Our briefing document outlines the growing and often overlooked threat of wildlife and environmental crime (WEC), a sector now recognised as the fourth largest transnational organised crime globally, and growing at a rate 2–3 times faster than the global economy.

This document has been prepared to support increased awareness and action among policymakers and executive leaders. It outlines the scale, impact, and legislative challenges of WEC in Australia, while offering clear, actionable recommendations for government engagement and reform.

Potential use cases for this briefing document:

• To strengthen awareness around biodiversity loss, organised crime, and environmental biosecurity.

• To inform state and federal policy development, including legal reforms and inter-jurisdictional cooperation.

• To support executive decision-making in environment, biosecurity, law enforcement, and public health.

• To guide community engagement and cross-sectoral initiatives, including collaboration with Traditional Owners and regional stakeholders.

We believe this briefing will be a valuable tool in helping sector leaders better understand and respond to one of Australia’s most pressing environmental and criminal challenges.