Environmental crime, like logging to elephant poaching, is still a thriving business, worth up to $213 billion a year, and is helping to fund armed conflicts while cutting economic growth, according to a report released by the U.N. and Interpol this week.
The study was released during a U.N. meeting of environment ministers in Nairobi. It calls for tough action to prevent crimes like logging, fishing, mining, animal and plant trade, and dumping of toxic waste.
"Many criminal networks are making phenomenal profits from environmental crime," Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Environment Program, said to Reuters. "It is a financing machine."
An "enormous increase" in environmental crime in the past couple of years is helping to fund militias and insurgents while costing developing nations billions of dollars in revenues to help lift citizens from poverty.
The study estimated that environmental crime was worth around $70 billion and $123 billion a year. In comparison, global development aid to poor nations equals around $135 billion.
For instance, it estimated that illicit trade in charcoal in Africa, where wood is the main source of energy, was worth $1.9 billion a year.
"Islamist al Shabaab insurgents in Somalia made millions of dollars by taxing charcoal at ports and roadblocks," said Reuters about the issues.
Increasing wealth in China and other Asian nations is driving demand for everything like ivory to rhino horn.
The study estimated that around 20,000 to 25,000 elephants were killed in Africa every year, out of a total population of up to around 650,000.
Militias in Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic exploited ivory to raise money.
The report doesn't just call for better environmental laws, but also stronger enforcement.
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