How Sierra Leone Enacted One of the Most Progressive Land, Climate, and Environmental Justice Laws in the World

In August 2022, Sierra Leone passed the Customary Land Rights Act, granting every community across the country the right to free, prior, and informed consent over any industrial activity on their territory. This article shows how this progressive law grew directly from a decade of local fights against land grabs and pollution and follows the journey of a nationwide movement to get the bill passed. This story holds lessons for organizers, advocates, and communities who seek to build from local fights against environmental injustice toward fundamental positive shifts in laws and systems.