $22 trillion in AUM. And Africa is still barely in the room. Voluntary market adoption of TNFD recommendations now stands at 733 organisations, representing over $9 trillion in market capitalisation among listed companies and over $22 trillion in assets under management. Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) That's a remarkable number. And it should prompt a harder question: How many of those organisations operate on African soil in our forests, watersheds, pastoral and mining corridors yet their TNFD disclosures were designed, scoped, and validated thousands of miles away? Record biodiversity reporting is gaining momentum globally, with 126 countries submitting UN biodiversity progress reports and business action increasingly embedded in national implementation strategies. But "increasingly visible" is doing a lot of heavy lifting when you look at the Africa-specific data gaps in most LEAP assessments I've reviewed. Business For Nature The Locate phase the very first step depends on credible, location-specific biodiversity data. In much of sub-Saharan Africa, that data is sparse, colonial in framing, or entirely absent. ILK is rarely integrated. Ecosystem condition baselines are still being built. This isn't a compliance gap. It's a sovereignty gap. Companies disclosing TNFD-aligned reports with African operations need Africa-literate practitioners in the room not just to tick the box, but to ensure disclosures reflect ecological and social realities that generic global tools miss. That's the work I do. And there has never been a more urgent time to do it. TNFD adopter milestone: https://lnkd.in/d_T7Zc-Z Business for Nature April Policy Bulletin: https://lnkd.in/dbydKYHf If your organisation has African operations and is beginning a TNFD LEAP assessment let's talk about what "locate" actually means on this continent. #TNFD #BiodiversityRisk #NaturePositive #AfricaFirst #LEAP #ESRSE4 #KunmingMontreal #NatureDisclosure #ESG #Sustainability

🌊𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡—𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 ❓ As the global demand for critical minerals surges, we face a pivotal question: At what cost do we "mine the depths"? I am honored to join the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC), GIZ, and WWF on May 20th for a critical panel discussion on the social and economic impacts of deep-sea mining. While the industry promise is high, the reality is far more complex. We will be diving into: ➡️ Financial & Economic Risks: Can developing states truly benefit, or are they facing long-term economic uncertainty? ➡️ The Equity Gap: Who bears the risk when ocean-dependent livelihoods are at stake? ➡️ Evidence-Based Insights: Moving past the "industry hype" with new research from Dr. Maila Guilhon. As someone focused on Sustainable Investment, I believe understanding these systemic risks is not just an environmental obligation—it’s a fiduciary one. We need to look beyond the immediate horizon to understand what is truly at stake for global development and long-term governance. Join us to cut through the noise. 🗓 Date: May 20, 2026 🕒 Time: 03:00 PM (CET) 📍 Location: Online, registration in the the first comment 👇 I look forward to an insightful session alongside fellow experts: Manuel Schlothauer - German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Dr. Maila Guilhon - Independent Consultant & Research Associate, Nippon-Foundation University of Edinburgh Ocean Voices Programme David Willima- Africa Regional Lead, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition #SustainableFinance #DeepSeaMining #ESG #BlueEconomy #CircularEconomy

Thousands of Indigenous people marched in Brazil’s capital last month to protest what they say are violations of their land rights by large corporations advancing farming, logging and mining projects. Indigenous leaders also sought to apply pressure on President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has supported Indigenous rights and environmental stewardship in Latin America’s largest nation while also pushing oil and other projects that appear to go against those aims. The leftist leader is expected to run for reelection in October. While acknowledging advances made under Lula’s administration, Dinamam Tuxá, head of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil (APIB)), said Indigenous rights remain under pressure from Congress, sectors of the executive branch and economic interests driven by growing global demand for oil, gas and critical minerals. Lawmakers have advanced bills that weaken constitutional protections or seek to reinterpret Indigenous land rights, while the long-standing debate over allowing mining in Indigenous territories has persisted. In February, Brazilian Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal) Justice Flávio Dino ordered Congress to pass legislation regulating mining on Indigenous lands within two years. In the same ruling, Dino said the Cinta Larga people, who live in a region spanning the Amazonian states of Mato Grosso and Rondonia, have the rights to mine within their own territory, provided they comply with environmental requirements and secure major approval among communities. Dino said that mining already happens illegally in Indigenous areas, disrespecting environmental rules and with the use of violence. Renata Corrêa Vieira, a lawyer with the non-profit organization Instituto Socioambiental, said Brazil’s Congress — dominated by representatives of the agribusiness sector — is overall hostile to the Indigenous agenda. “Any legislation on mining in Indigenous lands will be very harmful,” she said. “I believe the push to authorize mining on Indigenous territories represents one of the most serious threats to Indigenous rights.” https://lnkd.in/etEY_Rhf

As demand for lithium accelerates in the global push toward “clean energy,” Indigenous communities across Argentina are raising urgent concerns about water, land rights, and the exclusion of local voices from decisions shaping their futures. A just transition cannot replicate the same extractive systems that created the climate crisis in the first place. Climate solutions that ignore Indigenous sovereignty, Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and community-led stewardship risk deepening inequality under the banner of sustainability. Around the world, frontline communities are already leading solutions rooted in territorial governance, ecological knowledge, and long-term care for land and water. The challenge for philanthropy is not simply funding the transition — it is helping ensure the transition is democratic, locally led, and accountable to the people most impacted. At Global Greengrants Fund, we believe lasting climate solutions emerge when local and Indigenous communities have the power and resources to shape what comes next. Read the article: https://lnkd.in/gfyFxjRa #JustTransition #GlobalGreengrants #FPIC

Ever since the #FAO got me hooked up on #water #tenure I've been trying to push and pull the approach here and there -- including on how water tenure affects the shaping of international "norms" https://lnkd.in/gtFsheUp and surprisingly -- the tenure approach is quite malleable. Hence, during last week's FAO Regional Asia Pacific Water Tenure #Dialogue in Bangkok, I tried to pull it further into another direction, into the business and human rights realm. Why? Well, because corporations wield an immense power that shapes and influences how water tenure is governed. From critical minerals to biofuels to hydropower, large scale corporations affect water tenure holders. Large corporations often have the power to influence state behavior in the basin. Secondly, the United Nations Guiding Principles (#UNGPs) also speaks the language of #entitlement -- somewhat similar to #tenure since it goes beyond formal rights. More importantly, a corporation is #accountable beyond the local state enforcement power and local laws. I am getting really good feedback from the audience. Is this another distinctive "framework" to add the already saturated #ESG frameworks? No, it isn't. I'd say that water tenure is a method that should be added to any existing ESG checklists, sustainable reports, international development banks safeguards, environmental impact assessment and so on, for anything that has a large "water interface". Working on something more serious on this. Stay tune! Surya Deva, Benjamin Kiersch, Christina Leb, Fany Wedahuditama, Laura Beckwith, Raymond Valiant, Lee Jing, Belinda Hlatshwayo

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Council for World Mission (CWM) have issued a joint communiqué demanding binding reform of extractive industries — including enforceable environmental standards, genuine post-closure rehabilitation, and agrarian reform grounded in redistribution, recognition, restitution, and regulation. The call followed the Africa Consultation on Mining, Land, and Justice, held in Gaborone, Botswana from 21 to 25 April 2026, which brought together church leaders, theologians, Indigenous leaders, and community representatives. Prof. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, argued that mining's damage to water systems demands equitable governance and international accountability. Both organisations will carry this work forward within the WCC Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action. Read the communiqué 👉 https://lnkd.in/d9BBrtfR #ClimateJustice #LandRights #ExtractiveIndustries #Mining #WCC #EcumenicalDecade #FaithAndEarth

U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) wants Congress to start cutting government red tape that inhibits the country’s key minerals supply chain. Palmer, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, led a hearing Wednesday titled Help or Hindrance? The Impact of U.S. Environmental Laws on Critical Material Supply Chains, National Security, and Economic Growth. “Our country has a rich bounty of natural resources and, for most of the 20th Century, the United States was the leader in producing and refining critical minerals,” Palmer said. “However, in the past several decades, China has aggressively sought to dominate the global market for critical minerals – with dire consequences for our national security.” Read full piece: https://lnkd.in/eVBBF8Xp #Alabama #ALPolitics #Environment #NaturalResources

Arsenic contamination has been detected in the Mekong River’s mainstream for the first time, signaling a new and dangerous phase of environmental degradation in one of the world’s most vital transboundary river systems. Thai authorities recently found arsenic concentrations as high as 296 mg/kg in river sediment—nearly nine times the level deemed safe for aquatic life. While heavy metal pollution has been reported in tributaries for over a year, its arrival in the mainstream threatens the livelihoods of more than 50 million people in the Lower Mekong Basin. “While government action should be focused on addressing immediate needs for communities who rely on the river for sustenance, income, and cultural reasons, this should raise the call for long-term and consistent water testing throughout the basin,” explains Regan Kwan, lead researcher at The Stimson Center. “There is now more data than a year ago when the mines on the Kok River were discovered, but it still feels like governments aren’t responding accordingly.” Satellite imagery analysis from the Stimson Center has identified 833 unregulated mines across the basin. Many are rare earth mines in Myanmar’s Shan state, where toxic chemicals used in "in situ" mining often overflow from leaching ponds into the river network. Despite the risks to biodiversity, including the critically endangered Mekong giant catfish and Irrawaddy dolphin, regional monitoring remains fragmented. The Mekong River Commission lacks regulatory authority over upstream areas in Myanmar and China, leaving downstream communities to bear the brunt of the pollution. Read the full report by Gerry Flynn for Mongabay. Find it in the comments below. https://mongabay.cc/lTEdBp

This week, the OECD is hosting its inaugural Critical Minerals Forum in Istanbul. It brings together invited stakeholders from governments, business, civil society, trade unions and beyond. As demand for critical minerals surges – driven by the low-carbon transition, digital technologies, AI, and the defence industry – so too do the risks. Without strong safeguards, the same extractive models that have long driven environmental harm and human rights abuses risk being replicated and intensified. 🌍 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗘𝗖𝗗 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆. It’s due diligence guidance for responsible minerals supply chains and environmental due diligence handbook offer practical tools to translate RBC standards into action. These efforts will be further strengthened by an upcoming OECD paper (expected in May) on addressing the social impacts associated with the just transition. See more information about the OECD’s work here 👉 https://lnkd.in/diz2NGEC We’re glad that several OECD Watch members and partners are participating in this week’s Forum – leave a comment below if you’re attending! 👇 📅 Next year, the OECD will host its 19th Responsible Mineral Supply Chains Forum as an open event in Paris (10-14 May 2027). SOMO, EarthRights International, SIRGE Coalition, Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (AIPNEE), FIDH - International Federation for Human Rights, Business and Human Rights Association (BHRTR), PODER Latam, Inclusive Development International, Arisa, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Zimbabwe Environmental Law Organisation ZELO, Afrewatch International