In the face of mounting climate chaos, incremental steps and loophole language are a leap backward. Experts are available to comment in Dubai as well as in the United States DUBAI, UAE, December 13, 2023 – The COP28 United Nations climate summit, which concluded today in Dubai, revealed a stark contrast between what people power, … Read More.
DUBAI, UAE, December 9, 2023 — A new analysis conducted by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) uncovered the presence of at least 475 lobbyists at COP28 specializing in Carbon Capture (Utilization) and Storage (CC(U)S) projects. This analysis comes three days after the Kick Big Polluters Out Coalition reported a record 2,456 fossil … Read More.
DUBAI, UAE, November 29, 2023 — As we convene at the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) reaffirms its dedication to fostering a world where the interdependence of humans and the environment, and the dignity, equality, and human rights of all are recognized and respected. As … Read More.
DUBAI, UAE, November 22, 2023 — Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) experts will be available for comment during the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP28, from November 30 – December 12 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. CIEL experts will be closely following the negotiations and … Read More.
Absent a Major Course Correction, Ottawa will host a “Polite but Massive Failure.” NAIROBI, Kenya, November 19, 2023 — A week of negotiations in Nairobi left all options on the table for a proposed Global Plastic Treaty but fell far short of the progress needed to deliver an ambitious treaty on an equally ambitious timeline. Governments … Read More.
New report exposes offshore CCS as a dangerous distraction from real progress on climate change WASHINGTON, November 16, 2023 — Offshore Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is no solution to fossil fuel pollution, according to a new report from the Center for International Environmental Law. Deep Trouble: The Risks of Offshore Carbon Capture and Storage … Read More.
NAIROBI, Kenya, November 15, 2023 — 143 fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists have registered to attend the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3) to advance a global plastics treaty, gaining access to the negotiations at a time when the talks are entering a critical phase. A new analysis from the Center … Read More.
WASHINGTON, November 15, 2023 —The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) stands in solidarity with partners, colleagues, and all of those who have peacefully demonstrated in Panama. Thousands of people in both urban and rural areas of Panama have taken to the streets to demonstrate their rejection of metallic mining in response to g recent … Read More.
15 de noviembre de 2023 WASHINGTON, DC —El Centro para el Derecho Ambiental Internacional (CIEL, por sus siglas en inglés) se une en solidaridad con compañeros, compañeras, colegas, y todos aquellos quienes se han manifestado de forma pacífica en Panamá. Miles de personas tanto en las ciudades como en zonas rurales de Panamá, han salido … Read More.
NAIROBI, Kenya, November 8, 2023 — Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) experts will be in Nairobi and available for comment during the Third Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3) to advance a plastics treaty from November 13 – 19. CIEL experts will closely follow negotiations, tracking progress toward adopting a mandate to advance the draft of … Read More.
More Than 100 Countries Announced their Intention to Regulate Harmful Technologies GENEVA / BERLIN, October 16, 2023 —The Center for International Environmental Law and the Heinrich Böll Foundation have welcomed a statement that indicates the intention to regulate four highly problematic marine geoengineering technologies. The Parties to the London Convention and Protocol, international treaties that regulate … Read More.
BONN, Germany, October 3, 2023 — The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) welcomed the adoption of the Global Framework on Chemicals and Waste (GFC*), on September 30 at the Fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) in Bonn, Germany. The new framework, for a planet free of harm from chemicals and waste, is … Read More.
STRASBOURG, France, September 27, 2023 — In a landmark climate lawsuit, the European Court of Human Rights heard today six youth plaintiffs from Portugal who argue that government inaction in 33 countries discriminates against young people and poses a risk to their lives and health. The first hearing of the historic lawsuit Duarte Agostinho … Read More.
HAMBURG, Germany, September 25, 2023 —Today, two weeks of public hearings regarding state responsibility for addressing the climate crisis came to a close at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). More than 50 states and organizations, including the Center for International Environmental Law, weighed in through written submissions and/or oral arguments. … Read More.
BONN, Germany, September 23, 2023 — Experts from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) are available for comment on the future of global chemicals policy and how policymakers worldwide can work toward a toxic-free future. From September 23 to September 29, CIEL attorneys will participate in the negotiations to adopt a new international … Read More.
New ‘Climate Overshoot Commission’ Report Endorses Unproven Carbon Removal, Leaves Door Open to Risky Solar Geoengineering Experiments NEW YORK, September 14, 2023 – The Center for International Environmental Law today expresses serious concerns about the new report released by the biased “Climate Overshoot Commission.” The Commission itself has been criticized by experts and its own participants. Several … Read More.
Authoritative statements and language from recent human rights expert reports MEDIA BRIEF September 11, 2023 Geoengineering technologies – carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and solar geoengineering or solar radiation modification (SRM technologies) – pose significant, unprecedented risks to a wide range of human rights. These risks disproportionately affect vulnerable and marginalized communities, and the technologies remain … Read More.
HAMBURG, Germany, September 11, 2023 — From September 11 to September 25, experts from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) are following the public hearings at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on its advisory opinion related to state responsibility in the context of climate change and are available … Read More.
GENEVA, August 29, 2023 – This week, as United Nations Member States prepare to review Canada’s human rights record as part of the Universal Periodic Review, Indigenous communities and their allies are urging the government of Canada to respect their rights and oppose the Line 5 oil pipeline. Owned and operated by the Canadian … Read More.
GENEVA, August 28, 2023 — CIEL welcomed today’s new authoritative United Nations guidance which recognizes the grave impacts of environmental crises on children’s rights and provides guidance on what governments must do to prevent, mitigate, and remediate such harms as a matter of their legally binding obligations. The UN Committee on the Rights of the … Read More.
August 25, 2023 GENEVA, CH — This month, an international human rights expert appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council released a report in which he recommends that Canada “cease construction or operation of the Coastal GasLink, Trans Mountain and Line 5 pipelines, until the free, prior and informed consent of the Indigenous Peoples … Read More.
14 de agosto de 2023 WASHINGTON, DC — En un caso histórico de litigio climático, un tribunal del estado de Montana dictaminó hoy a favor de unos jóvenes demandantes quienes alegaron que el Estado violaba su derecho a un “ambiente limpio y saludable” al permitir la explotación de combustibles fósiles sin tener en cuenta su … Read More.
WASHINGTON, August 14, 2023 — In a landmark climate litigation case, a Montana state court ruled today in favor of youth plaintiffs who alleged the state violated their right to a “clean and healthful environment” by allowing fossil fuel development without considering its effect on the climate. The trial was the first of its … Read More.
WASHINGTON, August 9, 2023 — The leaders of State Parties to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT) gathered in the Brazilian city of Belém for a two-day summit, with the aim of reaching an agreement to address the threats to the Amazon rainforest and highlight its significance in confronting the climate crisis. The Amazon Summit, … Read More.
GENEVA, July 20, 2023 — The Global Coalition of Civil Society, Indigenous Peoples, Social Movements, and Local Communities for the Universal Recognition of the Human Right to a Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment has been awarded the prestigious 2023 United Nations Human Rights Prize. The coalition is recognized for its vital role in advocating … Read More.
The New Principles Clarify and Crystalize International Law As It Applies To The Human Rights of Future Generations NEW YORK, JULY 13, 2023 — As courts and governments worldwide increasingly grapple with finding a balance between pressing challenges and obligations to future generations, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) welcomes a new set of … Read More.
Europe’s Response to the Threat of Solar Geoengineering Must Uphold the Precautionary Principle and Strengthen Restrictive Governance GENEVA / BRUSSELS, June 29, 2023 — The European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy adopted on 28 June, 2023 a Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council laying … Read More.
GENEVA, June 28th, 2023 — In an unprecedented step, States at the Annual Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention — an agreement on access to information and environmental decision-making — acknowledged the need to curb corporate capture in international decision-making spaces to guarantee meaningful environmental democracy. At the end of the meeting, … Read More.
Despite Mounting Pressure and Momentum for Fossil Phaseout Globally, Once Again, the Talks Failed to Advance Urgent, Ambitious, and Equitable Climate Action BONN, Germany, June 15, 2023 — Governments at the climate negotiations at the 58th session of the Subsidiary Bodies to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (SB58) shamefully failed to reflect the urgent … Read More.
Delay Tactics and Rules of Procedure Debate Remain a Threat to the Future of the Plastics Treaty PARIS, June 2, 2023 — The second Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) to develop a treaty to end plastic pollution was dominated by delay tactics and maneuvers to neuter any possibility of an effective treaty before negotiations of the … Read More.
BONN, Germany, June 1, 2023 — Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) experts are in Bonn, Germany, engaging in international climate negotiations during the 58th session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB58) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from June 5 to June 15, and available for comment. The climate talks in Bonn … Read More.
PARIS, May 31, 2023 — Following the adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the Second Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) to develop the future plastics treaty, David Azoulay, Director of the Environmental Health Program at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), issued the following statement: “We have lost a day and a half of … Read More.
PARIS, May 29th, 2023 — At the start of the second intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC-2) to advance an internationally legally binding agreement on plastics pollution, delegates and observers are coming together to brief the media on what is needed to advance a treaty with high ambition. The work of INC-2 will focus on the decisions … Read More.
PARIS, May 24, 2023 — Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) experts are in Paris and available for comment during the Second Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) to advance a plastics treaty from May 29th – June 2nd. CIEL experts will closely follow negotiations, tracking progress toward establishing a mandate for developing a zero draft of … Read More.
STRASBOURG, France, May 17, 2023 — This week, Council of Europe (CoE) nations gathered for a once-in-a-generation summit in Reykjavik, Iceland. To demonstrate their unity in the face of the devastating Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, European governments met to reaffirm their commitment to core European values, including the rule of law, democracy, and human … Read More.
WASHINGTON, May 16, 2023 — Today’s announcement that UNEP will limit observer participation at the upcoming second intergovernmental negotiations committee to advance a plastics treaty (INC-2) was immediately met with objections from civil society organizations. Jane Patton, Plastics and Petrochemicals Campaign Manager at the Center for International Environmental Law, issued the following statement: “Observer … Read More.
GENEVA, May 12, 2023 — States at the United Nations Triple Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COPs) made progress on key issues related to chemicals management. Parties voted to ban three highly toxic chemicals and introduce compliance mechanisms after more than 15 years of inaction. However, they once … Read More.
Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) Experts Track the UN Triple Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions May 1st, 2023 GENEVA (CH) – CIEL experts are participating in and tracking the United Nations chemicals and waste negotiations at the Triple Conferences of the Parties of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm … Read More.
April 13, 2023 WASHINGTON, DC — This week, 4,577 individuals from around the world demanded that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) guarantee justice for communities harmed by international development projects. An alliance of civil society organizations (CSOs) hand-delivered the thousands of signatures in a petition to the IFC Board. The call echoes a similar statement … Read More.
Órganos de Tratados de las Naciones Unidas expresan su preocupación frente al proyecto de la Cuarta Línea de Transmisión Eléctrica de Panamá, exigiendo a Panamá el respeto al derecho de los pueblos indígenas al consentimiento libre, previo e informado 10 de abril de 2023 (English here) GINEBRA — En el mes de marzo, dos órganos … Read More.
UN Treaty Bodies express concern about Panama’s Fourth Electrical Transmission Line Project, call on Panama to respect Indigenous peoples’ right to free, prior & informed consent April 11, 2023 (español aquí) GENEVA (CH) — In March, two United Nations bodies issued their findings about the situation of human rights in Panama, revealing that the Panamanian … Read More.
April 4th, 2023 GENEVA (CH) – Today, the UN Human Rights Council adopted its first resolution following the UN universal recognition of the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. The fact that this resolution was adopted by consensus demonstrates that momentum continues to build towards the effective legal protection of the human … Read More.
March 29, 2023 NEW YORK (US) / STRASBOURG (FR) – Today, two critical developments at international institutions are advancing efforts to clarify and enforce states’ human rights obligations in the face of climate change. One is the first-ever public hearings at the European Court of Human Rights on climate cases addressing the duty of states … Read More.
March 20, 2023 Geneva and Interlaken (CH) – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — the UN body responsible for climate science — released its latest Synthesis Report, including a Summary for Policymakers, summarizing key findings from six major IPCC reports published since 2014. In this latest report, the IPCC once again unequivocally warns … Read More.
Export of Toxic Pesticides Harms Indigenous Peoples, Vulnerable Populations March 8, 2023 WASHINGTON (US) — The Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for International Environmental Law filed a legal petition today urging the Environmental Protection Agency to forbid the export of pesticides banned in the United States to any country without prior consent of … Read More.
March 3, 2022 NAIROBI (KE) — The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) welcomed the incremental steps taken by States and stakeholders to establish a new framework to promote global chemical safety at United Nations negotiations this past week. The resumed fourth meeting of the intersessional process considering the Strategic Approach and sound management of chemicals … Read More.
March 2, 2023 GENEVA (CH) — The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) celebrates yesterday’s announcement that 105 countries co-sponsored a UN resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on human rights and climate change. The advisory opinion was initially requested following an initiative by the island country Vanuatu. CIEL’s … Read More.
February 22, 2023 Washington, DC — The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) joins an alliance of civil society organizations to assert that a newly released proposal on remedial action by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) falls short of expectations and fails to provide a comprehensive plan for … Read More.
February 21, 2023 GENEVA (CH) — The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) welcomed the tabling of a UN resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on human rights and climate change, which had been requested following an initiative by Vanuatu. CIEL’s Climate and Energy Program Director Nikki Reisch said: … Read More.
February 16, 2023 WASHINGTON, DC — The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) welcomes the announcement that the Trump-appointed president of the World Bank, David Malpass, is resigning from his position. In response, Carla García Zendejas, the Director of People, Land, and Resources at CIEL issued the following statement: “The World Bank’s credibility has been … Read More.
February 3, 2022 BANGKOK (TH) —The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) welcomed steps taken by States gathered in Thailand to advance the establishment of a new Science-Policy Panel on the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution. Despite a limited agenda and some challenges in the run-up to the meeting, States … Read More.
January 17, 2023 WASHINGTON, D.C. / GENEVA (CH) – The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) applauds the Mexican government’s announcement that it will not permit solar geoengineering experiments and deployment on its national territory. The announcement follows a private, US-based company’s (‘Make Sunsets’) recent unauthorized experimental solar geoengineering flights in Mexico. CIEL calls on … Read More.
WASHINGTON, DC — In just one month since the Dina Boluarte government came to power, at least 48 civilians have been killed in the context of social protests, 41 of them as the result of wounds caused by gunfire. Human rights groups have sharply criticized Peruvian security forces, which appear to be responsible for most … Read More.
12 de enero de 2023 Washington, DC – Los Emiratos Árabes Unidos (EAU) han anunciado hoy el nombramiento del Sultán Al Jaber como presidente designado de la próxima cumbre de la ONU sobre el clima COP28, que se celebrará del 30 de noviembre al 12 de diciembre en Dubai. El Sultán Al Jaber es jefe … Read More.
January 12, 2023 WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced its appointment of Sultan Al Jaber as President-Designate of the upcoming UN climate summit COP28, which is scheduled to take place from November 30-December 12 in Dubai. Sultan Al Jaber is chief of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the world’s … Read More.
PRI accountability mechanism fails, enables greenwashing by trillion dollar pension fund December 13th, 2022 New York (US) – The Board of the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) confirmed its decision to dismiss a complaint filed against the $1.2 trillion pension fund Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association (TIAA) by nearly 800 TIAA clients—faculty from a wide … Read More.
PUNTA DEL ESTE (UY) — This week, States and stakeholders from around the world gathered in Uruguay to begin the negotiations to advance an international plastics treaty. While the agenda for the first meeting of the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC-1) appeared to be full of procedural matters, critical decisions ranging from the composition of the … Read More.
November 30th, 2022 GENEVA (CH) — In October, Vanuatu announced its initiative to request an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on human rights and climate change at the opening of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. Today a core group of eighteen regionally diverse countries tabled a draft resolution … Read More.
November 30th, 2022 BRUSSELS (BE) — The European Commission today delivered a proposal for a new legislative framework to certify carbon removal offsets. Members of Real Zero Europe, a coalition campaign that together with over 200 European and international organizations, issued a statement on Monday highlighting the danger of the EU net zero strategy’s reliance … Read More.
Over 170 civil society organizations, led by a coalition campaign Real Zero Europe, have slammed the European Commission’s leaked proposal for EU carbon removal, stating it is “full of red flags.” 28th November 2022 Brussels (BE) — The criticism comes just days ahead of the Commission’s expected legislative proposal for a new Carbon Removals Certification Framework, which outlines the … Read More.
November 19, 2022 WASHINGTON, DC — In the months preceding COP27, unprecedented climate disasters around the globe were coupled with near-universal recognition that climate action must urgently accelerate to avoid even more catastrophic temperature increases. At the same time, the international community has increasingly recognized that the continued use of fossil fuels is incompatible with … Read More.
November 19, 2022 WASHINGTON, DC— As COP27 draws to a close, negotiations have centered around topics including fossil fuels, loss and damage, Article 6, public participation, and States’ climate ambition. Members of the Center for International Environmental Law COP delegation had the following responses: Nikki Reisch, Director of Climate & Energy on fossil fuels: “The … Read More.
November 16, 2022 Sharm El-Sheik — In the middle of the overlapping UN climate negotiations and the G20 summit, Carroll Muffett, President and CEO of the Center for International Environmental Law issued the following statement: “Amidst an accelerating climate emergency and rapidly shrinking window to stay below 1.5 degrees of warming, it is time to … Read More.
Sharm El-Sheik — With the climate talks in Sharm El-Sheik officially ending on Friday, attention is turning to the final outcomes of COP27 and what will make it into the official communique: the cover decision. Parties face an urgent global call to build on, and not backslide from, the Glasgow Climate Pact, and to send … Read More.
Recommendations released at COP27 highlight greenwashing risks of ‘net zero,’ while falling short on carbon offsets and human rights November 8, 2022 Sharm El-Sheik, EGY / Washington, DC — Today, the UN High-Level Expert Group on the Net-Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities (HLEG) published its long-awaited recommendations “to prevent net zero from being undermined … Read More.
November 7, 2022 Sharm El-Sheik — Following COP26, the Article 6 Supervisory Body had two tasks: develop methodologies for the overall carbon market mechanism, and second provide recommendations related to the removals. During the opening days of COP27, the Supervisory Body proposal, Removal activities under the Article 6.4 mechanism was released. Center for International Environmental Law … Read More.
October 31st, 2022 SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EG / WASHINGTON, DC – Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) experts will be in Sharm El-Sheikh and available for comment during the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) from November 6 – November 18. COP27 is taking place as climate impacts … Read More.
October 19, 2022 New York, NY — Nearly 300 clients of the $1.2 trillion retirement giant TIAA filed a formal complaint today with the UN-sponsored Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) initiative, alleging TIAA’s substantial investments in fossil fuels and deforestation violate TIAA’s climate pledges and commitment to the six Principles for Responsible Investment. TIAA participants, … Read More.
October 6, 2022 Washington, DC — Chemical fertilizers derived from fossil fuels (“fossil fertilizers”) are an underrecognized driver of climate change, biodiversity loss, and toxic pollution, and yet the fertilizer industry is increasingly portraying itself as part of the solution to these converging planetary crises. Together with oil and gas companies, agrochemical producers are promoting … Read More.
6 Oktober 2022 Washington, DC — Chemische Düngemittel, die aus fossilen Rohstoffen gewonnen werden (“fossile Düngemittel”), sind ein weitestgehend unterschätzter Treiber für Klimawandel, Artensterben und Schadstoffbelastungen. Dennoch stellt sich die Düngemittelindustrie zunehmend als Teil der Lösung dieser konvergierenden planetarischen Krisen dar. Gemeinsam mit Öl- und Gasunternehmen werben die Hersteller von Agrochemikalien für die Kohlenstoffabscheidung und … Read More.
New report reveals the urgency to cut plastic production to reduce the European Union’s dependence on fossil fuels and Russian oil and gas September 27th, 2022 BRUSSELS (BE) – As the EU faces a looming gas shortage, EU countries are looking to consumers to shoulder the brunt of reductions and are pursuing deals to secure new … Read More.
September 23rd, 2022 GENEVA – Today, the UN Human Rights Committee issued a watershed decision finding that Australia’s inadequate action on climate change violates the rights of the Torres Strait Islanders and requesting that the State provide full reparation for the climate-related harms suffered, including adequate compensation and measures to prevent future violations. In response … Read More.
Washington, DC — Following reporting that JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and other US banks are threatening to leave the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) over strengthened criteria that would hamper and limit their fossil fuel financing. Center for International Environmental Law Senior Attorney Hana Heineken issued the following … Read More.
September 14, 2022 Washington, DC / New Orleans, LA — Today, a Louisiana District Court threw out the air permits issued by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to FG LA, a Formosa Plastics Group company, for the construction of a massive new petrochemical complex in St. James Parish, Louisiana. The court determined that … Read More.
September 12, 2022 Washington, DC — Today, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) welcomes Michelle Williams as its new Chief Financial Officer. Michelle brings over twenty years of experience as an accounting specialist with a commitment to the nonprofit sector, having led financial teams at multiple non-profit organizations, including those working in social service, … Read More.
August 15, 2022 Washington, DC —The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) expresses its solidarity with the Comité de Santurbán. We are deeply concerned to learn of reprisals, including death threats against union workers from the Sindicato del Acueducto de Bucaramanga SINTRAEMSDES for their relentless work in defending the Santurbán Páramo in Colombia. Páramos (high … Read More.
The Center for International Environmental Law mourns the passing last week of our dear friend and colleague Sandra Smithey. Sandra was a beloved member of the CIEL family, a keystone in the global fight to make development finance just and sustainable, a strategic partner, board member, mentor, and friend. In her two decades as a … Read More.
August 7th, 2022 Washington, DC — Following the Senate’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) Senior Attorney Steven Feit issued the following response: “Solving the climate crisis requires eliminating fossil fuels, and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 simply does not do this. The investments in renewable … Read More.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 28th, 2022 Washington, DC — Following the announcement that US Senators Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin reached a deal on a spending and revenue bill that includes $369 billion for climate and energy programs, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) Senior Attorney Steven Feit said the following: Policymakers are heralding the … Read More.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 28th, 2022 New York (US) — Following today’s historic vote at the United Nations General Assembly to recognize the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, the Center for International Environmental Law issued the following statement: “Today’s landmark vote affirms that everyone, no matter where, has the right to … Read More.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 30, 2022 – Washington, DC. (United States) — Today the US Supreme Court limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act. The decision in West Virginia v. EPA undermines efforts to reduce climate-warming pollution from coal and gas-fired power plants. Nikki … Read More.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 23rd, 2022 Geneva, Switzerland — Today, the Special Rapporteur for the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change, Dr. Ian Fry, presented his first report, on “initial planning and vision for the mandate,” at the 50th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. Francesca Mingrone, Staff … Read More.
A BRS Cha-Cha: UN Chemicals Negotiations Make Some Key Advances, Delay Already Overdue Protections, and Offer Lessons for Future Plastics Treaty FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, June 17, 2022 Geneva, Switzerland — At the conclusion of the United Nations Triple Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COPs) today, Parties made critical … Read More.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 16 June, 2022 Bonn, Germany, — The climate negotiations at the 56th session of the Subsidiary Bodies to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (SB56) yet again failed to reflect the urgent reality of billions of people suffering from climate inaction and climate-induced loss and damage. Just days after the United … Read More.
Following a historic investigation of a transmission line project in Panama, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation must address its failures to ensure Indigenous Peoples’ right to free, prior, and informed consent FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (español abajo) June 16, 2022 In a historic investigation published Friday, the independent accountability mechanism of the World Bank’s International … Read More.
Center for International Environmental Law Experts Will Be Attending the United Nations Triple Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions in Geneva GENEVA, CH, June 3rd, 2022 – Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) experts will be attending the upcoming United Nations chemicals and waste negotiations at the Triple Conferences of … Read More.
DAKAR, SENEGAL — The Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) to advance a plastics treaty has concluded with important progress that lays the groundwork for the next two and a half years of negotiations. It was the first formal meeting following the United Nations Environment Assembly’s adoption of a mandate to negotiate an international, legally … Read More.
BONN, GE / GENEVA, CH, June 2nd, 2022 – Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) experts will be attending the upcoming climate negotiations at the 56th session of the Subsidiary Bodies to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (SB56) in Bonn, Germany, from June 2 to June 16. These experts will be available for … Read More.
GENEVA, CH, June 1st, 2022, — The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) welcomes Lili Fuhr as Deputy Director of the Climate and Energy Program. Lili brings more than fifteen years of experience working in the fields of international environmental and climate policy, having devoted her career to protecting the planet and advancing economic and … Read More.
Center for International Environmental Law Experts Will Be Attending the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) to Prepare for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on a Plastics Treaty DAKAR, SE / GENEVA, CH, May 25th, 2022 – Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) experts will be following upcoming plastics treaty negotiations at the Ad Hoc Open-Ended … Read More.
Washington, DC — New analysis from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) exposes a little known but growing driver of microplastic pollution in the environment, agricultural soils, and our food supply. The report, Sowing a Plastic Planet: How Microplastics in Agrochemicals Are Affecting Our Soils, Our Food, and Our Future, reveals the underrecognized threat … Read More.
CIEL joins Colombian organizations to file an intervention supporting the Committee of Santurbán’s case before a Colombian High Court (Español abajo) May 18th, 2022 Bogotá, Colombia — The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) is joining Colombian NGOs and legal clinics in filing an intervention (coadyuvancia) supporting a rights-based legal action (tutela) filed by the … Read More.
May 6, 2022 – Nearly seven years after initiating its landmark National Inquiry on Climate Change, the Philippines Commission on Human Rights (CHR) released its final report. The original petition, filed by Greenpeace Southeast Asia and individuals from across the Philippines, asked the Commission to examine the impacts of climate change on the human rights … Read More.
Today, California State Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an investigation into the role ExxonMobil and other plastics and petrochemical companies have played in the mounting plastics crisis, including evidence that the industry intentionally misled consumers and the public about plastics recycling. Carroll Muffett, President of the Center for International Environmental Law, issued the following statement: … Read More.
CIEL President to testify on the risks and impacts of carbon capture and storage along the US Gulf Coast during upcoming House Subcommittee hearing Washington, DC — Tomorrow morning, the Center for International Environmental Law will provide expert testimony on the profound limits and growing risks of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) before the … Read More.
Washington, DC — Today, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) Director of People, Land, and Resources, Carla García Zendejas responded to the US Supreme Court’s decision to reject Petitioners’ writ for certiorari in Budha Ismail Jam, et al v. IFC. Previously, the US Supreme Court in this case found that the International Finance Corporation … Read More.
Washington, DC — The release today of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Working Group III report on mitigating climate change again affirms that the immediate and dramatic reduction of emissions this decade, through the accelerated phaseout of all fossil fuels, is essential to avert catastrophic and irreversible impacts of global warming. Both in … Read More.
The new mandate-holder has the expertise, the opportunity & the imperative to promote ambitious, equitable, rights-based climate action Geneva, CH — Today, as part of its 49th session, the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed Dr. Ian Fry for the newly established position of UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights … Read More.
Washington, DC — As governments meet this week to review and approve a summary of the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) regarding climate mitigation, hundreds of organizations from around the world sent an open letter demanding that they focus on rapidly ending fossil fuel production and use. The letter, signed … Read More.
WASHINGTON, DC — Following the Nicaraguan national assembly’s official decree revoking the legal status of 25 civil society organizations, citing administrative matters, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) People, Land & Resources Program Director, Carla García Zendejas, issued the following statement: “We are appalled by the Nicaraguan National Assembly’s decision to revoke the legal status … Read More.