Search Climate Insights Directory

The report details a multi-decade pattern of environmental degradation, safety failures, and human rights abuses by the Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) across Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the United States. It highlights specific disasters, such as the 2016 marine life catastrophe in Vietnam and toxic dumping in Cambodia, alongside chronic pollution and safety lapses at US facilities in Texas, Louisiana, and Delaware. The document specifically critiques FPG's planned 'Sunshine Project' in St. James Parish, Louisiana, as an act of environmental racism. It concludes that the petrochemical industry's inherent risks, combined with FPG's corporate obfuscation and history of noncompliance, necessitate a halt to new plastics plants and a shift away from fossil-fuel-based petrochemicals.

The report argues that Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (ReconAfrica) shifted its public narrative from targeting unconventional shale resources to conventional ones after the Namibian government clarified that no fracking licenses had been granted. The authors claim that ReconAfrica removed references to 'shale' and 'unconventional' from its website, investor presentations, and personnel biographies while continuing to rely on resource estimates and a technical team specialized in unconventional plays, potentially violating Canadian securities laws on material disclosure.

The document argues that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is not a viable climate solution and urges the Canadian government to reject its funding and integration into national energy strategies.

The document asserts that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a "dangerous distraction" that prolongs fossil fuel reliance and poses severe risks to marginalized communities. It argues that CCS is economically unsound, fails to meaningfully reduce emissions, and is often used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to increase oil production. The authors call for the removal of government subsidies, such as the U.S. 45Q tax credit, and a shift toward sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy.

The document contends that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an expensive, energy-intensive technology that entrenches fossil fuel reliance rather than facilitating a transition to renewable energy. It identifies Louisiana as a primary target for CCS development due to existing petrochemical infrastructure and a regulatory environment managed by the Department of Natural Resources. The brief warns that CCS infrastructure, including pipelines, poses severe health and safety risks—such as toxic gas leaks and catastrophic ruptures—and would disproportionately impact Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. Furthermore, it asserts that CCS threatens Louisiana's wetlands and that the majority of captured carbon is currently used for enhanced oil recovery to produce more oil.

The document argues that current national climate pledges are inadequate to limit warming to 1.5°C and calls for a transition away from fossil fuels rather than relying on net-zero promises. It emphasizes the need for rigorous rules for Article 6 carbon trading to prevent double-counting and protect human rights, criticizes the omission of loss and damage from the SB52 agenda, and highlights how the virtual format of the negotiations impairs the participation of civil society and Indigenous Peoples.

CIEL condemns the use of violence by Colombian police and security forces against peaceful protesters, noting that at least 19 people have died. The statement highlights a long-term pattern of violence against Indigenous Peoples and environmental defenders protecting land and water rights, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. CIEL specifically references reports of security forces opening fire on protesters in Cali and urges the Colombian government and international community to ensure the respect of human rights, including the right to life and peaceful assembly.

The document calls for an urgent ban on nanographene-containing face masks in the European Union, citing a Canadian health advisory that identified these masks as potentially toxic to human lung health. The authors highlight that masks from the China-based Shengquan Group, specifically the 'healfiber' brand, are available on the EU market and have been worn by high-ranking officials, including EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The signatories advocate for the precautionary regulation of all personal protective equipment containing nanoparticles, such as nanosilver and nanometal oxides, to protect public health.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has requested that Nicaragua implement precautionary measures to protect Olman Salazar Umanor, a member of the National Environmental Movement Against Industrial Mining (MONAFMI) and Coordinator of the Santa Cruz de la India Community Movement, and his nuclear family due to serious risks to their life and personal integrity. The Commission condemned the increasing harassment of human rights defenders and government opponents in Nicaragua and demanded that the state initiate an investigation into the situation and report back on the implementation of protective measures within 15 days.

The brief contends that the IFC's commercial activities are fundamentally linked to its environmental and social (E&S) due diligence, and that granting the IFC immunity from lawsuits regarding project harms creates an 'accountability gap'. The authors argue that the risk of litigation would not 'chill' financing but would instead incentivize the IFC to improve its E&S compliance and grievance mechanisms. They provide data suggesting that only a small fraction of IFC projects result in formal complaints, countering the 'floodgates' argument used to justify immunity.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that Donald Trump's incitement led to the attack on the US Congress and calls for his immediate removal via impeachment or the 25th Amendment. The statement also highlights a racist double standard in policing and calls for investigations into other federal and state officials who undermined the 2020 election process.

The report advocates for the establishment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change to address the holistic impact of the climate crisis on human rights. Based on consultations with 157 participants across 55 countries, it argues that a dedicated mandate would ensure consistency in how the Human Rights Council addresses climate change, increase accountability for state and non-state actors, and protect vulnerable groups, including Indigenous Peoples and environmental defenders. The document outlines regional priorities—such as addressing climate debt in Africa and climate displacement in Asia and the Pacific—and emphasizes the need for the role to be supported by sufficient financial resources and political will from Member States.

The report advocates for a UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change, detailing regional priorities and global consensus on the need for a rights-based approach to climate action.

The report advocates for the establishment of a UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change to address the existential threat of the climate crisis and its disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations. Based on consultations with 157 participants from 55 countries, the document outlines the need for a dedicated mechanism within the Human Rights Council to ensure a coordinated approach to climate-related human rights violations. Key priorities identified include holding state and non-state actors accountable, protecting environmental defenders, and ensuring that climate actions—such as carbon trading and nature conservation—do not further violate human rights. The report emphasizes that such a mandate requires strong political support and sufficient resources to be effective, while working in synergy with existing UN mandates and institutions like the UNFCCC.

The document outlines a comprehensive framework for CITES Management Authorities to establish and issue Legal Acquisition Findings (LAF). It details the necessary legal preparations, the step-by-step verification process for the chain of custody, and specific documentary requirements for various taxa, including wildlife, plants, and timber. The guide emphasizes a risk-based approach to verification and the importance of transparent, public-facing national guidelines to prevent fraudulent trade.

The report outlines a framework for 'rights-based climate finance,' emphasizing that funding from developed to developing countries must be ambitious in volume, equitable in distribution, and provided as grants to avoid increasing debt. It advocates for the categorical exclusion of 'false solutions' like large-scale hydropower and geoengineering, while demanding robust social and environmental safeguards, including free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) for Indigenous Peoples and independent grievance redress mechanisms to ensure accountability.

The document outlines a comprehensive framework for CITES Management Authorities to verify the legal acquisition of fauna and flora. It details the preparation of national guidelines, the assessment of chain of custody documentation, and the application of risk-based verification techniques to prevent illegal wildlife trade.

The document serves as a technical guide for CITES Management Authorities to implement Legal Acquisition Findings (LAF). It details the process of verifying the 'chain of custody'—the chronological documentation of a specimen from extraction to export—to ensure compliance with national and international laws. The manual outlines steps for preparing national guidelines, evaluating legal frameworks, and applying risk-based assessment methods to determine if a specimen was acquired legally (positive LAF) or illegally (negative LAF). It provides specific documentation requirements for different taxa, including timber, marine species, and captive-bred animals, and emphasizes the importance of transparency and public accessibility of these guidelines to prevent fraud and illegal trade.

The report argues that emissions trading mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement risk undermining global mitigation ambition and causing human rights violations. It proposes three essential policy pillars—robust public participation, social and environmental safeguards, and independent grievance mechanisms—as prerequisites for any such framework. The document highlights failures in previous systems like the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and provides examples of 'good policies' from development finance institutions to guide the UNFCCC in creating a rights-compliant rulebook.

The report argues that the oil and gas industry is in an inevitable decline, leaving behind millions of unplugged wells that pose severe risks to public health and the environment. It highlights how inadequate bonding requirements and bankruptcy laws in the US and Canada enable companies to offload decommissioning costs onto taxpayers. The document warns that unconventional drilling, such as fracking and deepwater projects, is significantly more expensive to close than conventional wells, creating material financial risks for investors and governments. It concludes that a just transition requires strict enforcement of the 'polluter pays' principle and the closure of legal loopholes to ensure companies, rather than the public, fund the remediation of toxic assets.