News and success stories
Stay in the loop with news of ongoing campaigns and successes in the fight against rainforest destruction.
© Morley Read
Ecuador: Constitutional Court calls for rights of nature
In a landmark ruling, Ecuador's highest court has upheld the rights of nature and banned planned copper mining in the Los Cedros protected forest
Current petitions
Human rights award for Mother Nature Cambodia environmental group
On December 9th, our partner organization Mother Nature Cambodia was awarded the Front Line Defenders Award 2021 for its work to protect the environment and human rights.
Nigeria: loggers stand down in Ekuri Forest
The logging company Sibawood has stopped its operations in the forest of the indigenous Ekuri people. Whether this is a lasting success remains to be seen, however.
Mother Nature Cambodia activists released on bail
In November, the six activists from Mother Nature Cambodia were released on bail, but the charges have not been dropped and they could face years in prison.
European Parliament votes to curb abusive SLAPP lawsuits
In the EU Parliament, 444 MEPs voted in favor of Europe-wide regulations to curb abusive SLAPP lawsuits. It is now up to the European Commission to take action.
Human rights violations and judicial stalling in the Mayan Train lawsuits
In a press conference, several Mexican NGOs spoke out against evident delays in the lawsuits filed against the Mayan Train.
More than a quarter million people call on British Columbia government to save old-growth forests
Our petition calling on the government of British Columbia to stop the felling of ancient giants and protect the province's old-growth forests was delivered today.
Palm oil industry: new violence against local communities in Democratic Republic of the Congo
The conflict between the communities of Bolanga and Yambienenne and the palm oil company PHC continues to escalate. Once again, several people were arbitrarily arrested.
Climate and the rainforest: the position of Rainforest Rescue
Rainforests are vital to local and global climate systems and play a key role in the fight against catastrophic climate change. Please read our position paper.
Indonesia: climate crisis threatens Komodo dragons
Komodo dragons have been reclassified from “Vulnerable” to “Endangered” on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Thousands of hectares of rainforest in West Papua saved from the palm oil industry
West Papua is revoking the permits of palm oil companies to more than 300,000 hectares of rainforest – a huge win for the rainforest and indigenous forest rights.
Malaysia: logjam triggers environmental disaster
For days, a logjam has been clogging the Baleh River in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Loggers along the upper reaches of the river are responsible.
Hydropower: neither environmentally sound nor climate-neutral
A study commissioned by the Senckenberg–Leibniz Institution concludes that hydropower is renewable, but neither climate-neutral nor environmentally friendly.
DRC: Plans for oil drilling in Salonga dropped
The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has abandoned its plans to allow drilling for oil in Salonga National Park.
Palm oil company Korindo stripped of FSC label
The Indonesian palm oil and timber company Korindo is losing its FSC seal after clearing forests for oil palm plantations.
Palm oil: TotalEnergies washes itself so green
The French fossil fuel giant TotalEnergies wants to burnish its image and to do without palm oil as a raw material for the production of biofuels from 2023.
Indonesia: Kinipan's rainforest defenders honored
The 2021 Akademi Jakarta award goes to the Laman Kinipan people for their perseverance in defending human rights, nature and culture.
UN experts: climate and biodiversity are interconnected issues
The climate crisis has finally been acknowledged by the mainstream, but the mass extinction of animal and plant species is often overlooked or considered less urgent.
The EU needs to protect forests – not burn them in power plants
Trees do not belong in power plants. We need to stop the earth’s forests and their biodiversity from being burned as bioenergy.
Victims of bauxite mine in Guinea receive medical care
Eleven days after we delivered our petition, the mining company in Guinea promised medical care to the people of Hamdallaye. The German government must take action.
180+ organizations and academics reject extractive-heavy EU Green Deal
Plans to drastically increase mining in Europe and in the global South are bad news for the climate, ecosystems and human rights around the world.
Korindo scores big as “International Bully of the Year”
And the winner of this year’s European SLAPP Contest is... Korindo! The Indonesian conglomerate takes this year’s prize as “International Bully of the Year”.
The 2021 European SLAPP Contest – vote for your “favorite” legal bully!
The Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) is holding its first annual European SLAPP Contest – complete with a People’s Choice Award.
Malaysia: rescued sea turtle released in threatened biodiversity hotspot
A loggerhead turtle was rescued by local fishermen in the south of Penang island, West Malaysia, at a threatened stretch of coastline.
UN report: indigenous people are the best forest guardians
A new United Nations report concludes that deforestation rates are significantly lower in areas where indigenous peoples live and bear responsibility for their forests.
Where are the chimpanzees of Djouroutou?
For years, a group of 25 to 30 chimpanzees had been habituated to the presence of visitors to Taї National Park, but in February the animals disappeared without a trace.
450+ organizations join forces against EU-Mercosur agreement
The new Stop EU-Mercosur coalition is calling on political leaders to reject the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement and put people and the planet before profit.
Confirmed: palm oil company destroys rainforest in Liberia
Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL) is clearing richly biodiverse rainforest – this is the conclusion of a report by High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA), an industry organization.
Study: Indonesia's “Food Estates” drive hunger and environmental destruction
The new “Food Estate” programs announced for Indonesia will result in more hunger and threaten local people, regional forests and the global climate.
Satellite images debunk "sustainable palm oil" pledges
Rainforest destruction for palm oil remains a reality, as the analysis of satellite image data from Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.
Rainforest Rescue speaks out against the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement
Today Rainforest Rescue presents 380,000 signatures against a free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries at the European Parliament's Petitions Committee.
Brutality against Sarawak villagers – Covid lockdown hinders assistance
Indigenous people often suffer violence at the hands of thugs working for oil palm plantations: Our Malaysian partner Matek Geram sent us a frightening video.
We will not be intimidated or silenced! – a declaration of solidarity
Rettet den Regenwald e.V. (Rainforest Rescue) is currently facing a lawsuit before the District Court of Hamburg, Germany.
Nigeria: “superhighway” project through the rainforest stopped!
One of the last rainforests in Nigeria will be spared a “superhighway”. Rainforest Rescue and local groups had campaigned against the project since 2016 – with success!