Search Climate Insights Directory

CIEL condemns the Philippine government for accusing UN Special Rapporteur Vicky Tauli-Corpuz and other human rights defenders of terrorism, viewing it as an attempt to criminalize their work in protecting indigenous peoples' rights. The organization notes a global trend of governments and companies targeting environmental and human rights defenders to silence them.

CIEL President Carroll Muffett argues that Rex Tillerson and the Trump Administration damaged the US State Department and international standing by prioritizing oil industry interests over climate change and human rights. Muffett suggests that the transition of leadership to Mike Pompeo is unlikely to result in significant policy changes.

The statement advocates for a legally binding treaty to regulate transnational corporations, emphasizing that current frameworks like the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are "gender-blind". It highlights how women disproportionately suffer from environmental degradation, extractive industry impacts, and gender-based violence linked to corporate security forces. The authors propose three requirements for the treaty: mandatory gendered impact assessments, gender-sensitive remedy mechanisms, and protection for women human rights defenders.

CIEL advocates for a binding treaty to protect human rights from the influence of transnational corporations in investment agreements, specifically calling for guaranteed access to information, participation in decision-making, and justice through grievance mechanisms.

The report asserts that CETA facilitates trade expansion by reducing regulatory burdens, which leads to the harmonization of regulations toward the lowest common denominator and the elimination of precautionary measures. It highlights four areas of concern: domestic regulatory disciplines that limit licensing authority, increased pressure from Canadian mining companies on Greek regulations, vulnerabilities in EU industrial pollution controls, and the restriction of Member States' ability to regulate toxic pesticides.

CIEL welcomes the adoption of a binding agreement between most Latin American and Caribbean countries that codifies access rights to information, participation, and justice in environmental decision-making, aligning with Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) asserts that current financing for the sound management of chemicals is insufficient and overly dependent on a small number of international donors. CIEL highlights a stark disparity in Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding, noting that only 13 million was dedicated to SAICM implementation compared to 541 million for a smaller set of substances. The statement argues that the chemical industry, with a global turnover of 4.1 trillion per year, should contribute directly to financing rather than claiming that tax payments and regulatory compliance constitute active financial participation. CIEL suggests that a levy of 0.1% on industry turnover would generate 4.1 billion annually, far exceeding current GEF contributions to SAICM.

The document outlines the structure of the 2018 Talanoa Dialogue, a facilitative process designed to raise climate ambition and inform future Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It emphasizes that the Dialogue's participatory nature allows stakeholders to frame climate ambition through a human rights lens, including gender equality, food security, and a just transition. The briefing details a staged approach for input—from the preparatory phase ending in October to the political phase at COP-24—and advises contributors to use the 'Talanoa' methodology of sharing stories and positive experiences rather than adversarial 'name, shame, and blame' tactics to ensure their inputs are accepted by the Fijian presidency.

CIEL and other civil society groups are calling on the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to immediately adopt the proposed Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Policy and Action Plan, and Indigenous Peoples Policy (IPP). The document argues that the GCF has already funded 54 projects without permanent safeguards to protect human rights and the environment, and that 23 additional projects awaiting approval at the B.19 meeting could negatively impact ecosystems and local communities. Furthermore, CIEL emphasizes the need for a funded work plan and budget for the Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM) to provide remedies for people harmed by GCF projects.

The document argues that the right to participate in public affairs must be centrally linked to self-determination and access to information, particularly regarding environmental decisions and international investment treaties. It highlights the systemic marginalization of rural women and ethnic communities, the criminalization of human rights defenders, and the lack of transparency in Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms. CIEL recommends that the guidelines mandate public participation in the initial decision to invite foreign investment, the negotiation of investment contracts, and the settlement of disputes to prevent corporate interests from overriding public interest laws and human rights.

The document reviews the integration of human rights and social principles across four key areas of the Paris Agreement implementation guidelines: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Adaptation Communications, the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), and the Global Stocktake (GST). It highlights that while some parties, notably Norway, Canada, and the African Group of Negotiators, have pushed for the inclusion of human rights and gender equality, these elements often remain absent from co-facilitator summaries or are limited to specific contexts like adaptation. The briefing notes that the role of civil society and intergovernmental organizations in the ETF and GST processes is a critical factor for ensuring social dimensions are considered in future climate action.

The document describes Exxon's legal strategy of initiating discovery processes in Texas against public officials and attorneys from California and Massachusetts. The author characterizes these actions as intimidation tactics designed to disrupt lawsuits filed by California jurisdictions against fossil fuel producers for their role in the climate crisis. It highlights previous failed attempts by Exxon to claim a conspiracy involving NGOs and prosecutors in New York and Massachusetts, and argues that the company is attempting to use municipal bond disclosures to allege fraud against the cities suing it.

CIEL argues that the World Bank's Draft Guidance Notes for the ESF are 'severely lacking in substance' and often merely reiterate standards without providing actual implementation guidance. The submission provides specific recommendations across several standards, including labor conditions, pollution prevention, indigenous peoples' rights, and stakeholder engagement. Key demands include the integration of international conventions (such as ILO 169 and UNDRIP), the adoption of a 1.5-degree pathway for greenhouse gas accounting, and the explicit protection of human rights defenders against reprisals. CIEL also emphasizes that the World Bank must ensure Borrowers disclose the existence of the Inspection Panel to affected communities and that project-level grievance mechanisms must be independent, transparent, and rights-compatible.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) criticizes the World Bank's draft Guidance Notes accompanying its 2018 environmental and social policy, stating that most notes lack tangible recommendations and fail to reference international human rights and environmental laws. While CIEL notes positive elements in the guidance regarding resource efficiency, pollution prevention, and core labor standards, it argues that the overall framework relies on vague language and excludes civil society from the creation process. CIEL calls for the Bank to develop robust, specific guidance and allow further civil society feedback to avoid reputational risks and ensure sustainable development.

The report details the health impacts of coal-fired power plants in Spain, specifically noting thousands of asthma and bronchitis cases in children. It criticizes the Spanish government for using EU derogations to allow higher emissions and for proposing a Royal Decree to hinder plant closures. Additionally, it highlights that Spain's greenhouse gas emissions in 2015 remained 16.6% higher than 1990 levels, with coal plants accounting for 60.3% of emissions from all combustion installations in 2015.

The report details the health impacts of coal-fired power plants on children in Spain, highlighting thousands of cases of asthma and bronchitis. It criticizes the Spanish government for using legal exceptions to allow emissions above EU limits and for proposing a Royal Decree to hinder plant closures. Additionally, it notes that Spain's greenhouse gas emissions were 16.6% higher in 2015 than in 1990, attributing much of this to the energy sector's dependence on coal.

The report argues that the European Commission's proposal for a Multilateral Investment Court aims to institutionalize and preserve the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system, which the authors claim prioritizes corporate privilege over the public interest and democratic lawmaking.

The document criticizes the ZEDE law in Honduras for creating autonomous corporate enclaves with minimal oversight, undermining democratic governance and constitutional protections. It highlights risks to indigenous communities, specifically the Garífuna, and warns that the Inter-American Development Bank's potential $20 million loan to support these zones contradicts its own safeguards.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) asserts that the European Commission's consultation on the Multilateral Investment Court failed to meet democratic standards of public participation. CIEL's analysis of nearly 200 narrative comments revealed that nearly two-thirds of respondents opposed the court or demanded fundamental ISDS reforms first, contradicting the Commission's claim of 'broad support'. Consequently, CIEL urges EU Member States to reject the court's mandate and instead cancel or renegotiate existing agreements containing investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms.

The report "Continuous Improvement" in Illegal Practices in the Peruvian Forest Sector examines how timber exporters in Peru, with government complicity, use "continuous improvement" strategies to bypass transparency and export high-risk timber to markets with fewer restrictions.