On the 27th October 2026 from 11:00 to 13:00 CET, the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) and UNICRI will host the public launch of UNICRI report “Crime-Proofing the future: Safeguarding Sustainability Transitions.” The event will feature a presentation of the report’s key findings and a discussion of how to safeguard public investment, critical infrastructure, supply chains and public trust at a moment when the scale and speed of sustainability transitions are creating new vulnerabilities and opportunities for criminal exploitation.
Sustainability transitions are essential to addressing climate change, environmental degradation and long-term development challenges. At the same time, the expansion of transition-related investments, regulations, infrastructure and markets can increase exposure to criminal exploitation, including corruption, fraud, illicit trade, theft, sabotage and regulatory circumvention.
These risks are already evident in some contexts. For example, renewable-energy equipment may be stolen or sabotaged, waste and recycling systems may be infiltrated by criminal networks, and public contracts for green infrastructure may be manipulated through corruption or fraud. These examples form part of a wider challenge.
The UNICRI report “Crime-Proofing the Future: Safeguarding Sustainability Transitions” examines how criminal actors may exploit, obstruct, circumvent or capture sustainability transitions, and how such criminal practices can undermine public trust, public investments, critical infrastructure, supply chains, security, development and the legitimacy of climate and sustainability action. The report identifies emerging criminal and corruption risks and proposes practical responses for policymakers, enforcement authorities, regulators, development actors and the private sector.
The launch event will provide an opportunity to discuss the report's findings and their implications for EU climate, cooperation, industrial and security policies, drawing on the complementary expertise of UNICRI and ECDPM.
Event Programme
The event will open with remarks by Hanne Knaepen, ECDPM, and Matthew Burnett Stuart, UNICRI, followed by a presentation of the report’s key findings by Peter Schwartzstein, Stimson Center and ECDPM.
An expert panel, moderated by Sophie Desmidt, ECDPM, will explore how organised crime, corruption and fraud can exploit or undermine sustainability transitions, with particular attention to vulnerable sectors such as critical raw materials, renewable energy, carbon markets and green infrastructure.
The discussion will also examine how to integrate crime and corruption risk assessments into climate and industrial policies, strengthen due diligence, transparency and financial oversight, and safeguard climate finance and green investments. Particular attention will be given to the role of local communities, civil society and investigative journalists in strengthening accountability, as well as the need for cooperation among climate, development, financial and criminal justice actors.
Panellists
Colin Black, Centre for Climate Crime Analysis
Anna Matczak, The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Lynn Schelingeman, World Resources Institute
Peter Schwartzstein, Stimson Center and ECDPM
Barbara Verhoeve, Belgian Federal Government Services for Health, Food Security and Environment
The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A session with participants and closing remarks.
Please register here:
