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A report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Friends of the Earth US analyzing the risks and geographic scope of marine geoengineering technologies, arguing that these speculative interventions threaten all ocean basins and distract from fossil fuel phaseout.

This guide from the Center for International Environmental Law provides civil society organizations (CSOs) with tools and strategies to ensure that the 2025 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are based on human rights. It outlines the nature of NDCs under the Paris Agreement and provides a framework for CSOs to engage governments, participate in planning, and hold states accountable for their climate commitments.

This guidebook provides civil society organizations with tools and strategies to ensure that Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are based on human rights, emphasizing the obligations of Paris Agreement Parties and the effectiveness of human rights-based climate policies.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) examines the environmental, climate, health, and financial risks associated with the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure. It highlights how improper closure and the proliferation of abandoned wells lead to methane leaks and toxic contamination, while corporate strategies and regulatory loopholes often shift the massive financial burden of cleanup from operators to the public.

The Center for International Environmental Law reports that COP29 failed to deliver on climate ambition, human rights, and finance. Key failures include an insufficient New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) of 300 billion USD, the operationalization of carbon markets without strong human rights safeguards, and a lack of agreement on the Just Transition Work Programme. The report also highlights the restrictive civic space in Azerbaijan and the continued underfunding of the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage.

A statement by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) outlining the necessary components for an effective global plastics treaty during the INC-5 negotiations in Busan, Republic of Korea, emphasizing the need for production caps and bans on hazardous chemicals.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) issued a statement following the reelection of Donald Trump, expressing concern over his proposed reversals of climate regulations and human rights protections, and affirming the organization's commitment to resisting these policies through collective action and global alliances.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that carbon markets and the purchase of carbon offsets do not constitute legitimate climate finance. The document asserts that relying on these markets allows Global North countries and polluters to avoid their legal obligations to fund mitigation and adaptation in the Global South while perpetuating the fossil fuel economy.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the proposed international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution (the Plastics Treaty) must be grounded in a human rights-based approach. It asserts that plastic pollution violates multiple internationally recognized human rights and that the treaty should operationalize both substantive rights, such as the right to a healthy environment, and procedural rights, such as access to justice and public participation, to ensure equity and accountability.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides initial reactions to the third 'non-paper' released on October 29, 2024, by the Chair of the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) tasked with developing a global plastics treaty. While CIEL views the non-paper as an adequate structure for negotiations at the upcoming INC-5 meeting in Busan, Republic of Korea, it argues that the current text relies too heavily on voluntary language and lacks essential provisions on production limits, chemicals of concern, and finance, which would result in an ineffective treaty.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Break Free from Plastics (BFFP) provides a streamlined comparison between the Chair's third Non-Paper and the Compilation draft text for the future international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. The document synthesizes these two sources to facilitate discussions at the fifth intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC-5), highlighting critical omissions in the Non-Paper and presenting various textual options for the treaty's articles, including those on product design, chemicals of concern, and financial mechanisms.

This document is a disclaimer and copyright notice for a brief authored by Amy Youngman of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Brett Francis. It specifies that the content is for general informational purposes, is not legal advice, and is provided without warranties. It directs inquiries to info@ciel.org and identifies the copyright holder as CIEL as of October 2024.

This fact sheet introduces a forthcoming report by the Center for International Environmental Law titled "Remedy and Reparations for Climate Harm: The Human Rights Case." It argues that the climate crisis is a human rights crisis and asserts that existing international legal frameworks already establish the right to remedy and the obligation of States and corporations to provide reparations for climate-related loss and damage.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) examines the legal distinctions between decisions made by a Conference of the Parties (COP) and the more formal processes of treaty amendments or new annexes. Using examples from various multilateral environmental agreements, it argues that COPs generally cannot fundamentally alter Party rights or obligations through simple decisions, highlighting the importance of securing strong provisions during initial treaty negotiations, particularly for the future plastics treaty.

A report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) warns that 118 planned or underway petrochemical projects in the US could add 153.8 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions annually, potentially increasing the sector's share of total US greenhouse gas emissions from 5.2% to over 7%. The analysis highlights that ten megaprojects account for half of these potential emissions and that 95% of proposed ammonia production is derived from methane gas, contradicting claims that it is a 'clean' fuel.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) analyzes the 2023 activities of UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) regarding states' human rights obligations in the context of climate change. It tracks the increasing frequency of climate-related references in state reporting procedures and examines specific themes such as fossil fuel extraction, the right to a healthy environment, loss and damage, and intergenerational equity.

This research paper by the Center for International Environmental Law examines how climate-induced extreme weather is driving an insurance crisis in the United States, which in turn threatens housing affordability and financial stability. The authors argue that insurance companies are exacerbating the crisis by raising premiums to recoup losses while simultaneously reinvesting profits into fossil fuel companies.

This document introduces a report by the Center for International Environmental Law regarding the negotiation timeline for a future plastics treaty. It highlights that while the United Nations Environment Assembly aimed for completion by the end of 2024, significant work remains, prompting an analysis of historical negotiation models such as the Minamata Convention, the Rotterdam Convention, and BBNJ.

A statement by civil society organizations calling for transparency and accountability from the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC) regarding its proposed Remediation and Responsible Exit Framework.

A statement by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Earthjustice welcoming the appointment of Professor Elisa Morgera as the Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change and commenting on her mapping report.