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CIEL supports the March for Science to defend the role of empirical evidence in policy and law, specifically highlighting the need for science-based identification criteria for endocrine disruptors (EDCs) in the European Union to prevent health issues like cancers and infertility.

CIEL condemns ExxonMobil's application for a US sanctions waiver that would enable a $500 billion joint venture with Rosneft for offshore drilling in the Black Sea and Russian Arctic, arguing the project is 'climate-deadly' and rewards international aggression.

The authors criticize the UN climate secretariat for holding meetings behind closed doors in Bonn, Germany, where rules for transparency under the Paris Agreement were discussed. They argue that excluding non-state actors—including NGOs, academics, and local governments—erodes the trust and accountability necessary for the agreement's success and limits the technical quality of the resulting rules. The document calls for the inclusion of civil society in future thematic discussions, specifically those on adaptation scheduled for May.

CIEL opposes the EU's proposal for a Multilateral Investment Court (MIC), arguing that it merely improves the institutional aspects of dispute resolution without addressing the substantive treaty provisions that prioritize investor rights over the public interest. The document asserts that an MIC would entrench the flawed investor-state arbitration regime, potentially chilling government regulation on environment and health. CIEL recommends alternatives such as requiring the exhaustion of domestic remedies, limiting jurisdiction to uncompensated direct expropriation, and exploring the complete removal of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) in favor of state-state consultations or strengthened domestic courts.

The Center for International Environmental Law expresses concerns regarding a proposed $200 million IDB loan to Guatemala for border integration with Mexico. The briefing argues that the Guatemala Ministry of Defense, the designated executing agency, lacks the legal mandate for fiscal and economic controls and has a history of corruption, lack of transparency, and links to organized crime. Furthermore, the document warns that the project's focus on migrant control may violate international laws regarding refugee rights and the principle of non-refoulement, and fails to address obligations to indigenous communities under ILO Convention 169.

The author contends that the Trump administration began censoring climate change information immediately upon taking office by removing climate references from the White House website, cancelling a Health and Climate summit, and freezing EPA grants for climate research and environmental justice. The text warns that erasing public data hampers the tracking of global temperatures and severe weather, facilitating climate denial strategies similar to those previously used by the American Petroleum Institute. The Center for International Environmental Law pledges to continue supporting the Paris Agreement and holding contributors to climate change accountable.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) states that Rex Tillerson is "unqualified and unfit" to serve as US Secretary of State, citing his leadership at ExxonMobil and his "role in Exxon’s ongoing campaign of climate denial and obstruction". CIEL calls for Tillerson to immediately recuse himself from all decisions involving ExxonMobil, the American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas and petrochemical industries, and the Russian government to avoid serving corporate interests over those of the American people.

The report criticizes the European Commission's 2016 proposal for EDC identification criteria, arguing that its sector-specific focus on pesticides and biocides creates regulatory gaps and legal uncertainty. The authors contend that this approach deviates from international GHS standards, ignores the 7th Environmental Action Programme's mandate for harmonised criteria, and risks lower levels of protection in consumer products like cosmetics and medical devices.

The document argues that Belgium and the Netherlands are in breach of international law by exporting high sulfur fuels to West African states, specifically those party to the Bamako Convention. It concludes that these fuels qualify as hazardous wastes under the Bamako Convention and, by extension, under the Basel Convention for countries with monist legal systems. The report asserts that such exports violate the Basel Convention's prohibition on exporting hazardous wastes to parties that have banned their import, breach customary international law by frustrating the treaty's purpose, and violate extraterritorial human rights obligations regarding the right to health.

The brief provides legal analysis to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights regarding Colombia's request for an advisory opinion on the impact of large-scale projects on the marine environment, specifically in the Greater Caribbean Region. It asserts that state jurisdiction extends to acts or omissions with foreseeable extraterritorial effects and advocates for the 'principle of systemic integration' to align human rights protections with international environmental standards.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) opposes Rex Tillerson's nomination for US Secretary of State, asserting that his career at ExxonMobil creates profound conflicts of interest regarding the Paris Agreement, the Keystone XL pipeline, and global climate action. The statement highlights ExxonMobil's history of funding climate misinformation and its legal challenges concerning human rights abuses in Indonesia and the Philippines.

The Mauritius Convention on Transparency, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 2014, provides a mechanism for States to 'opt-in' to the UNCITRAL Rules on Transparency for arbitrations brought under investment treaties concluded before April 2014. The document highlights that investor-State arbitrations often involve public interests, including policies on nuclear or alternative energy, tobacco control, and the protection of drinking water, yet typically lack the openness of legal systems governed by the rule of law. By mandating the disclosure of documents and open hearings, the Convention aims to improve democratic participation, accountability, and the ability of governments to reform international economic governance. As of January 2017, Mauritius and Canada had ratified the Convention, while several other States had signed it.

The report finds that a significant portion of Peruvian timber exports are high-risk or illegal, despite being accompanied by official Transport Guides (GTF). Analysis of 2015 export data reveals that exporters strategically direct 'green-listed' (low-risk) timber to strictly regulated markets like the US and EU, while sending 'red-listed' (high-risk) timber to markets with weaker regulations, such as China and Mexico. The study highlights a shift toward using Native Community permits and Local Forests to launder illegal wood, noting that 66% of analyzed GTFs were either not supervised or lacked critical traceability data like the harvest year (zafra).

The report analyzes 855 Visual Inspection Certificates and 2,364 Forest Transport Permits (GTFs) from the Port of Callao in 2015 to trace the supply chain of Peruvian timber. It finds that a significant portion of exports are high-risk or illegal, with exporters strategically directing 'red list' timber to countries with weak import laws, such as China and Mexico, while sending 'green list' timber to the US and EU. The study highlights a shift toward using Forest Permits in Indigenous Communities and Local Forests to circumvent oversight, as these modalities often lack supervision or exhibit high rates of illegality.

The document highlights how large-scale development projects like dams and mines negatively impact women, who often face displacement to marginal lands, loss of resource access, and exclusion from decision-making. While international legal instruments protect the rights to water, food, and a healthy environment, the briefing notes a failure in implementation, particularly in resource-dependent countries with weak governance. It calls for integrated governmental approaches, gender-sensitive corporate due diligence, and capacity building for women to seek legal redress. Case studies from South Africa, Kenya, and India demonstrate that legal training and empowerment can enable women to successfully challenge mining companies and secure land titles.

This fact sheet from the Center for International Environmental Law outlines the risk assessment procedures for manufactured nanomaterials, highlighting the challenges in applying existing regulatory frameworks to these materials due to their unique properties and knowledge gaps.

Coal mining in Mpumalanga, South Africa, has severely contaminated water sources and degraded land, leading to health issues and increased poverty. Women are disproportionately affected due to their roles as caregivers, facing increased labor, economic instability, and risks of violence. Despite national and international legal frameworks, the document argues that economic interests and a lack of enforcement allow mining companies to operate with impunity.

The document examines the challenges of applying traditional risk assessment to manufactured nanomaterials, noting that their unique properties—such as high surface-area-to-volume ratios and ability to cross biological barriers—make existing 'bulk' chemical regulations ineffective. It highlights critical gaps in hazard and exposure data, the lack of standardised testing methods, and the limitations of alternative assessment methods like grouping, read-across, and nano-QSAR. The author concludes that robust risk assessments are currently impossible and urges regulatory bodies, particularly the European Commission, to adopt a precaution-based approach to protect human health and the environment.

The report examines the intersection of climate change and fiduciary duty for public pension fund trustees. It identifies four primary financial risks—physical impact, carbon asset, transition, and litigation—and argues that these risks necessitate the exercise of duties to inquire, monitor, diversify, and act impartially. The document suggests that failure to account for these risks may lead to lawsuits for breach of fiduciary duty, particularly regarding the interests of future beneficiaries. Recommended actions include modifying investment principles, divesting from climate-vulnerable assets, active shareholder engagement, and investing in clean energy.

The President and CEO of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Carroll Muffett, reports that ExxonMobil issued a personal subpoena to him on November 9, 2016. Muffett characterizes this action as part of a broader "campaign of intimidation" intended to "harass, intimidate, and silence" those exposing the oil industry's history of climate denial. The statement argues that oil companies should be held accountable for fraud if they "misrepresented or concealed material facts about their products from consumers, investors, and the public in the name of profit."