Green Corruption
Tackling corruption to protect our planet
Safeguarding our environment by ensuring a successful energy transition is one of humanity’s greatest challenges – one that is deeply connected to stability, security, peace and economic development.
However, corruption undermines global efforts to combat climate change and environmental degradation. It enables illegal exploitation of natural resources, weakens environmental policies, facilitates organised environmental crimes and diverts critical funds meant for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The Green Corruption programme at the Basel Institute on Governance is a multi-disciplinary initiative that applies anti-corruption and governance tools to environmental and energy transition-related challenges. Our work prioritises efforts to safeguard forests and critical minerals.
How we work
We collaborate with governments, the private sector, and civil society across the world, with team members based and working with partners across Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Our team includes specialists in financial investigations, asset recovery, corruption risk mitigation, internal controls and environmental crime. We work hands-on with local partners in the public, private and civil society sectors to, among other things:
- Secure supply chains for minerals critical to the energy transition, such as lithium, nickel and germanium.
- Bring environmental criminals to justice and recover illicit assets.
- Enhance corruption safeguards in green finance mechanisms.
- Build robust internal controls for our partners entrusted with protecting and sustainably utilising natural resources.
- Convene practitioners in the green corruption space from around the world to learn from each other and bolster each other’s efforts.
Our impact
Since 2018, the Green Corruption programme has driven tangible progress in efforts to understand, prevent and combat corruption affecting the environment. We apply a multi-pronged approach covering:
Enforcement
Training and assisting partner agencies to apply “follow the money” approaches to environmental crime cases. Some have now achieved their first ever successes, including in cases targeting millions of dollars in assets linked to forestry, gold trafficking, illegal wildlife trade and more.
Prevention
Strengthening corruption prevention systems, such as codes of ethics, whistleblowing, automation and business process optimisation in agencies and state-owned enterprises to ensure better management of natural resources.
Partnerships
Bridging the gap between anti-corruption, conservation and environmental crime experts through the Countering Environmental Corruption Practitioners Forum and other initiatives.
Knowledge
Advancing research and awareness on how corruption and governance failures fuel environmental degradation and jeopardise the green transition.
By bringing our anti-corruption and governance expertise, we strengthen efforts to protect the environment, address climate change and ensure a just, sustainable future.
The Green Corruption programme is grateful for multi-year core funding from the Principality of Liechtenstein, together with significant project funding from Norway and the United Kingdom.
Free resources
Countering Environmental Corruption Practitioners Forum
Join conservation and anti-corruption professionals from around the world in the Countering Environmental Corruption Practitioners Forum – an initiative of the Basel Institute, WWF, Transparency International and TRAFFIC.
Latest news
Read and listen to news, insights and ideas from our team and global partners.
View all news27 May 2026
New international project targets corruption risks in carbon markets
Learn more15 December 2025
Regional success: Over 200 professionals complete course on corruption in the timber value chain
Learn more15 December 2025
Éxito regional: más de 200 profesionales completan curso sobre corrupción en la cadena de la madera
Learn more11 December 2025
From seedlings to saplings of hope: updated report on promising efforts to address environmental corruption
Learn more25 November 2025
New working group to tackle corruption risks in the minerals sector
Learn more20 October 2025
Strengthening integrity in Ukraine’s natural resources, energy and defence sectors with Norway’s support
Learn more14 July 2025
A career targeting the finances behind environmental crime – how I got there
Learn more11 March 2025
How tackling green corruption can help us get ahead in the race to net zero
Learn more4 February 2025
Peter Maurer on new priorities in addressing corruption, environment and climate challenges
Learn more28 January 2025
Peru’s Integrity Week celebrates transparency and good governance, including for the environment
Learn more28 November 2024
How integrity risk assessments can support Indonesian SOEs in reaching their goals
Learn more28 November 2024
Protecting forests through corruption prevention: videos on promising initiatives in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru
Learn more10 November 2024
Joining forces to protect the Amazon forest and its communities from corruption
Learn more9 November 2024
Unidos para proteger los bosques amazónicos y a sus comunidades frente a la corrupción
Learn more11 September 2024
Corruption and governance risks threaten a just energy transition – but there’s also good news
Learn moreLatest publications
Browse research and analysis on Green Corruption
View all publications