The Environmental Crime Crisis

Major environmental crimes

At stake:

3 0 t o 1 0 0 b i l l i o n U S $

At stake:

1 1 t o 3 0 b i l l i o n U S $

Livelihoods

Species extintion

Fish stocks depletion

Endangered forests

National economies: Illegal logging between 15 and 30 % of the global legal trade

Loss of revenues for local fishers and States

Targeted species: tuna, toothfish, sharks

Climate change emissions from deforestation and forest degradation

FISH

TIMBER

D R I V E R S

Tropical species demand for pets, food and traditional medicine

WILDLIFE

At stake:

7 t o 2 3 b i l l i o n U S $

1 1 b i l l i o n U S $

Corruption National

Lack of legislation

Species extinction

National

Local

Mafias

National International Lack of law enforcement

Corporate crime International

International National

National

Increasing demand Domestic International

Conflict

Major routes from North to South (unlike other environmental crimes)

Regional National

At stake:

1 0 t o 1 2 b i l l i o n U S $

At stake:

1 2 t o 4 8 b i l l i o n U S $

Ecosystem depletion Human health

Resource depletion

Gold, diamond, rare earth... Livelihoods (local communities)

1 3 5 b i l l i o n U S $

WASTE

Loss of raw material for local industry

MINERALS

A comparison: Official Development Assistance (ODA)

GRID-Arendal and Zoï Environment Network, 2012.

Figure 1. Estimated scale of various forms of transnational environmental crime. 15

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