Environmental crime: From blind spot to business risk

This week, business leaders from across finance, transport, technology and other sectors gathered at the United for Wildlife Forum in London to discuss the next phase of action against illegal wildlife trade and environmental crime.

Alongside the Forum, United for Wildlife published a new business case on environmental crime, a report that I led on behalf of the organisation working closely with Chronos Sustainability.

Environmental crime is often viewed as a conservation issue. Increasingly, it is also a business issue.

Estimated to generate around USD 300 billion annually, environmental crime encompasses activities such as illegal wildlife trade, illegal logging, illegal fishing and associated environmental crimes. These activities are frequently embedded within global supply chains and financial systems, creating risks for businesses that extend far beyond direct involvement.

The consequences can include supply chain disruption, increased operating costs, regulatory and legal exposure and reputational damage. At the same time, environmental crime contributes to the degradation of ecosystems on which many businesses depend, creating additional risks through resource scarcity, price volatility and declining resilience.

One of the most striking findings from this work was the extent to which environmental crime is now converging with wider discussions on financial crime, nature-related risk and corporate governance. Financial institutions, regulators and businesses are increasingly recognising that environmental crime cannot be treated as a niche sustainability issue.

The private sector has an important role to play. Over the past decade, initiatives such as United for Wildlife have helped businesses collaborate with governments, law enforcement agencies and civil society organisations to strengthen information sharing, improve governance and develop practical tools to identify and address risks.

As expectations around nature, transparency and responsible business conduct continue to grow, environmental crime is becoming an increasingly important consideration for companies seeking to understand and manage emerging risks.

The United for Wildlife business case on environmental crime can be downloaded here.