The new Trump administration has announced a number of executive orders that mark a very concerning shift for environmental and human rights protections in the US and globally.
The following is a statement from Global Witness CEO Mike Davis:
“The slew of executive orders from President Trump this week while expected will be no less worrying for the international community.
“If this continues, the consequences of Trump’s second term won’t just be measurable in the atmosphere, they will impact people, communities and the natural world.
“Supported by Big Tech and Big Oil, his presidency signals a further concentration of power in the hands of even fewer people and corporations, and they are unapologetically using it to push back years of progress for the sake of profit and dangerous ideology.
“During this time, Global Witness investigators will continue to expose how those fuelling the climate crisis profit from destruction, and will continue to stand with the people fighting back.”
Paris and COP30
“Withdrawing the US from the Paris climate agreement is very disappointing and marks an abandonment of the nation’s international moral responsibility. But the world has already set a course for action and one country’s withdrawal will not stop the transition that nations everywhere have committed to.
“This year’s climate talks, COP30 in Brazil, will be incredibly important. The international community must ensure the talks are a success, that people are in the center of climate decision-making processes, and fossil fuel interests are not put before people and planet
“In the run up to this year’s talks – irrespective of the noise from Washington – we urge the host nation of Brazil to make this year’s talks the first fossil-free COP, free of fossil sponsorship, organising or lobbying.”
Big Tech
Global Witness digital threats lead Ava Lee said:
“This morning Facebook and Instagram users woke up to a new world - and it was a terrifying one. By blocking access to Democrat hashtags, and reportedly pushing Trump and JD Vance’s accounts on people all over the world, Zuckerberg appears to have seriously undermined his commitment to free speech.
“This looked like Meta providing its platforms to help establish an unprecedented censorship regime the day after Trump's inauguration. Absent a full explanation, Meta has lost any credibility as a place of free speech or public debate.
“Meta must reverse these changes immediately and explain publicly what just happened, and if they don’t the EU and other governments should take immediate action to protect their citizens.
“Alongside Elon Musk’s influence in the US government, and an executive order politicising content moderation under the guise of free speech, Meta’s recent moves herald the most blatant alignment between tech and the state we’ve seen so far. This is putting our access to information and democracy – not only in the US – at risk.”
Fossil fuels
Global Witness campaign lead Alice Harrison said:
“In a month where we've seen wildfires ravage Los Angeles and 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record, Trump must not be allowed to try dragging the world backwards on climate action.
“His 'drill, baby, drill' strategy will be welcome news to the rich oil donors that handed millions to his campaign, but bad news for Americans and the planet.
“When leaders should be signalling their commitment to a green energy future, climate resilient neighbourhoods, and secure jobs, Trump is looking to line oil execs' pockets and turbo-charge climate collapse.
“Other leaders now need to step forward and acknowledge that fossil fuels are not ‘liquid gold’ but a death knell for humanity that belongs in the ground and in the past.”
Environmental defenders
Global Witness CEO Mike Davis said:
“Given Trump’s track record of supporting the fossil fuel industry and disregarding human rights concerns, there is a significant risk of increased reprisals against environmental defenders and activists in the US.
“And designating cartels as foreign terrorist organisations by executive order recalls the ‘war on drugs’ in Mexico, in which human rights violations, disappearances and murders soared amid further criminalisation and threat.
“Basic rights must be safeguarded and support for land and environmental defenders requires strengthening international standards and mechanisms and international cooperation.”
Critical minerals
“President Trump’s comments about acquiring Greenland to exploit its rare earth mineral deposits is the exact wrong way to go about obtaining critical minerals. The focus on speed and stockpiling, and the bullying approach to an ally, threatens one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems and undermine cooperative global efforts to combat climate change.
“All parties in the global community should invest in sustainable mining practices, invest in technology and infrastructure for the recovery, recycling and reuse of rare earth minerals, and develop technologies that reduce reliance on these finite resources.
“New mining should be a last resort. Where there does need to be mining, it is imperative to do so in a responsible and sustainable way, to avoid creating more problems than we are solving in the energy transition.”