Research and investigations
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Natural resources & conflict in East-DRC - In 2007, Earthsight conducted field investigations in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan and NW Uganda into the trade in natural resources and connections with armed conflict. New evidence was obtained of ongoing illegal trade and exports of timber and the involvement of various armed groups, including soldiers under the command of rebel leader Laurent Nkunda, whose forces were at the time engaged in some of the worst fighting seen in the region for years.
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Illegal deforestation in Indonesia and biofuels in Europe - Earthsight conducted in-depth research and investigations in Indonesia into the use of palm oil from illegally cleared forests for the production of biofuel used in the UK and Europe. The findings helped influence the EU in drafting legislation prohibiting imports of biofuels produced in an unsustainable way.
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Illegal ivory trade - Earthsight have carried out investigations into elephant poaching and ivory smuggling in eastern DR Congo. Evidence obtained demonstrated that the ivory trade was helping to fund the FDLR, a rebel group whose members include many of those responsible for the genocide in Rwanda. Earthsight tracked the ivory through neighbouring countries and identified key traders. Earthsight have also conducted undercover market surveys into illegal ivory on sale in the UK.
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Electronic waste smuggling - Working with EU partners and using various methods including undercover work and electronic tracking devices, Earthsight has researched and investigated the illegal trade in electronic waste from the UK and Europe to West Africa and China. This multi-million pound illicit business is a major source of heavy metals pollution. Results of a major 2-year investigation carried out by Earthsight in cooperation with the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) were reported on Panorama, the BBC's flagship investigative programme, in early 2011. The results have contributed to ongoing prosecutions by the UK authorities.
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Unethical finance - Research is ongoing into the murky world of off-shore and unethical finance practices by major international banking organisations, and investigations are planned.
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Illegal logging by multinationals - Using desk research, satellite image analysis and field investigations, Earthsight has uncovered detailed evidence of illegal logging in Malaysia. Research by Earthsight into the activities of Samling Global, one of the largest logging companies in the world, led the Norwegian Government's pension fund to disinvest from the company on the grounds that it was involved in serious environmental damage, including systematic breaches of regulations.
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Unethical clothing - Earthsight have carried out research on behalf of an international development charity into the unethical production of clothing in South Asia, and links to UK retailers.
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Identifying illegallly-sourced wood products on sale in the UK - Working for client the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), Earthsight used a combination of desk research and undercover work in various countries to track wood products on sale in the UK through complex supply chains back to forest source. The research uncovered various wood products sold by major retailers which originated from unsustainable, unknown or illegal origin in SE Asia and Africa, and exposed numerous false environmental claims.
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Film-making and training
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Philippines - Working with the Philippine Centre for Transnational Crime and the International Organisation
for Migration, Earthsight has developed and delivered a
programme of training in tackling international timber
smuggling for a broad range of Philippine enforcement
officials, including customs and intelligence agencies.
Training materials developed included a short film. |
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Community forestry in DR Congo - Earthsight have
produced a series of three 15-minute training films to
help promote community forestry in the DRC.
Earthsight’s earlier investigations had helped expose
illegal and unsustainable exploitation of Congo’s
forests, and community forestry aims to reduce this
problem and alleviate poverty by handing over
responsibility for forest management to local people.
The production involved filming expeditions to DR
Congo, Cameroon and Guatemala. |
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Liberia - Working with partner organisation Forests
Monitor, Earthsight developed a programme of capacity
building for NGOs and government officials in Liberia.
The training helped provide the equipment and skills
necessary to help detect, record and report cases of
illegal forestry activities. The trade in stolen timber
played a major part in fuelling Liberia’s recent civil
war. |
