Search Climate Insights Directory

Friends of the Earth International criticizes the European Union for delaying and derailing UN negotiations for a binding treaty to regulate transnational corporations. While civil society and some European nations push for corporate accountability and legal obligations across supply chains, the EU is accused of attempting to reduce the working group's mandate and favoring voluntary mechanisms over binding law.

Friends of the Earth International criticizes the European Union for hindering the UN process to create a binding treaty for multinational corporations. The author contends that the EU is attempting to reduce the mandate of the UN working group and prefers voluntary guidelines over legal accountability. The document advocates for a treaty that includes civil and criminal liability for corporate executives, supply chain transparency, and the establishment of an International Human Rights Court to ensure justice for affected communities and the protection of land defenders.

Friends of the Earth International denounces the planned demolition of Khan al Ahmar, a Bedouin village in the West Bank's Zone C. The organization asserts that the forced displacement of the Jahalin tribe to facilitate the E1 settlement block—connecting Ma’ale Adumim with East Jerusalem—violates international law and humanitarian obligations. The statement highlights the severe lack of basic infrastructure in the village and reports violence and arrests during Israeli efforts to clear the area.

Friends of the Earth International denounces the forced displacement and planned demolition of the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al Ahmar in the occupied West Bank. The organization argues that these actions, part of the E1 settlement block plan to connect Ma’ale Adumim to East Jerusalem, violate international law and humanitarian obligations. The document highlights the severe lack of infrastructure and services in the village and reports casualties and arrests resulting from Israeli forces' attempts to clear the area.

The report concludes that RCEP negotiations have failed transparency and public participation tests, operating largely in secret while granting privileged access to business lobby groups. It examines the specific failures of participating nations—including Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, China, Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia—highlighting the exclusion of parliaments and civil society. The document warns that this secrecy facilitates corporate influence over intellectual property, investment rules, and public services, and recommends a shift toward a democratic, participatory policy-making process.

The statement by Friends of the Earth International contends that the legal proceedings against Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva are unconstitutional and serve as a tool for conservative elites to block his return to power. It links his detention to a broader pattern of democratic erosion in Brazil, starting with the 2016 removal of Dilma Rousseff, and highlights the resulting negative impacts on social services, indigenous and peasant rights, and the environment. The text specifically criticizes the influence of 'criminal climate' companies like Shell and Chevron under the Michel Temer administration and reports a rise in violence against human rights defenders.

The statement contends that the legal proceedings against Lula da Silva are an extension of a 2016 coup that ousted Dilma Roussef, serving to protect the interests of conservative elites and transnational corporations. It links this political instability to the erosion of social rights, the influence of oil companies like Shell, Exxon, and BP on offshore legislation, and a rise in violence against human rights defenders and social movements in Brazil.

The document denounces the violence carried out by Israeli forces on May 14, 2018, during the 'Great March of Return' and the official relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem. It reports that over 60 people were killed and 2,800 injured, describing the event as the bloodiest day since the 2014 Gaza war. The statement highlights the humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by a blockade since 2006, noting that 97% of the water is non-potable. The authors call for the international community to end the Israeli occupation and recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

The document expresses condemnation over the killing of more than 60 Palestinians and the injury of over 2,800 others by Israeli forces on May 14, 2018, during the 'Great March of Return' protests. It highlights the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, noting that 97% of water is unsafe for drinking due to a blockade since 2006, and calls for international action to end the occupation and recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Friends of the Earth International and Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific denounce the killing of over 60 Palestinians by Israeli forces on May 14, 2018, during the 'Great March of Return' protests. The statement highlights the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, noting that 97% of water is non-potable due to a blockade since 2006, and urges the international community to end the occupation and recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Milieudefensie, an association representing 80,000 members, asserts that Royal Dutch Shell plc is legally liable for its substantial contribution to global climate change. The document claims Shell has been aware of the causal link between fossil fuels and global warming since at least 1986, yet continues to prioritize oil and gas growth over sustainable energy. Milieudefensie demands that Shell align its investment decisions with the Paris Agreement, phase out oil and gas production, and reduce scope 3 emissions to zero by 2050. The letter argues that Shell's current strategy—which assumes fossil fuels will meet over 50% of energy demand by 2050—is unlawful under Dutch law and violates human rights. It further alleges that Shell has engaged in misleading PR and lobbying to obstruct climate policies in the EU and US.

The document details how transnational corporations and agribusinesses in Central America disproportionately affect women through the looting of natural resources and environmental degradation. In El Salvador, Coca Cola's water extraction in Nejapa has depleted aquifers and polluted water sources, increasing the domestic burden on women. In Honduras, hydroelectric dams in La Paz have caused water scarcity and led to the murder of environmental activists, including Berta Cáceres. In Costa Rica, pineapple monocultures have contaminated water with agrotoxics, impacting women's health and care work. In Guatemala, sugarcane plantations on the Southern Coast have caused land grabbing, water shortages, and health issues due to aerial spraying and burning. Across all cases, women have emerged as key leaders in community resistance, organizing to defend their rights to water, land, and a healthy environment.

The report examines how corporate activities—including water extraction by Coca-Cola in El Salvador, hydroelectric projects in Honduras, pineapple monocultures in Costa Rica, and sugarcane production in Guatemala—disproportionately affect women's health, labor, and access to resources. It details the specific burdens placed on women, such as increased domestic labor due to water scarcity and health risks from agrotóxicos, while showcasing the emergence of women-led resistance movements and community-based research to challenge corporate power and state negligence.

The document outlines the process of declaring 'free territories' as a political practice of autonomy and self-determination. It provides a framework for preventive and reactive strategies, emphasizing the need for information dissemination, network organization, and propositional agendas to protect territories from extractivist models and corporate appropriation. The guide details specific regional examples, including mining-free zones in Mesoamerica, gasfield-free communities in Australia, and GMO-free regions in Europe and Costa Rica.

The document outlines the conceptual and practical framework for declaring 'free territories' as an exercise of autonomy and human rights. It provides a strategic approach to resisting the 'extractivist model'—specifically targeting REDD+, mining, fracking, and GMOs—by documenting successful community-led initiatives across Latin America, Europe, Australia, and other regions. The guide emphasizes that these declarations are not merely legal acts but political processes requiring permanent organization, public legitimacy, and the proposal of sustainable alternatives for local development.

The guide outlines the political and social process of declaring territories 'free' from specific threats, such as REDD+, mining, fracking, and GMOs. It frames these declarations as an exercise of autonomy and self-determination, providing strategic advice on prevention, information sharing, and alliance building. The document details various global case studies, including the M4 movement in Mesoamerica, anti-fracking efforts in Australia and Europe, and GMO-free initiatives in Costa Rica and the European Union, emphasizing that such declarations are tools for resisting corporate imposition and promoting sustainable, community-led development models.

The document advocates for Community Forest Management (CFM) as a holistic approach to territorial governance that prioritizes the 'Good Living' of indigenous and peasant communities over capitalist development. It asserts that CFM is more effective at reducing deforestation than absolute protection regimes and is essential for maintaining biodiversity and climate stability. The report warns against 'commercial logging' disguised as sustainable management and rejects REDD+ and carbon markets, arguing they centralize power and commodify nature. It recommends strengthening community land tenure, investing in local capacity building, and shifting international finance away from fossil fuels toward community-led conservation.

The report advocates for Community Forest Management (MCB) as a sustainable alternative to industrial logging and top-down conservation. It links MCB to the 'Buen Vivir' philosophy, emphasizing the need for secure land tenure, social capital, and gender equity. The text critiques market-based mechanisms like REDD+ and the Payment for Environmental Services (PSA) for promoting privatization and centralizing control. It concludes with recommendations to shift funding from fossil fuel subsidies toward community-led conservation and the restoration of ancestral rights.

The report promotes community forest management (GCF) as a holistic approach to forest conservation and social justice, contrasting it with destructive industrial logging and the REDD+ mechanism. It argues that GCF, rooted in the 'bien-vivre' paradigm, effectively reduces deforestation and protects biodiversity by empowering indigenous and local communities with secure land tenure and ancestral knowledge. The document highlights the failures of carbon markets and 'sustainable forest management' labels used by corporations to mask extraction. It recommends strengthening community land rights, eliminating fossil fuel subsidies to fund adaptation, and reducing international trade in tropical hardwoods.

The document expresses absolute concern over the European Union Election Observation Mission's (EU EOM) acceptance of the 2017 Honduran general election results, which saw Juan Orlando Hernández proclaimed president. The authors argue that the EU EOM minimized electoral irregularities, such as the suspension of results disclosure on November 29, and ignored the brutal state repression of peaceful protesters, which resulted in over 20 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The statement highlights the illegality of Hernández's candidacy and the harassment of environmental and human rights defenders, including Berta Zuñiga of COPINH. It concludes by demanding a final report from the EU EOM that acknowledges the government's violent strategies, recognizes electoral fraud, and calls for the protection of human rights and environmental defenders.