Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation - The Biodiversity and Wildlife Program promotes development and enforcement of an international legal framework, and of policy supporting conservation of living resources, including biodiversity, wildlife, forests and fisheries.

Chemicals Program - CIEL works in the United States and internationally to eliminate threats posed by dangerous chemicals. CIEL's Chemicals Program collaborates with civil society activists, intergovernmental organizations, and progressive governments to develop international law and policy on toxic chemicals, reform U.S. federal chemicals laws, and contribute to the implementation of sound chemicals management policies, especially in developing countries.

Climate Change and Global Warming - The Climate Change Program strives to protect the Earth from the threat of global warming by developing and advocating policies for adopting, implementing and enforcing an international and domestic legal framework to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Because of the breadth of issues involved, this work crosses into every other CIEL program.

Emerging Technologies: Biotechnology and Nanotechnology - CIEL tracks international legal developments regarding these areas and participates in critical activities regarding them.

Human Rights & the Environment - The Human Rights and Environment Program seeks to identify and develop connections between international environmental law and human rights law, to integrate the theoretical and advocacy approaches of the two movements, and to promote a more just, equitable and sustainable approach to natural resource management.

International Dispute Settlement - This project seeks to achieve transparency, accountability and opportunities for public participation in dispute settlement mechanisms across the entire international legal system, in order to make international law and institutions more just, credible and effective.

International Financial Institutions - The International Financial Institutions Program works to improve the environmental and social policies and practices of the World Bank and other international financial institutions, including through strong accountability mechanisms.

Law & Communities - The Law and Communities Program seeks to ensure that indigenous and other local communities have a voice and meaningful participation in decisions concerning the natural resources on which they depend.

Trade & Sustainable Development - The Trade and Sustainable Development Program seeks to integrate principles of sustainable development into international trade and investment rules, including those of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and various free trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties. The program includes the Intellectual Property and Sustainable Development Project.