LEAD – the Leaders Network for Environmental Activists and Defenders – is an initiative created by and for defenders, aiming to ensure their recognition, protection, and full participation in global climate, development, and human rights discussions.

Club de Madrid’s Commitment to Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs) – Club de Madrid is a firm advocate for the Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs) rights, recognizing their essential role in confronting today’s interconnected challenges in climate, biodiversity, and pollution. Environmental defenders are paying a high price for their courage, facing increasing levels of violence, intimidation, and criminalization. According to the latest report of Global Witness, 196 environmental defenders were brutally murdered in 2023 alone. Latin America remains the most dangerous region of the world for environmental activists, highlighting both the severity of the threats they face and the harsh repression they endure.

In recent years, important multilateral progress has been made to counter these repressive trends and to advance the recognition, participation, and protection of environmental defenders. Regional instruments such as the Aarhus Convention and the Escazú Agreement have been adopted, along with key measures to protect and engage defenders in multilateral forums like the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

In light with all this, we see a critical window of opportunity to advance decisive multilateral action to promote the recognition, participation, and protection of environmental defenders, and to work with states to ensure effective implementation.

It is within this framework that the LEAD initiative (Leaders Network for Environmental Activists and Defenders) was born. Created by and for defenders, LEAD is the result of years of dialogue with over 300 EHRDs, civil society partners, and international actors. These conversations have clearly highlighted the urgent need to integrate the voices and experiences of defenders into global debates on climate change, development, and human rights.

With the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), to be held in Brazil at the end of 2025, there is a unique opportunity to catalyze high-level political commitment to this cause.

LEAD seeks to drive meaningful and systemic change, ensuring that environmental defenders are not only protected but also empowered as key actors in shaping our collective environmental future.

As part of LEAD, we are strongly committed to forging alliances and promoting a consortium of countries to champion the recognition, participation, and effective protection of environmental human rights defenders.

The initiative is currently supported by numerous Members and Advisors of Club de Madrid.

Know More about The Lead Initiative at the Official Page

Members supporting the initiative include:

Advisors:

Additionally, in alignment with this work, we are also joining efforts with ECLAC to support the accession process of Latin American and Caribbean countries to the Escazú Agreement.