Majority of raw materials extracted worldwide sourced from countries with limited press freedom
Two thirds of the world’s natural resources come from countries in which the freedom of the press is limited. That’s according to a new analysis by Reporters without Borders (RSF). The NGO calls on the international community to work towards improving the situation in these countries – allowing journalists to report freely on the problems associated with the extraction of raw materials.
The organization compared its own World Press Freedom Index with data collected by the World Bank. The analysis showed that in many countries it is difficult for journalists to investigate and report freely on the effects that resource extraction has on people and the environment.
According to RSF, between 2013 and 2021, 78 percent of the world’s fossil fuels were extracted in countries where the situation for press freedom is classified as “difficult” or “very serious.” In that same time frame, 67 percent of forest products and 45 percent of minerals like tin, gold, lead, iron, bauxite and copper came from countries with these designations.
Investigating environmental impacts
The United Nations warns that the demand for natural resources will likely continue to increase in the coming decades. If action isn’t taken, this will have catastrophic effects on ecological processes.
According to RSF, environmental journalism is often “the initial source of information about the impacts of extraction.” But almost a third of resources worldwide come from countries in which the situation for press freedom is “very serious.”
Arthur Grimonpont of RSF said in a statement: “The right to information about the exploitation of natural resources is vital to understanding the disastrous consequences of extraction, including the massive pollution of ecosystems, destruction of biodiversity, depletion of resources and exploitation of workers. Without journalists present to cover forest clearcutting, photograph giant open-cast mines or tell the stories of displaced and exploited populations, crimes against the environment and fundamental rights will take place in deadly silence.”
Press restrictions in China
One country in which investigating environmental issues is difficult is China. The country is the largest producer of coal in the world – and its mining and logging industries are each the second-largest. On the World Press Freedom Index, however, China is ranked only 172nd out of 180 countries.
The journalist and raw materials specialist Guillaume Pitron told RSF: “Although blatant, the environmental destruction caused by mining is poorly documented in China because it is hard to collect data, dangerous to go into the field, and nearly impossible to publish information about these issues in the national media.”
According to RSF there are only a few journalists reporting on environmental issues in China. They “risk being censored or labeled as ‘traitors’ and thrown in prison” by the Communist Party. In no other country are there more journalists in prison.
In 2018, Lu Guang, an internationally acclaimed photojournalist, disappeared. Part of his work has been to investigate the environmental pollution caused by China’s mining industry.
Risks in Russia and India
In Russia as well, journalists who report critically on the environment and other topics face the threat of violence and imprisonment. The country is one of the leading global exporters of fossil fuels and is ranked 162nd on the World Index of Press Freedom.
RSF reports that since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine the country’s few remaining independent news outlets have been censored or shut down. These include the environmental news site Kedr, which was labeled a “foreign agent” by the authorities and forced to close.
Simply conducting research in Russia is difficult, RSF reports: “The government has also blocked all access to official databases on the environment and pollution.”
In India, too, reporting on environmental issues is dangerous. The country is one of the world’s largest producers of coal and of mining and forest products. It is ranked 159th on the World Index of Press Freedom.
According to RSF, 28 journalists have been killed in India over the past ten years. Almost half were covering issues related to the environment – above all land seizures and illegal mining. Some of the murdered journalists had been investigating the so-called “sand mafia,” an organized crime network that illegally excavates sand for the construction industry both in India and abroad.
According to RSF, journalists in oil-producing countries have also been persecuted – for example in Saudi Arabia (ranked 166th), the United Arab Emirates (160th), Iran (176th) and Kuwait (131st).
Just last year RSF brought to light the difficulties and dangers facing journalists who report on environmental issues in the Brazilian Amazon.
Said Arthur Grimonpont of RSF: “We urge the international community to pressure the countries concerned to remove these obstacles [to reporting] and to guarantee the protection of environmental journalists.” (js)