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The Center for International Environmental Law has produced a compilation of over 100 terms potentially relevant to the negotiation and implementation of a treaty to end plastic pollution, drawing definitions from existing Multilateral Environmental Agreements and international bodies.

A blog post authored by representatives from the Center for International Environmental Law, Greenpeace International, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International urging Council of Europe Member States to recognize the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment during the May 16-17, 2023, Summit in Reykjavik, Iceland.

This policy brief, produced by CIEL and IUCN, examines the compatibility of a proposed international treaty to end plastic pollution with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. It highlights how the international trade of plastic feedstocks, polymers, and waste accelerates the plastic crisis and serves as a mechanism for spreading micro- and nanoplastic pollution.

This report analyzes the 2022 activities of United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) regarding state obligations in the context of climate change. It tracks the increasing frequency of climate-related recommendations in state review processes and examines specific trends in mitigation, fossil fuel regulation, adaptation, and the protection of vulnerable groups, including Indigenous Peoples and persons with disabilities.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights analyzes the 2022 activities of seven UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) regarding climate change. It documents an increase in climate-related references in State reporting procedures and highlights key developments in General Comments and individual communications, specifically the landmark Billy et al. v. Australia case.

A coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) has condemned the proposed Approach to Remedial Action by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). The CSOs argue that the proposal fails to implement recommendations from a 2020 External Review, ignores existing harms by applying only to new projects, and lacks concrete mechanisms to guarantee financial remedy for affected communities.

This policy brief, submitted by Amnesty International and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) to the UNFCCC Transitional Committee in April 2023, argues that the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund must be grounded in international human rights law. The authors advocate for a rights-based approach that prioritizes the most marginalized groups, ensures effective remedy and reparations, and utilizes public, grants-based funding to avoid increasing the debt of developing countries.

This fact sheet by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) examines Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), arguing that the technology fails to meaningfully reduce greenhouse emissions and may prolong dependence on fossil fuels. It details the technical limitations, safety risks, and economic costs of CCS, while contrasting it with more effective climate solutions like renewable energy and demand reduction.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) examines the role of non-party trade provisions in Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) to provide guidance for the development of a future international treaty to end plastic pollution. It argues that trade restrictions on non-parties are essential to incentivize ratification, prevent 'free-riding', and ensure the overall effectiveness of environmental treaties.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) issued a statement during the 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council welcoming an OHCHR report on climate change impacts on vulnerable populations. CIEL emphasizes the human rights obligations of States to provide remedies for climate harm and regulate fossil fuel corporations and their financial backers.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) submitted a statement to the 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council supporting the Special Rapporteur's report on women, girls, and the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. CIEL emphasizes that addressing fossil fuels and the petrochemical industry is essential to protecting the rights of women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by the triple planetary crisis and microplastics.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides a statement supporting the Special Rapporteur's report on the climate crisis and the right to housing, emphasizing the need for international remedies, debt relief for vulnerable nations, and safeguards against misguided climate policy responses.

This briefing, submitted by Amnesty International and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) to the UNFCCC on February 15, 2023, argues for the full integration of human rights standards into the design and implementation of the new Loss and Damage Fund. The authors advocate for a rights-based approach that ensures non-discrimination, provides effective remedies for affected communities, and prioritizes public grant-based financing over loans to avoid increasing the debt of developing nations.

This policy brief, submitted by Amnesty International and the Center for International Environmental Law to the UNFCCC, argues that the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund must be grounded in international human rights law. The authors advocate for a rights-based approach that prioritizes the most marginalized populations, ensures public participation in governance, and utilizes grants-based funding derived from the 'polluter pays' principle to avoid increasing the debt of developing nations.

The Maastricht Principles on The Human Rights of Future Generations is a statement adopted on 3 February 2023 that clarifies the application of international law to the human rights of generations not yet born. It establishes a framework of state obligations to respect, protect, and fulfil these rights, emphasizing the necessity of intergenerational justice, the principle of trusteeship over Earth's natural systems, and the role of Indigenous Peoples' knowledge in ensuring long-term sustainability.

This briefing, submitted by Amnesty International and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) to the UNFCCC on February 15, 2023, argues that the newly established Loss and Damage Fund must be guided by international human rights law. The authors advocate for a fund based on non-discrimination, substantive equality, and the provision of effective remedies, emphasizing that funding should be public, grant-based, and sourced from historical polluters to avoid increasing the debt of vulnerable nations.

The Center for International Environmental Law and other organizations urge the Biden administration to publicly condemn the killing of at least 48 civilians and the use of excessive force by security forces in Peru under President Dina Boluarte.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights reviews the 2022 outputs of the Human Rights Committee (CCPR) regarding climate change. It highlights a decline in climate-related mentions in State review processes and analyzes the groundbreaking decision in Billy et al. v. Australia, which established a State's duty to protect people from climate impacts.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights synthesizes the 2022 climate-related outputs of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). It details the Committee's focus on disaster risk reduction, adaptation, and the specific rights of Indigenous women and girls in the face of climate change and extractive industries.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights synthesizes the 2022 activities of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) regarding climate change. It details specific recommendations made to the United States, France, and Cameroon, and discusses the potential for the upcoming General Recommendation No. 37 on the right to health to address environmental racism and climate-related health disparities.