Leaders network
for Environmental
Activists and
Defenders

JOIN THE VOICES TAKING PART IN LEAD

Leaders from around the world have taken the initiative to join together and be a part of LEAD. Take a closer look at who has joined so far. If you want to be the next to join them, click below!

PROTECTING ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS: A CRITICAL PRIORITY

Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs) stand bravely on the frontlines of the fight against climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. Yet, around the world, these defenders face growing threats—violence, criminalization, harassment, and exclusion from the very decisions that shape their futures. Since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, over 1,390 defenders have been killed. Every day, many more continue to face daily risks simply for standing up for their communities and ecosystems.

Despite growing international recognition, global efforts to protect EHRDs remain fragmented and insufficient. Existing protections are failing to keep pace with the escalating dangers defenders face, especially as the climate emergency deepens.

WHAT IS LEAD?

LEAD (Leaders Network for Environmental Activists and Defenders) was created in response to this urgent reality. LEAD brings together governments, defenders, civil society, multilateral institutions, and other key actors in a shared space for dialogue and action to:

Secure the recognition of defenders
Strengthen their meaningful participation in multilateral decision-making spaces
Increase their protection and reduce violence against them.

LEAD is built on the belief that protecting EHRDs is not only a human rights imperative; it is essential to achieving just and effective climate and environmental solutions.

SEIZE THE MOMENT FOR MULTILATERAL ACTION

With the 2025 UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Brazil fast approaching, LEAD offers a timely and strategic opportunity to:

Secure high-level political commitment to protect EHRDs and the communities they represent;
Bridge the climate and human rights agendas;
Advance a human rights-based approach to environmental governance.

JOIN LEAD

Whether you are a policymaker seeking to strengthen national and international responses, or a defender working on the frontlines: join LEAD to share your ideas and experiences. Together, we can turn solidarity into action, ensuring that environmental defenders are not only protected, but able to shape the future of our planet.