A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that organized civil society and social mobilization are key, yet often unrecognized, agents of global biodiversity conservation. By analyzing a global dataset of 2,801 socio-environmental mobilizations from the Environmental Justice Atlas (EJAtlas), the research identifies that local struggles against polluting industries are critical for protecting the planet’s most sensitive, biodiverse regions.

The research highlights a striking overlap between social activism and global conservation priorities: about 40% of all documented mobilizations occur within the top 30% of global priority lands for species conservation. These movements— that comprise Indigenous Peoples, peasant organizations, urban groups, grassroots and socio-environmental organizations—proactively and reactively challenge environmental threats from economic sectors such as mining, fossil fuels, industrial agriculture or waste management among other economic sectors.