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This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the impact of intellectual property rights (IPRs) on sustainable development, specifically critiquing the draft Chapter on IPRs within the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The author argues that the FTAA proposes "TRIPS-plus" standards that exceed multilateral requirements, potentially hindering public health, food security, and technological development in developing countries by restricting regulatory flexibility and expanding private patent rights.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law critiques the February 2023 draft Approach to Remedial Action and Responsible Exit Principles released by the IFC and MIGA. The document argues that these drafts fail to guarantee remedy for communities harmed by projects and do not meet international human rights law standards.

This research paper by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the World Bank's approach to governance, civil society, and human rights. It argues that the Bank's adherence to a narrow economic view of development, rooted in its Articles of Agreement, has led it to treat these critical social and political factors as mere instrumentalities for project goals rather than essential components of sustainable development.

This research paper examines the conceptual and legal intersections between international human rights law and international environmental law, focusing on the Inter-American System of Human Rights. The author argues that while the two regimes historically differed in approach—human rights being anthropocentric and environmental law oscillating between anthropocentric and biocentric—they are increasingly integrated. The document analyzes how human rights tools, such as precautionary measures and state responsibility for the acts of third parties, are used to protect environmental rights and reviews regional jurisprudence from the Inter-American, African, and European systems to illustrate the environmental dimensions of the rights to life, property, and information.

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 guide, published by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) in November 1997, provides instructions for citizens on how to utilize the World Bank's Inspection Panel. It explains the Panel's role as an independent mechanism to hold the World Bank accountable for violations of its own operational policies and procedures, particularly regarding social and environmental impacts.

This statement from the Center for International Environmental Law argues that the World Health Organization (WHO) must actively analyze and intervene in the intellectual property (IP) provisions of bilateral and regional free trade agreements (FTAs). The document asserts that these agreements often impose standards that exceed the TRIPS Agreement, potentially undermining the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health and restricting access to affordable medicines in developing countries.

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative analyzes how sustainable finance taxonomies integrate mechanisms to support the transition of high-emission sectors toward net-zero emissions by 2050. It identifies six specific 'Taxonomy Transition Mechanisms' used to define and evaluate the credibility of transition activities, providing a framework for taxonomy designers, investors, and market professionals to ensure robust and science-based decarbonization pathways.

This fact sheet provides frequently asked questions regarding the 'Cradle to Grave' report, which offers a global overview of the health and societal harms associated with the entire lifecycle of fossil fuels and their impact across the human lifespan.

This fact sheet from the Climate Policy Initiative provides an overview of public adaptation finance flows, primarily for the year 2013, detailing the sources, instruments, sectors, and geographic destinations of these funds.

This fact sheet from the Climate Policy Initiative explains Catastrophe (CAT) bonds, which are high-yield debt instruments used by insurers and governments to transfer natural disaster financial risks to capital market investors. The document details the structural triggers of these bonds, the roles of various providers, the capacity requirements for implementation, and the specific challenges and solutions for different market maturity levels.

This guide by the Climate Policy Initiative explains the mechanics, risks, and implementation requirements for green bonds, which are fixed-income instruments used to finance projects with environmental or climate benefits. It details the capacity needs for sovereign and corporate issuers, the role of multilateral development banks (MDBs), and strategies for overcoming market barriers in emerging and shallow economies.

A fact sheet from the Centro de Movilidad Sostenible explaining the purpose of vehicle labeling policies in the Americas and listing the years of implementation across several countries.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes the role of lithium as a critical mineral for clean energy, its global supply chain, extraction and processing methods, and the environmental and social externalities associated with its production.

The 2026 Global Electricity Review by Ember reports that record solar energy growth in 2025 met the entirety of new global electricity demand, halting the increase in fossil fuel generation for the first time since 2020. For the first time in the modern era, renewable energy sources collectively surpassed coal, accounting for over one-third of global electricity generation.

This report by Friends of the Earth International analyzes the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). It argues that these 'new generation' agreements are part of a global strategy led by the US and EU to bypass the World Trade Organization (WTO), prioritize corporate interests over democratic decision-making, and dismantle social and environmental regulations.

This report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) argues that rural poverty is inextricably linked to environmental degradation and the imposition of neoliberal economic models. It contends that the exploitation of natural resources by transnational corporations and the policies of international financial institutions (IFIs) exacerbate poverty, while community-led management of natural resources offers a sustainable path toward poverty eradication.

This report by Friends of the Earth International critiques the concept of the 'green economy' promoted during the Rio+20 conference, arguing that it serves as a mechanism for the 'financialization of nature.' The document asserts that treating ecosystems as financial assets allows multinational corporations and investment funds to capture natural resources, exacerbates social inequalities, and fails to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.