Search Climate Insights Directory

This submission by Amnesty International and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that climate change causes widespread human rights violations and that affected individuals and communities are entitled to effective remedies and reparations under international law. The document critiques current UNFCCC mechanisms for being voluntary and excluding compensation, while proposing human rights- and equity-based frameworks for addressing loss and damage.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an unproven and risky strategy that delays the transition from fossil fuels. It highlights that proposed projects in areas like the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea face significant leakage risks due to legacy oil and gas wellbores and a history of poor offshore infrastructure monitoring. The document asserts that CCS often fails to meet emission reduction targets, frequently serves enhanced oil recovery, and relies on public subsidies that divert funds from renewable energy.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law argues that the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) limits the regulatory authority of EU Member States by imposing strict standards on domestic licensing processes, potentially allowing Canadian companies to challenge environmental and social protections through international arbitration.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law examines how the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) could allow Canadian mining companies to challenge Greek mining regulations. It argues that CETA's 'domestic regulatory disciplines'—which require licensing processes to be objective, transparent, and simple—conflict with the discretionary and evolving nature of Greek environmental and technical mining laws.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law argues that the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada undermines the ability of EU Member States to regulate pesticides. It contends that CETA's focus on regulatory harmonization, its requirement for scientific evidence over the precautionary principle, and its dispute resolution mechanisms create financial and procedural barriers that discourage Member States from enacting protective health and environmental measures.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law examines how the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) may undermine the ability of EU Member States to regulate industrial pollution, specifically within the chemical manufacturing sector, by allowing companies to challenge subjective or evolving licensing requirements before international arbitration tribunals.

This fact sheet by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes key arguments presented by States during the first week (December 2-6) of climate justice hearings at the International Court of Justice. It contrasts the positions of major polluting States against those of climate-vulnerable nations regarding the applicability of international law, human rights, transboundary harm, and reparations in the context of the climate crisis.

This research paper by the Center for International Environmental Law provides a comparative analysis of timber legality frameworks in five major importing markets: the United States, the European Union, Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. It examines the scope, actor obligations, definitions of illegal timber, and enforcement mechanisms of these laws to identify effective legislative options for combating illegal logging and deforestation.

A letter from the CITES Secretary General to Greenpeace International clarifying the status of the Review of Significant Trade in Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

A statement by civil society organizations providing recommendations for the implementation of the Office of Evaluations and Oversight's (OVE) evaluation of the Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism (MICI) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes the design of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, drawing on a case study of Joint Implementation (JI) forest projects in Costa Rica. It evaluates the technical challenges of quantifying carbon sequestration—such as baselines, leakage, and durability—and argues that the CDM must integrate strict legal and institutional safeguards to ensure that forest projects provide genuine climate benefits without undermining biodiversity or the rights of local and indigenous communities.

A statement by the Center for International Environmental Law outlining policy recommendations to increase global access to clean energy, shift international financing away from fossil fuels, and support technology development in developing countries.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the state of chemical regulation in the United States, arguing that the primary federal law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), is fundamentally ineffective and overdue for reform. While federal political polarization hinders national legislative change, the author identifies a shift driven by state-level initiatives, international regulatory trends (specifically the EU's REACH), and proactive business leadership.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law argues against the adoption of the "substantial equivalence" test as an international standard for GMO labeling by the Codex Committee on Food Labeling. The authors contend that this approach is scientifically inadequate and that its adoption would allow the World Trade Organization (WTO) to challenge and potentially strike down more stringent national labeling laws, particularly those based on consumer right-to-know or ethical and religious concerns.

A joint statement from several organizations and practitioners providing recommendations to the World Bank's Board of Directors to modernize the Inspection Panel's "toolkit." The authors argue that the Panel currently lags behind other independent accountability mechanisms (IAMs) and propose specific expansions of its authority regarding advisory services, monitoring, dispute resolution, and eligibility.

This fact sheet provides a comparison table tracking the evolution of the proposed structure for a future plastics treaty across several iterations: the Zero Draft (INC 3), the INC 4 Compilation, and three versions of the Chair's Potential Structure (V.1, V.2, and V.3).

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law provides recommendations for the compliance system of the Kyoto Protocol, focusing on the distinct roles of the facilitative and enforcement branches, the necessity of public transparency, and the application of consequences for non-compliance.

This research paper, authored by David Hunter, Julia Sommer, and Scott Vaughan, provides an introduction to the basic concepts and principles of international environmental law. It aims to assist policymakers in reconciling environmental protection with trade liberalization by detailing the legal frameworks surrounding sustainable development, the duty to cooperate, the duty to avoid environmental harm, and the duty to compensate for such harm.

This fact sheet outlines a proposed structural and conceptual framework for a Convention on Plastic Pollution, organized into four 'pillars of action' to address monitoring, prevention, coordination, and support.

This report summarizes a workshop held during COP19 as part of the Many Strong Voices (MSV) Programme. The dialogue focused on the challenges of climate-induced community-based relocation, specifically in the Arctic and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), emphasizing the need for participatory decision-making, international finance, and the protection of human rights and cultural identity.