Global Witness

What Global Witness does

Global Witness is a London-headquartered nonprofit investigative and campaigning organization founded in 1993 that exposes the economic networks behind conflict, corruption, and environmental destruction. It operates as a company limited by guarantee registered in England (company number 2871809), with affiliated charitable entities in the UK (Global Witness Trust) and the United States (Global Witness Foundation, EIN 94-3399599). The organization maintains offices in London (HQ), Brussels, and Washington D.C. with 51-100 employees, and serves a broad constituency including policymakers, partner NGOs, journalists, philanthropic donors, and the general public. Its active campaigns span forests, fossil fuels, transition minerals, land and environmental defenders, digital threats to democracy, and broader corporate accountability.

The organization's core outputs are investigations, analysis, policy recommendations, explainers, and a longitudinal annual database of killings and disappearances of land and environmental defenders — 2,253 documented cases from 2012 to 2024, with 146 in 2024 alone. Its technology stack includes Augmenta (a proprietary AI classification and research tool publicly released on 29 July 2025), the SkyTruth Cerulean satellite analysis tool for oil slick detection, and VIIRS Nightfire satellite data analysis from the Colorado School of Mines for gas flaring. Global Witness pioneered the AI-assisted identification of fossil fuel lobbyists attending COP climate summits, an approach subsequently adopted by the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition.

Global Witness is funded entirely through donations, grants, and philanthropic gifts — it sells no commercial products or services. Its go-to-market is content-led advocacy, distributing work via the globalwitness.org website, email newsletters, social media (X, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn), press outreach, and convening roles at COP summits and London Climate Action Week. Recognition includes the TED Prize (2014), Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship (2014), a 4-star Charity Navigator rating, and Candid's Platinum Seal of Transparency. The organization is undergoing a generational leadership transition: long-tenured CEO Mike Davis departed in 2026 after 23 years, Ali Forder was appointed Interim CEO, and co-founders Patrick Alley, Charmian Gooch, and Simon Taylor completed their Board terms in April 2026.

Name

Global Witness

Legal name

Global Witness

Website

https://globalwitness.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Global Witness is a London-based nonprofit investigative organization founded in 1993 that exposes economic networks behind environmental destruction, conflict, and corporate corruption. It campaigns on forests, fossil fuels, transition minerals, and land defender safety, serving policymakers, NGOs, and donors globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Global Witness conducts investigative research and runs public campaigns that expose how industries driving the climate crisis profit from environmental and human rights abuses, including deforestation, fossil fuel expansion, transition mineral extraction, and attacks on land and environmental defenders. Its deliverables include investigations, analysis, policy papers, methodology documentation, and a longitudinal Land and Environmental Defenders Database, complemented by AI and satellite tools (Augmenta, SkyTruth Cerulean, VIIRS Nightfire) that support evidence-based advocacy for policymakers, civil society, and the general public.

Product overview

Global Witness is an investigative campaigning organization that exposes how industries fuelling the climate crisis profit from destruction. The organization produces investigations, analysis, explainers, policy recommendations, and maintains a land and environmental defenders database. Their primary 'product' is investigative journalism and advocacy, making their research available for public use. They have also developed Augmenta, an AI-powered tool for classification and research that is made publicly available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Augmenta AI-powered tool for classification and research, built by Global Witness to support investigations and made available for public use. It targets researchers and campaigners analysing datasets including fossil fuel lobby data.
• Land and Environmental Defenders Database Annual dataset documenting killings and disappearances of land and environmental defenders globally since 2012. Tracks geography, responsible industries, and trends over time for use by researchers, journalists, policymakers, and civil society.
• Investigations In-depth investigative reports exposing corporate malpractice, environmental destruction, and human rights abuses connected to natural resources and climate. Produced for policymakers, journalists, civil society, and the general public.
• Analysis Data-driven analytical reports providing insights on environmental and corporate accountability issues. Produced for policymakers, civil society, and informed public audiences.
• Policy Policy recommendations and positions on legislation, regulations, and international agreements related to environmental protection and corporate accountability. Targeted at legislators and regulators.
• Explainer Educational content explaining complex issues around climate, forests, fossil fuels, and corporate accountability for general and media audiences.
• Methodology Documentation of research methodologies used in Global Witness investigations, including data collection and analysis approaches. Supports credibility and replicability for researchers and partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Documented 146 killings of land and environmental defenders in 2024 alone
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LEAD initiative (Leaders for Environment and Development)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025Launched at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, to strengthen recognition and participation of environmental human rights defenders in multilateral decision-making processes.
• SkyTruthcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Uses SkyTruth's Cerulean satellite analysis tool to identify oil slick detections and environmental damage patterns in areas like Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela.
• Ecosystems Climate Alliance (ECA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Alliance of forest and climate experts working on issues including REDD, deforestation, and bioenergy accounting in climate negotiations.
• Kick Big Pollurers Out coalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Coalition working to identify fossil fuel lobbyists attending COP climate talks. Global Witness pioneered AI-assisted approach for COP29 analysis.
• Both ENDSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental justice organization partnered with Global Witness on condemning harassment of Manila Bay activists in the Philippines.
• Publish What You PaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational coalition advocating for transparency in extractive industries. Global Witness was a founding member and has historically worked on payment disclosure requirements.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Transparency International: Berlin-based international NGO that investigates and campaigns against corruption, with overlapping methodology of corporate accountability investigations, policy advocacy, and global footprint. Comparable as a similarly structured investigative advocacy organization targeting corporate and government malpractice.
• Human Rights Watch: Global investigative NGO producing in-depth reports on corporate and state abuse, including environmental and land rights issues. Comparable in scale, funding model (donor-funded), publication cadence, and use of evidence to drive policy change.
• Greenpeace: Major environmental campaigning organization conducting investigations into corporate environmental malpractice, fossil fuels, deforestation, and climate accountability. Closely comparable in campaign style, donor-funded model, and direct confrontation of named corporate actors.
• Environmental Defense Fund: Major US-based environmental advocacy organization combining scientific research, corporate engagement, and policy campaigns on climate, energy, and supply chain issues. Comparable in evidence-based advocacy, though EDF is more embedded in market-based solutions than Global Witness's confrontational investigative approach.
• Friends of the Earth International: Federation of environmental organizations with strong presence in deforestation, climate justice, and corporate accountability. Comparable grassroots-to-global campaign structure and focus on the intersection of environmental and human rights issues.
• Rainforest Action Network: US-based NGO that campaigns against deforestation, fossil fuels, and human rights abuses by corporate actors. Closely comparable on deforestation supply-chain investigations and corporate accountability methodology.
• 350.org: Global climate movement organization focused on fossil fuel phase-out, climate accountability, and grassroots mobilization. Comparable on fossil fuel divestment and accountability campaigns, though 350.org leans more on mass mobilization than investigative research.

Broad incumbents

• Amnesty International: Larger, established human rights NGO with global membership and broader mandate spanning political, civil, and economic rights. Comparable in advocacy and investigative methodology, with overlap specifically in corporate accountability and environmental defender protection.
• Natural Resources Defense Council: Large US environmental advocacy organization combining scientific research, litigation, and policy advocacy across climate, energy, and environmental justice. Comparable in policy influence and donor-supported model, with overlap on corporate accountability and fossil fuel campaigns.
• Oxfam: Large international confederation focused on poverty, climate justice, and corporate accountability (including joint 'polluter pays' platforms with Global Witness). Comparable scale and donor model, with broader humanitarian scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Global_Witness
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlobalWitness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-witness

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Witness