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This 1993 testimony submitted to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works by the Center for International Environmental Law and the National Audubon Society argues that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to prepare a legislative Environmental Impact Statement (LEIS) for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The authors contend that NAFTA constitutes a major federal action with significant environmental effects and that such a review is compatible with existing trade laws and the separation of powers doctrine.

A statement by several NGOs, including the Center for International Environmental Law, criticizing the European Commission's working conclusions on transparency measures for nanomaterials. The authors argue that the Commission has ignored public consultation results and scientific concerns in favor of industry interests, and they strongly advocate for the creation of an EU-wide nanoregister to ensure public health, environmental safety, and consumer transparency.

This NGO position paper argues that the OECD must fully integrate the Basel Convention's Plastic Amendment to ensure the environmentally sound management of plastic waste. It contends that current proposals to weaken these controls via 'specifications' or 'lighter' administrative approaches are illegal under Article 11 of the Basel Convention. The authors suggest that if the United States does not withdraw its objection to the amendment, a non-consensus decision should be reached, which would remove all plastic waste from the OECD Decision's scope and subject trade to Basel Convention rules.

This fact sheet by the Center for International Environmental Law argues that the plastics and petrochemical industry uses "net zero" narratives to greenwash the expansion of plastic production. The document asserts that because plastic is derived from fossil fuels and emits greenhouse gases throughout its entire lifecycle, it is fundamentally incompatible with climate goals, and the only viable solution is to significantly reduce plastic production.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the status of the United States' ratification of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and evaluates proposed implementing legislation in the U.S. Congress. It argues that the Solis TSCA bill (H.R. 4800) is the only proposal that aligns with the treaty's health-based standards and supports state-level environmental protections.

This document is a formal complaint filed by members of the Mapuche-Pehuenche indigenous community of Ralco Lepoy against the State of Chile before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The petitioners allege that the Chilean government and the company ENDESA have violated their human rights through the construction of the Ralco Hydroelectric Project, which threatens to flood ancestral lands and destroy their cultural and religious identity.

This fact sheet from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) highlights the environmental and health risks associated with the intentional addition of microplastics to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides used in industrial agriculture.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law argues that WTO services trade negotiations must be integrated with existing multilateral environmental agreements and UN agency efforts to ensure that liberalization does not undermine sustainable development, human rights, or environmental protections.

A joint submission by 24 civil society organizations, including the Center for International Environmental Law, criticizing the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) proposed Approach to Responsible Exit. The submission argues that the IFC's current framework fails to ensure remedy for harms caused by its investments and lacks transparency, urging the institution to make remedy a prerequisite for exit and to implement rigorous pre-divestment due diligence and community consultation.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the conflict between international trade policy and environmental protection, arguing that the World Trade Organization (WTO) typically prioritizes trade over the environment. The authors critique the U.S. government for abdicating its leadership in this area and propose a new foreign policy agenda that integrates environmental protection and worker rights into trade agreements, specifically regarding NAFTA and the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

This research paper, published in November 1999 by WWF-World Wide Fund for Nature and authored by experts from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), examines the conflict between World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and trade measures used in Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). The authors argue that uncertainty regarding WTO consistency is used by some nations to 'chill' the development of effective environmental laws, specifically citing the Biosafety Protocol and the POPs Agreement. The paper recommends that WTO members adopt a political statement of consistency and negotiate a separate agreement to grant MEAs equal status with WTO rules.

This research paper by the Center for International Environmental Law examines mechanisms for public participation and transparency in international fisheries management, specifically focusing on Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs). Using the 'three pillars' of the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21—access to information, access to decision-making, and access to justice—the author analyzes how modern multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) can serve as models for RFMOs to enhance legitimacy, improve decision-making, and ensure accountability.

This fact sheet by the Center for International Environmental Law argues that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations between the European Union and the United States threaten to undermine public health and environmental protections regarding chemical substances. The document contends that TTIP's focus on regulatory alignment could lead to a 'downward harmonization' of standards, favoring the weaker US federal system over the stricter EU policies.

This fact sheet by the Center for International Environmental Law argues that the Transatlantic Investment and Partnership Agreement (TTIP), also referred to as TAFTA, threatens to weaken European chemical regulations and public health protections in favor of less stringent US standards and corporate interests.

This fact sheet by the Center for International Environmental Law argues that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), also known as TAFTA, threatens to undermine public health and environmental protections regarding toxic chemicals by harmonizing regulations between the European Union and the United States.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law outlines several reform options for Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) to be considered by UNCITRAL Working Group III. The document argues that current ISDS mechanisms are asymmetrical, often ignoring state obligations and public interest, and proposes alternatives such as multilateral treaty termination, the allowance of state counterclaims, public interest carve-outs, 'clean hands' clauses for investors, the requirement to exhaust local remedies, and expanded third-party access to proceedings.

This document is a note from the secretariat of the intergovernmental negotiating committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on mercury. It presents a new draft text for the instrument, incorporating views and proposals submitted by parties during the committee's second session in Chiba, Japan, and subsequent written submissions. The draft outlines various options for regulating mercury supply, international trade, mercury-added products, manufacturing processes, artisanal and small-scale gold mining, and emissions and releases to air, water, and land.

This research paper provides a comparative analysis of the United States legal and regulatory frameworks governing the export of controlled and hazardous substances, including chemicals, drugs, pesticides, radioactive materials, and hazardous wastes. The author concludes that there is no single, unified approach to these exports, with requirements for notification, consent, and labeling varying significantly across different statutes.

This guide, authored by L. Brennan Van Dyke and John Barlow Weiner of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), provides an introduction and critical evaluation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) General Council's July 18, 1996, Decision on the circulation and derestriction of documents. The document explains the mechanisms for making restricted documents public and argues that the current system fails to facilitate meaningful public participation in trade policy-making.

A letter from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) to World Bank Group President Robert Zoellick alleging that the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) Agribusiness Department improperly interfered in a Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) case involving an ethanol project in Nicaragua.