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The report identifies high-risk trade flows and species—specifically squid, Atlantic bluefin tuna, and swordfish—that expose the Spanish seafood industry to IUU fishing and labour abuses. While Spain is noted for its effective implementation of the EU IUU Regulation, the authors argue that government controls are insufficient to eliminate risk. They recommend that seafood businesses adopt voluntary due diligence tools, such as PAS 1550:2017, to ensure supply chain transparency and the protection of human rights.

The report identifies high-risk trade flows and specific species—squid, Atlantic bluefin tuna, and swordfish—that are vulnerable to IUU fishing and associated human rights abuses in the Spanish market. It argues that while Spain effectively implements EU IUU regulations, industry-led due diligence, such as the PAS 1550:2017 specification, is necessary to close remaining gaps.

The document examines the legal mechanics of shareholder climate resolutions in Asia, detailing jurisdiction-specific requirements for filing, voting thresholds, and the role of company charter documents. It highlights a general trend toward increased ESG consciousness and regulatory focus on net-zero transitions in the region, while noting that legal landscapes vary significantly between countries.

The policy brief argues that the failure of the Aichi targets was partly due to fragile transparency and accountability processes. To avoid this with the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF), the authors propose an "Enhanced Implementation Cycle" consisting of five interconnected stages: national planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting, review, and stepping up ambition. Key recommendations include the adoption of standardized templates for National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs), the creation of National Biodiversity Finance Plans (NBFPs), and the introduction of mandatory technical expert reviews of national reports to provide tailored advice to Parties. The brief emphasizes the need for a "global biodiversity stocktake" to identify implementation gaps and a "ratcheting up" process to ensure that subsequent national targets and COP decisions are progressively more ambitious.

The document provides an overview of COP27, the 27th United Nations conference on climate change, which brings together approximately 200 countries to discuss plans for reducing carbon emissions to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C. It identifies three overarching themes for the conference: emissions reductions, climate finance, and prioritising people through the lens of 'loss and damage'.

ClientEarth calls on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to uphold the UK's climate ambitions, specifically requesting a review of the Retained EU Law Bill and a reconsideration of environmental deregulation in investment zones. The organization advocates for accelerating the transition to renewables and insulating buildings to address the energy and climate crises simultaneously, while urging the UK to remain a reliable international partner on climate action following its COP26 Presidency.

The document outlines legal and non-legal interventions available to energy communities to ensure EU Member States comply with the Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) and the Internal Electricity Market Directive (IEMD). It highlights that many Member States have failed to fully transpose these directives, which are intended to empower citizens, municipalities, and SMEs to engage in renewable energy production, sharing, and efficiency services. The guide specifically details actions that can be taken before EU institutions and national courts, providing examples of legal avenues in Hungary, France, and Belgium.

The document is a call to action from a coalition of civil society, smallholders' and Indigenous Peoples' organisations directed at EU Ministers, Commissioners, and Members of the European Parliament. It advocates for a robust EU regulation on deforestation-free products to protect biodiversity, climate, and human rights, outlining ten specific requirements for the law to be considered effective.

The document outlines a series of legislative acts and wider trends in the UK that ClientEarth argues undermine the rule of law. It details how new laws like the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 and the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill may weaken judicial oversight and strip away environmental safeguards. The report also highlights systemic issues, including the politicisation of the Attorney General, cuts to legal aid, and a trend toward 'government by decree' through the increased use of secondary legislation.

The report evaluates the alignment of Total Allowable Catches (TACs) with scientific advice in the EU and UK from 2015 to 2022. While some progress is noted, the report finds that overfishing was not ended by the 2020 deadline, with one third of assessed TACs still exceeding scientific advice in 2022. It highlights specific failures regarding data-limited stocks and identifies a mixed record for the UK, which has improved transparency and ecosystem considerations for forage fish but continues to push for unsustainable bycatch rollovers and inter-area flexibility in the West of Scotland.

The document is a letter from a group of NGOs to the Czech Minister for Agriculture, arguing that the EU has failed its legal obligation to end overfishing by 2020. The authors call for the 2023 fishing limits to be based on the best available scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the application of an ecosystem-based approach. Specific concerns are raised regarding the Baltic Sea cod crisis and the fact that 28% of assessed stocks in Northeast Atlantic waters remain subject to overfishing. The NGOs advocate for 'climate buffers' to protect species vulnerable to climate change and the implementation of remote electronic monitoring (REM) to ensure compliance with landing obligations.

ClientEarth warns that the UK Government's move toward rapid deregulation, particularly via the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, risks a 'perfect storm' of environmental degradation and reduced business investment. The organization argues that the Bill could lead to the overnight disappearance of critical legislative frameworks protecting air, water, and biodiversity by December 31, 2023, while bypassing parliamentary scrutiny through secondary legislation. This shift is viewed as a contradiction of the Government's own manifesto commitments and legal obligations under the Climate Change Act 2008.

The document outlines legal and administrative pathways for Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) and Citizen Energy Communities (CECs) to challenge Member State failures in implementing EU directives. It details EU-level options, such as infringement complaints to the European Commission and petitions to the European Parliament, alongside national remedies including ombudspersons, regulatory authority complaints, and court actions based on principles like direct effect and state liability. The guide also provides a preliminary analysis of which specific provisions of RED II and IEMD may have direct effect and examines transposition challenges in Hungary, France, and Belgium.

The UN Human Rights Committee ruled that Australia violated the rights to family, home, and culture of Torres Strait Islanders due to inadequate climate adaptation. The decision establishes a precedent for state responsibility for climate-related 'loss and damage' and mandates that Australia provide compensation and secure the communities' continued existence on their islands.

The document argues that Ghana's cocoa sector is plagued by high deforestation rates, poverty-driven child labour, and a lack of transparency in pricing and governance. It highlights that cocoa is the "single most important commodity driving deforestation in Ghana," with a loss rate of 3.2% per annum in the cocoa forest landscape. The briefing recommends clarifying forest conversion laws, reforming tree and land tenure to incentivise agroforestry, and establishing a mandatory national legality and traceability system to comply with emerging EU and UK due diligence regulations. It also calls for legislative reforms to the definition of child labour and greater transparency in the management of the Living Income Differential (LID) and the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC).

ClientEarth proposes a 'methane reduction alliance' consisting of the world's largest gas importers—including the EU, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and China—to implement a performance standard that caps and reduces methane emissions in the gas supply chain. The proposal argues that by prioritizing gas purchases from countries with similar regulations and applying fees to emissions exceeding the standard, importing nations can drive global methane abatement. The report highlights that capturing wasted methane could provide nearly 210 billion cubic metres of gas, offering a way to bolster supply without expanding gas fields. It also critiques voluntary industry schemes for lacking independent verification and failing to include national oil companies, which hold over half of global gas assets.

The briefing analyzes the legislative and institutional deficiencies in Côte d'Ivoire's cocoa sector, highlighting a lack of traceability, inadequate pricing mechanisms, and weak law enforcement. It argues that these gaps contribute to deforestation, child labor, and farmer poverty. The report recommends the creation of a centralized traceability system, a more transparent price-setting process, and a collaborative institutional framework to coordinate the various government ministries and agencies involved in cocoa and forest management.

The report finds that while there is a positive trend in aligning TACs with scientific advice, the 2020 deadline to end overfishing was missed. For 2022, 33% of analyzed TACs still exceeded scientific advice. Progress is significantly slower for stocks subject to precautionary advice compared to those with Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) assessments. The report also highlights a lack of transparency in the TAC-setting process and concerns over the implementation of the landing obligation.

The document is an annex listing fish species and specific TAC codes excluded from a core analysis, detailing the reasons for their exclusion such as area mismatches, unavailable advice, or changes in TAC units.

A coalition of civil society organizations calls on the European Commission and the UK Government to align 2023 fisheries negotiations in the Northeast Atlantic with scientific advice. The letter argues that current catch limits often exceed sustainable levels, undermining biodiversity and climate resilience. The signatories demand the implementation of 'climate buffers' for vulnerable species, an ecosystem-based approach to management, and increased transparency in decision-making to prevent long-term socio-economic losses.