Search Climate Insights Directory

This fact sheet by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes different structures of international legal instruments—substantive, hybrid, and framework conventions—to provide recommendations for the development of a future plastics treaty.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) examines the role of non-party trade provisions in Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) to provide guidance for the development of a future international treaty to end plastic pollution. It argues that trade restrictions on non-parties are essential to incentivize ratification, prevent 'free-riding', and ensure the overall effectiveness of environmental treaties.

This document introduces a legal overview designed to inform the development of a new global instrument to address the plastics crisis. It notes that 10 formal propositions were submitted between 2017 and 2020 and that negotiations were set to begin at the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA5.2) in February 2022. The report analyzes the typology of international legal instruments, with a focus on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), to help negotiators determine the appropriate structure and type of agreement.

This 2022 report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) analyzes the activities of United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) regarding climate change during 2020 and 2021. It details how these expert bodies use state review processes, general comments, and individual communications to define and monitor states' human rights obligations to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law and the Environmental Investigation Agency provides a textual comparison of two draft resolutions on plastic pollution submitted for UNEA 5.2: one led by Rwanda and Peru (RP) and one led by Japan (JP). The document analyzes convergences and divergences in mandate, scope, and institutional structure to support the potential merging of the resolutions.

This research paper chapter examines the fragmented international governance of fossil fuel subsidies, arguing that while the lack of legally binding disciplines creates coordination challenges, the use of multiple institutional rationales and informal international law can still drive reform.

This report presents recommendations from civil society and Indigenous Peoples experts regarding the creation of a new UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change. Based on six regional consultations involving 157 participants from 55 countries, the document outlines the rationale for a dedicated mandate to address the holistic impact of climate change on human rights and the potential role of such a rapporteur in increasing accountability and supporting vulnerable communities.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the evolution of international efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade, focusing on the role and limitations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

This guide by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) explains how civil society can use the United Nations human rights treaty body (HRTB) reporting process to advocate for climate-related policy recommendations and hold states accountable for their human rights obligations in the context of climate change.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) synthesizes the work of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) regarding climate change. It details the CRC's use of General Comments, the State reporting procedure, and the communications procedure to establish that States have legal obligations to protect children's rights—including the rights to life, health, and culture—against the impacts of global climate change.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) examines how the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) addresses climate change within the framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC Convention). It focuses on the CRC's 2018 state reporting procedure, highlighting recommendations on mitigation, adaptation, procedural rights, and international cooperation.

This briefing proposes a new global Convention on Plastic Pollution to address the fragmented nature of existing international and regional frameworks. It outlines a multi-layered governance approach based on four pillars: coordination with existing agreements, pollution prevention through harmonization and control measures, capacity building and financial support for developing countries, and technical support for science-based decision-making. The document suggests an institutional architecture led by a Conference of the Parties and supported by a secretariat hosted by UN Environment, alongside specialized subsidiary bodies for funding, compliance, and knowledge exchange.

This statement by the International Institute for Sustainable Development argues for a new international paradigm to protect refugees, specifically those displaced by climate change, who currently fall outside the 1951 Convention definition of a refugee.

The Center for International Environmental Law argues that the Trump Administration's intention to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement violates international law, damages US global credibility, and slows the urgent response to climate change without benefiting the coal or fossil fuel industries.

This research paper provides early reflections on the legal architecture of the Paris Agreement, specifically examining how its 'bottom-up' approach and 'ratcheting mechanism' will function to achieve global temperature goals.

This briefing from the World Resources Institute explains the legal structure and terminology surrounding the expected outcome of the COP 21 climate negotiations in Paris, clarifying that the legal force of the agreement is determined by its content rather than its name.

This guide, published by Natural Justice in December 2014, provides an overview of regional and international grievance and advocacy mechanisms available to indigenous peoples and local communities. It categorizes these tools into UN human rights systems, regional human rights systems, international and regional financial institutions, industry-specific standards, and other advocacy opportunities, detailing eligibility, processes, and potential barriers for each.

This joint post-hearing submission by four amici (IISD, CBE, Bluewater Network, and CIEL) argues that the tribunal in the Methanex v. United States arbitration should recognize that bona fide environmental protection measures are non-expropriatory under international law, similar to public health measures.

This document is a submission by non-disputing parties (Bluewater Network, Communities for a Better Environment, and the Center for International Environmental Law) to an arbitration tribunal regarding a dispute between Methanex Corporation and the United States. The submission argues that California's ban on the gasoline additive MTBE was a legitimate exercise of government power to protect public health and the environment, and should therefore be granted substantial deference under NAFTA and international law.

This 2001 research paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and WWF examines the legal and practical tensions between Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). It analyzes how WTO rules on trade in goods, services, and intellectual property can conflict with environmental objectives, such as the precautionary principle and biodiversity conservation. The paper argues for a legal clarification of the MEA-WTO relationship to ensure that trade rules do not undermine environmental governance and proposes practical steps for policy coherence, including sustainability assessments and enhanced inter-ministerial cooperation.