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This draft report details a two-day parliamentary colloquium held on 21 and 22 August 2018 by the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs of the Republic of South Africa. The event examined the ethical, conservation, and reputational impacts of captive lion breeding (CLB) for hunting and the lion bone trade, featuring testimony from government departments, industry bodies, and conservation NGOs.

This executive summary from the Center for International Environmental Law argues that major fossil fuel companies are legally and ethically responsible for the climate crisis. It asserts that these companies were aware of the risks of their products as early as the 1950s but chose to protect their own assets while funding extensive disinformation campaigns to undermine climate science and stymie regulation.

This research paper compares the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regimes of the United States, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the European Community, the World Bank, and the EBRD. It analyzes these systems across the entire project lifecycle, from initial screening and scoping to preparation, public review, and final decision-making. Key distinctions are noted in who is responsible for preparing and paying for the assessments, the extent of public participation, and the requirement for post-decision monitoring, with NEPA (US) and the Czech/Slovak laws providing contrasting models of government versus proponent responsibility.

This legal opinion by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes the obligations of OECD members regarding the trade of plastic wastes following the OECD's failure to reach a consensus on incorporating the Basel Convention's Plastic Waste Amendments into the OECD Decision on the trade of wastes. The analysis concludes that plastic wastes classified as "other wastes" under the Basel Convention fall outside the scope of the OECD Decision, meaning OECD members who are Parties to the Basel Convention must apply Basel's control and prohibition mechanisms. CIEL further argues that separate agreements, such as those between the US and Canada or within the EU, fail to meet the equivalence requirements of Article 11 of the Basel Convention and are therefore invalid for bypassing Basel controls.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) submitted comments to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) arguing that proposed trade liberalization in the forest product sector could exacerbate forest degradation and loss. CIEL contends that the current U.S. environmental review process is inadequate and calls for the administration to halt negotiations until a comprehensive assessment, guided by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), is completed. The document emphasizes that trade liberalization can intensify negative impacts if countries lack robust forest protection frameworks, and suggests that developed nations provide technical and financial assistance to developing ones to establish sustainable management systems.

This annex provides an overview of perspectives from the insurance industry and legal practitioners regarding the risks that climate-related litigation poses to directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance coverage, focusing on increasing litigation risks and potential policy exclusions.

This guide by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) examines the intersection of climate change and international human rights law. It details how climatic phenomena and the measures taken to mitigate or adapt to them can infringe upon fundamental rights, particularly for vulnerable populations such as indigenous peoples, women, and children. The document outlines key international milestones—including UN Human Rights Council resolutions and the Cancun Agreements—and advocates for a rights-based approach to be integrated into the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes.

This briefing describes the activities of the Human Rights Committee (CCPR) regarding climate change across its three primary functions: the State reporting procedure, General Comments and Statements, and the Communications procedure. It highlights the Committee's evolving interpretation of the right to life under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in the face of environmental degradation.

This statement, published by the Center for International Environmental Law and signed by numerous organizations, argues that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a 'dangerous distraction' and not a viable climate solution. The document calls on United States and Canadian policymakers to stop subsidizing and permitting CCS, asserting that the technology is economically unviable for heavy industry, increases pollution for frontline communities, and primarily benefits the fossil fuel industry through enhanced oil recovery.

This statement outlines a trilateral framework for regulatory cooperation on chemicals between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The initiative aims to enhance the safeguarding of health and the environment through the exchange of scientific data, capacity-building, and the alignment of chemical assessment and management programs across North America.

This document is testimony provided by Robert Housman, a Senior Attorney for the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), to the Trade Subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means on June 21, 1995. The testimony argues for the inclusion of environmental protections in the fast track authority for Chile's accession to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), asserting that environmental standards are necessary to prevent trade distortions and establish a sustainable template for broader hemispheric integration.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the entire lifecycle of plastic, from fossil fuel extraction to waste disposal. It warns that planned expansions in the petrochemical and plastics industries threaten the global goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 °C, as plastic-related emissions could consume a significant portion of the remaining global carbon budget by 2050.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the full life cycle of plastic, from fossil fuel extraction to waste management and environmental degradation. It warns that planned expansions in plastic production threaten the global goal of limiting temperature increases to 1.5°C, projecting that cumulative emissions could consume up to 13% of the remaining carbon budget by 2050.

This submission by Amnesty International and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that climate change causes widespread human rights violations and that affected individuals and communities are entitled to effective remedies and reparations under international law. The document critiques current UNFCCC mechanisms for being voluntary and excluding compensation, while proposing human rights- and equity-based frameworks for addressing loss and damage.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an unproven and risky strategy that delays the transition from fossil fuels. It highlights that proposed projects in areas like the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea face significant leakage risks due to legacy oil and gas wellbores and a history of poor offshore infrastructure monitoring. The document asserts that CCS often fails to meet emission reduction targets, frequently serves enhanced oil recovery, and relies on public subsidies that divert funds from renewable energy.

This fact sheet by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes key arguments presented by States during the first week (December 2-6) of climate justice hearings at the International Court of Justice. It contrasts the positions of major polluting States against those of climate-vulnerable nations regarding the applicability of international law, human rights, transboundary harm, and reparations in the context of the climate crisis.

This research paper by the Center for International Environmental Law provides a comparative analysis of timber legality frameworks in five major importing markets: the United States, the European Union, Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. It examines the scope, actor obligations, definitions of illegal timber, and enforcement mechanisms of these laws to identify effective legislative options for combating illegal logging and deforestation.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the state of chemical regulation in the United States, arguing that the primary federal law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), is fundamentally ineffective and overdue for reform. While federal political polarization hinders national legislative change, the author identifies a shift driven by state-level initiatives, international regulatory trends (specifically the EU's REACH), and proactive business leadership.

This research paper, authored by David Hunter, Julia Sommer, and Scott Vaughan, provides an introduction to the basic concepts and principles of international environmental law. It aims to assist policymakers in reconciling environmental protection with trade liberalization by detailing the legal frameworks surrounding sustainable development, the duty to cooperate, the duty to avoid environmental harm, and the duty to compensate for such harm.

This report summarizes a workshop held during COP19 as part of the Many Strong Voices (MSV) Programme. The dialogue focused on the challenges of climate-induced community-based relocation, specifically in the Arctic and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), emphasizing the need for participatory decision-making, international finance, and the protection of human rights and cultural identity.