News and success stories
Stay in the loop with news of ongoing campaigns and successes in the fight against rainforest destruction.
© Istockphoto/Kalistratova
EU establishes law to fight global deforestation
The EU has put a regulation on deforestation-free supply chains in place that tightens the conditions for importing commodities such as wood, palm oil and soy into the EU.
Current petitions
Petition delivered to UN – “A better way to protect biodiversity”
Rainforest Rescue delivered a petition with more than 65,000 signatures to the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema.
COP 15: Can the UN stop the extinction crisis?
Can we stop the mass extinction of animal and plant species? Nothing less is at stake at the UN Biodiversity Conference from December 7 to 19 in Montréal.
Panama: Santa Maria River communities establish protected area
Farmers, environmental activists and scientists in Panama are celebrating a huge success for nature: 3,400 square kilometers of river basin have been protected!
The RSPO and “sustainable” palm oil: 19 years of deception is enough!
For 19 years, the RSPO has served the palm oil industry and its clients as a shield and marketing tool to deflect criticism and complaints and to deceive the public.
DR Congo officially recognizes the rights of Indigenous people
The Democratic Republic of Congo has recognized the rights of Indigenous people with a new law. It remains to be seen how the law will be put into practice, however.
Environmentalists empower thousands of villagers
Protecting rainforests often happens in small ways. For example, by working to empower local people by educating them about their rights and the dangers of deforestation.
From Indonesia to the G20: “Electric vehicles are a false solution to climate change”
Official Statement of the People and the Sulawesi Alliance, Indonesia, related to the G20 Summit Meeting in Nusa Dua Bali
G20 Summit Meeting in Nusa Dua Bali: Statement of the People and the Sulawesi Alliance about the nickel industry in Indonesia
Stop Financing and Investment in Mines, and Nickel Smelters and Their Supporting Coal Power Plants in Indonesia. Electric Vehicles Are a False Solution to Climate Change.
The looming threat of fossil fuel companies in Africa
The fossil fuel industry is pushing hard into Africa. In the Congo Basin alone, the endangered rainforest area is almost twice the size of Germany.
The “Tigers of Pining” reforest the Leuser ecosystem
The residents of the village of Pining are healing the wounds in the Leuser ecosystem. Thousands of seedlings will grow up to restore the rainforest.
Bolsonaro voted out – but is the Amazon rainforest safe?
“We're relieved, even though Bolsonaro left Brazil divided. Now is the time to calm down, the fight goes on. It's a victory of democracy over fascism”
Speaking out makes a difference: investors shun TotalEnergies’ oil pipeline
Fossil fuel giant TotalEnergies is having problems finding banks and insurance companies for its planned EACOP oil pipeline project in eastern Africa.
“Vanishing Forests” study names those responsible for deforestation
A study by Nigerian environmentalists analyzes the causes and names those responsible for deforestation in Nigeria’s Cross River state.
Sarawak: Palm oil project off the table for good
The threat to Gunung Mulu National Park in Malaysia from the palm oil industry has finally been averted – a great success for the indigenous peoples living there.
DR Congo: “We’ll keep our forests, you keep your dollars!”
According to a Greenpeace report backed by Rainforest Rescue, a majority of rural people in DR Congo oppose the sellout of the forests for oil exploration.
DR Congo: Soldiers terrorize villagers, driving them into the forest
Fearing arbitrary arrests and violence, numerous villagers have fled into the forest on the outskirts of PHC’s oil palm plantations.
Nigeria: Villages once again being torched for palm oil
Peace remains elusive for people living near Okomu’s oil palm plantations: On September 2nd, houses were burned down in the village of Agbede and others were looted.
EU Parliament condemns oil production in Africa
In a resolution, the European Parliament warned against the devastating consequences of the projects for the environment and the climate.
Brazil: Indigenous Pataxó face violent reprisals after occupying plantation
The indigenous Pataxó want to protect their land from further destruction by the paper and pulp industry by occupying a eucalyptus plantation.
Brazilian indigenous people call on EU to protect all biomes
Using tree coverage alone as a benchmark for nature conservation is too short-sighted. All biomes must be covered by the planned EU regulation.
Agriculture drives more than 90 percent of tropical deforestation
According to a new study, more than 90 percent of tropical deforestation is driven by agriculture. A large part of the cleared land remains unused, however
Uganda: Oil project stoking human-elephant conflict
Is oil exploration in Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park driving elephants into human settlements? Local people are convinced of this and are sounding the alarm.
Papua: Deforestation for palm oil and paper industries on the rise
The analysis of current satellite data shows that deforestation in Papua’s rainforests has not slowed. Palm oil and paper companies are mostly behind the destruction.
Indonesia: 300 hectares of wetlands protected
With support from Rainforest Rescue, our partners succeeded in having blast fishing and deforestation banned in the Paya-Nie wetlands.
The international community has spoken: NO to oil from the Congo Basin!
African environmental activists in DR Congo delivered our petition – with more than 106,650 signatures – to the office of the Congolese president in Kinshasa on Monday.
Malaysia: Wholesale deforestation looms in Sarawak
The government of the Malaysian state of Sarawak is opening no less than 1.27 million hectares of forest for logging. Indigenous people fear for their land and livelihood.
Tanzania: Violence against Maasai people escalating
Numerous Maasai have been injured by security forces. The indigenous people are resisting expulsion from their traditional land.
Borneo: Freedom for Willem Hengki – an open letter to the court
The village of Kinipan in Borneo is fighting back against deforestation for palm oil: An open letter to the court speaks out against criminalizing indigenous people.
The conservation community mourns Sarapo Ka'apor
The indigenous Kaapor people of Brazil are calling on the authorities to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of their leader Sarapo Ka'apor.
Deutsche Bank rejects EACOP pipeline project
The planned EACOP oil pipeline in Africa is running out of financiers: Deutsche Bank has now rejected the fossil-fuel project.
Open letter to Elon Musk from Indonesia: NO to nickel mining for EVs!
Nickel mining, smelting and factory construction are destroying the rainforest, polluting the ocean and wrecking human livelihoods: an open letter to Elon Musk.
2021: World loses 11.1 million hectares of tropical forest
The world lost 11.1 million hectares of tropical forest in 2021, with particularly alarming developments in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
More than expected: 73,300 tree species on Earth
A new study concludes that an estimated 73,300 tree species exist on Earth, with 9,200 of them still undiscovered by science.
A man-made disaster: Mega-plantations in the rainforests of Sumatra
Mega-plantations are consuming millions of acres of forest and destroying the livelihoods of smallholders. A brief look at the reality of "Food Estates" in North Sumatra.
Ecuador: The Sápara people reclaim 251,503 hectares of rainforest
With the support of Rainforest Rescue, the indigenous Sápara people of Ecuador have regained ownership of their rainforest after months of legal battles.
Moorim paper company destroys pristine forests in Papua, Indonesia
Papua, a paradise for biodiversity and indigenous culture, is being devastated for paper. An investigation details the destruction of pristine forests in Papua, Indonesia.
Development banks shirk responsibility for victims of land grabbing and violence
DEG has sold its shares in the Congolese plantation company PHC, leaving local people vulnerable to the whims of the new investors.
Ecuador: Constitutional Court backs indigenous people in fight against gold mining
Illegal gold mining concessions in the territory of the indigenous A'i Cofán must revoked. The Constitutional Court upheld the complaints of the indigenous people.
A victory for land rights: Penyang village prevails in court
An encouraging precedent: Mr. Hiden from Penyang in Borneo prevailed against a palm oil company. According to the court ruling, the company must return the stolen land.
Namibia: Canadian oil company reportedly destroys pristine bushland
ReconAfrica, a Canadian oil company, is reported to have destroyed bushland in Namibia. The company has announced plans to drill three to six additional test wells in 2022.
72,643 signatures delivered to UN over Africa deals with Bolloré
It was a wake-up call for three UN agencies: On Monday, Rainforest Rescue and the Oakland Institute sent them a petition with 72,643 signatures.
Maasai fears of eviction are growing
In Tanzania, the situation for the pastoralist Maasai people is coming to a head: Plans by the authorities to evict tens of thousands of people are taking shape.
Defenders of Kinipan Forest in Borneo taken to court
The village of Kinipan in the mountains of Borneo has become a symbol of the dispute over forest rights. Now their village chief is on trial.
Petition with 213,432 signatures delivered to European Commission
The home stretch was breathtaking, with the number of signatures going up dramatically in the closing hours – 213,432 supporters had signed our petition to the EU.
Ecuador: Pipeline rupture causes oil spill in rainforest
The OCP pipeline was built with a million-euro loan from Westdeutsche Landesbank. Indigenous organizations complain about the pollution of rivers in the Amazon region.
Ivory trade in the EU is (almost) history
The protection of elephants is making headway: the European Commission is finally moving to close loopholes in the trade in ivory within Europe.