A social licence to crime? Organised environmental crime in community context

Biodiverse regions are particularly susceptible to exploitation of natural resources by dominant actors, including organised crime groups, states and corporations. Many environmental harms and crimes linked to these activities transcend land or border-related issues, evolving into global problems with far-reaching socio-economic, geopolitical and ecological consequences. In these extraction processes, the dual role of local communities as both victims and participants has garnered increasing scholarly attention. However, the involvement of local communities – whether voluntary or coerced – in facilitating environmentally harmful activities remains underexplored. This article introduces a new theoretical lens, drawing on a green criminological approach, by which to interpret the relationship between community and organised crime actors. Specifically, it highlights the concept of ‘social licence to crime’ as providing insights into the dynamics of this relationship.