The governments of the US, Norway, and Gabon have joined the UN, Interpol, and a range of civil society organisations in setting up a global alliance to fight nature-related crime.

The Nature Crime Alliance, which will be hosted by the World Resources Institute, was launched at the sidelines of the ongoing Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly in Vancouver.

“Today, we are joining together to form the Nature Crime Alliance – a new, multi-sector approach to fighting criminal forms of logging, mining, wildlife trade, land conversion, crimes associated with fishing, and the illegal activities with which they converge,” the founders said in what they called the Vancouver Statement on Nature Crime.

“Nature crime constitutes one of the largest illicit economies in the world, inflicting devastation and destruction upon people and planet. We recognise that these crimes cannot be eradicated without multi-sector cooperation, and that there is a pressing need for greater coordination and collaboration among the diverse actors fighting nature crime. A new approach is needed.”

According to the Nature Crime Alliance, illegal logging, fishing and the wildlife trade have an estimated $1 trillion value. Around 90% of the economic losses come from ecosystem services that are not currently priced by the market. Interpol estimated that environmental crime accounts for 38% of global criminal proceeds, which is 10% more than the global illicit drugs trade, a 2018 statistic also cited by the Nature Crime Alliance.

The founders said they will work to increase the political will, financial commitments, and operational capacity to fight nature crime, which is a serious risk for ecosystems and biodiversity in many countries.

According to the statement, it is the first time that such a multi-sector approach has been taken to battle nature crime on such a large scale.

In addition to the three governments mentioned above and the GEF itself, the list of founders included the UN Office for Drugs and Crime, Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, Amazon Conservation Association, the US Environmental Investigation Agency, Rainforest Foundation UK, and several other groups.

“Nature crimes threaten our collective security. They undermine the rule of law, fuel corruption, destroy ecosystems, and drive species to the brink of extinction – all the while providing billions of dollars to transnational criminal syndicates that prey upon the world’s most vulnerable populations,” said Jennifer Littlejohn, acting assistant secretary for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs at the US State Department.

Meanwhile, Norwegian special envoy for climate and the environment, Hans Brattskar, said putting an end to illicit exploration of natural resources is crucial if the world is to meet its target under the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework.

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