{"id":63243,"date":"2023-10-23T11:50:52","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T09:50:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?post_type=p4_action&p=63243"},"modified":"2025-10-03T11:48:49","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T09:48:49","slug":"nature-crime-files","status":"publish","type":"p4_action","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/campaigns\/nature-crime-files\/","title":{"rendered":"Nature Crime Files"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Nature Crime Files – Declassified<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Europe presents itself as a progressive defender of biodiversity and the environment, but in reality is doing little to stop corporate greed and corruption from destroying both. <\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Lone<\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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Exposing the criminals behind nature\u2019s destruction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Behind the EU’s shiny facade of nature protection lies a dark truth: a host of crimes against natural ecosystems, including clear-cutting, invasive tree planting, illegal logging and the illegal timber trade, are wreaking havoc on forest ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Logged<\/figure>
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The problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Europe, where about 40% of the land is covered by forests, claims to be a progressive defender of biodiversity and the environment. But simply looking at the percentage of forest cover and the percentage of protected areas does not give a true picture of the dire state of Europe\u2019s nature. The truth is that only 15% of the EU’s habitats are in good conservation status, even though formal protection extends to over 26% of the EU’s territory.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

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Industrial forestry practices have also ruthlessly damaged the natural complexity of forests and the diversity of plant and animal life. This exploitation has resulted in forests with fewer tree species, often with even-aged monoculture plantations that hinder the fight against climate change and the collapse of biodiversity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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What can be done<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While the logging industry plunders protected landscapes and governments turn a blind eye, companies exploit legal loopholes to wipe out ancient forests and precious biodiverse ecosystems to make short-lived products that are used for packaging, furniture or simply as firewood. At the same time, citizens and consumers are kept in the dark and made complicit in the destruction of their own life support system. <\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Forest<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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Nature crimes are usually committed far from the public eye. With the Nature Crime Files, we want to shine a spotlight on these abuses and put a stop to them. The cases of nature destruction we uncover show the serious failings of nature protection in Europe.  Together with local environment defenders, we will expose these crimes and hold decision-makers and companies<\/a> publicly accountable for their actions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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We need strong laws and enforcement to stop the #NatureCrime across the EU!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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