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The report analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic acted as an accelerant for the decline of the oil, gas, and plastic sectors. It details the immediate impacts of the pandemic, such as the collapse of air and cruise travel and the resulting oil price war, while emphasizing that the industry was already weakened by high corporate debt, underperforming stocks, and the rise of renewable energy. The document specifically critiques industry lobbying for bailouts and regulatory exemptions, using ExxonMobil as a case study for the intersecting financial and operational risks facing the sector.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that for the European Green Deal to establish the EU as a global environmental leader, it must adopt a human rights-based and gender-responsive approach that prevents the export of environmental impacts and avoids substituting one form of pollution for another, such as through toxic recycling or increased plastic incineration.

The document argues that current oil and gas expansion plans are incompatible with Paris Agreement goals, as emissions from existing fields alone would likely exceed the 1.5°C limit. It highlights a projected USD 1.4 trillion investment in new extraction between 2020 and 2024, primarily in North America, and calls for a managed phase-out of fossil fuels supported by government bans on new licenses and a shift toward renewable energy.

The document calls for COP-25 to prioritize human rights, gender equality, and increased national ambition in climate commitments, while warning against the use of carbon offsets and the marginalization of Global South participants due to the conference's relocation from Santiago to Madrid.

The report details how plastic production, refining, waste management, and environmental degradation contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. It warns that by 2050, cumulative emissions from plastic could consume 10–13 percent of the remaining carbon budget, potentially making the 1.5°C climate target impossible to achieve. The document advocates for ending single-use plastics and stopping the expansion of petrochemical infrastructure to mitigate these impacts.

The document argues that climate action must be rights-based to be effective, urging COP-25 to ensure that Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Article 6 mechanisms include social and environmental safeguards. It specifically calls for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement, the establishment of a financial mechanism for loss and damage under the Warsaw International Mechanism, and the integration of gender-responsive approaches in the Lima Work Programme. The briefing also emphasizes the need for independent grievance mechanisms in the Sustainable Development Mechanism to remedy harms to local communities and indigenous peoples.

The briefing note examines the ongoing negotiations regarding Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, highlighting the risk that poorly designed carbon market and non-market mechanisms could lead to human rights violations. It advocates for the inclusion of rights-based safeguards, meaningful stakeholder consultation (including free, prior, and informed consent for indigenous peoples), and independent grievance redress processes to avoid repeating failures seen in the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism.

The document advocates for enhancing public participation in climate policies by leveraging international legal instruments like the Aarhus Convention and the Escazú Agreement. It identifies specific entry points at COP-25—including Article 6 market mechanisms, the Lima Work Programme on Gender, and the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform—where procedural rights and safeguards for environmental defenders should be strengthened. It further suggests using the transparency framework's interactive dialogues to review how public participation improves national climate ambition.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) describes the progress at the SB50 talks in Bonn as "glacial," noting that while a non-consensus text for Article 6 was established for COP25, critical language on human rights remains in brackets. CIEL emphasizes that Article 6 mechanisms—which include carbon credit markets and sustainable development mechanisms—must incorporate independent grievance bodies and social safeguards to avoid the failures of the Clean Development Mechanism. The statement also highlights the importance of the Escazú Agreement for environmental democracy in Latin America and condemns countries that questioned the IPCC's Special Report on 1.5°C during the negotiations.

CIEL advocates for detailed climate-related financial risk disclosures by California's public pension funds, arguing that such transparency is essential for fulfilling fiduciary duties to beneficiaries.

The document provides a framework for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) to report on climate-related financial risks as required by SB 964. The authors argue that reports should include specific holdings by name and align with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. They propose a detailed reporting approach across several sectors, including energy, transportation, materials, agriculture, and financial services, emphasizing the need to disclose emissions (including Scope 3), shareholder engagement activities, and exposure to transition and physical risks.

The SB-50 negotiations in Bonn were characterized by persistent political deadlocks, particularly regarding the IPCC 1.5ºC report and Article 6 mechanisms. While there was an increase in countries advocating for human rights-based social safeguards in market mechanisms, deep divisions remain. The session also advanced reviews of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage and the Gender Action Plan, while highlighting the importance of procedural rights and the Escazú Agreement for civil society participation.

The document outlines the legal frameworks and specific entry points within the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement processes where public participation and access to information can be strengthened. It highlights the Aarhus Convention and Escazú Agreement as regional models for environmental democracy and warns that the lack of procedural rights in the Clean Development Mechanism led to harmful projects. The briefing recommends that the new Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM) under Article 6.4 include robust stakeholder consultation and an independent grievance redress mechanism. It further suggests that the review of the Doha Work Programme and the updating of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by 2020 be used to enhance the participation of local communities, indigenous peoples, and women.

The document outlines how plastic contributes to greenhouse gas emissions across its entire lifecycle, from fossil fuel extraction to waste management, and proposes systemic reductions over technical fixes.

The report argues that the plastic lifecycle is a significant and growing driver of climate change, potentially consuming 1013 percent of the remaining carbon budget by 2050. It details emissions from fracking, steam cracking, and incineration, while highlighting the emerging threat of microplastics interfering with the ocean's carbon sink. The authors conclude that only a dramatic reduction in plastic production and a transition to zero-waste systems can mitigate these impacts.

The report 'Uncalculated Risks' examines how development finance institutions (DFIs) often fail to account for human rights risks, leading to the stigmatization, criminalization, and physical attack of human rights defenders. Through 25 case studies across various countries and sectors, it argues that DFIs frequently rely on inadequate client reporting and overlook the enabling environment for public participation. The document provides a 'Leverage Toolbox' and a 'Reprisal Prevention and Response Process' to help DFIs move toward a human rights-based approach to development.

The report analyzes 38 ISDS cases brought by mining companies against Latin American states, highlighting a systemic bias that favors corporate profits over human rights and environmental laws. It documents how these suits often target government measures resulting from community resistance or environmental regulations, creating a 'chilling effect' on public policy. The document details specific cases in countries such as Colombia, El Salvador, and Venezuela, and proposes a fundamental shift toward a legal framework that prioritizes human rights and environmental protection over investor rights.

The document argues that existing human rights obligations under legally binding treaties must inform climate action to protect those most affected and ensure non-discrimination and public participation. It highlights the role of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) in elaborating these obligations and reviews their 2018 guidance on emissions reduction, adaptation, procedural rights, and international cooperation, including specific contributions from CEDAW, CESCR, and the CRC.

CIEL responds to critiques of its report 'Fuel to the Fire', asserting that the fossil fuel industry has actively promoted carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon dioxide removal (CDR), and solar radiation management (SRM) to entrench a fossil-based economy. The organization provides specific examples of industry-funded researchers and think tanks shaping geoengineering discourse and argues that these technologies are more likely to exacerbate the climate crisis by delaying the necessary phase-out of fossil fuels.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the fossil fuel industry's involvement in the development and promotion of geoengineering technologies, arguing that these strategies are used to justify the continued use of carbon-intensive fuels and avoid systemic change.