In several countries, environmental defenders have been criminalised, rendering their legitimate and necessary work illegal. There are laws to silence free speech and shut down protests. In some cases, the authorities have used national security laws to label the defence of the environment as terrorism.

There is impunity for these attacks, which are carried out by criminal gangs and state authorities. In Colombia, for example, the Global Witness report said only 5 per cent of the killings since 2002 have led to convictions.

The failure to hold the attackers accountable is linked to the influence of extractive industries over governments, seeking to perpetuate their ravaging of the environment at the cost of the planet.

Up to now, 28 countries in the region have signed up to the Escazú Agreement and 18 have become state parties. But this is the easy part. States often sign up to treaties for the sake of appearances, never intending to act on them. Research has even shown that these commitments can be used as cover by governments while they increase their abuses.

Implementation is the real test. Governments need to act on their commitments, narrowing the distance between their pledges and their practices. Encouragingly, five countries, including Chile and Mexico, have adopted national plans to implement the Escazú Agreement.

The protection of environmental defenders benefits countries in the region. The most obvious benefit is to the environment. Latin America and the Caribbean have vast forests, including the Amazon rainforest – often described as the “lungs of the planet”.

The Brazilian government, which is yet to ratify the treaty, has taken important steps to halt the ravaging of the rainforests that happened under the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Protecting environmental defenders is crucial to its climate action agenda.

Tackling attacks on environmental defenders will also improve the security situation in the region, along with protecting women and communities from violence. Women,

Indigenous, Afro-descendant and rural communities are the most targeted in attacks on environmental defenders. The attacks reinforce their marginalisation. Strong environmental governance is also an essential condition for stability and sustainable growth.

At Open Society, we are committed to this work. As part of a wide-ranging effort to mark COP30, I’m proud to share that we are making a US$2 million investment in supporting the implementation of the Escazú Agreement, working with civil society, governments and the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

This funding will complement our other commitments through impact investing, to support the energy transition in Brazil and work that is underway to create new economic models that will create green, sustainable growth.

It’s in the interests of governments to protect environmental defenders, and where they show will, civil society will be there to support them.

This story was published with permission from Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women’s rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit https://www.context.news/.