Grounding the New Legally Binding Instrument on Transnational Corporations on the Right to a Healthy Environment

By CIEL Senior Attorney Francesca Mingrone and FIAN International Secretary General Ana Maria Suarez-Franco. This article is being cross-published on the Third World Network (TWN): here. The main existing frameworks to regulate corporate conduct – at the international, regional, and national levels – currently fail to incorporate the protection of the environment meaningfully. This article explains … Read More.

The False Promise of Blue Ammonia for Shipping and Beyond

Published on April 8, 2025 By Taylor Hodge, US Agrochemicals and Fossil Fuels Campaigner, and Lindsey Jurca Durland, Senior Communications Campaign Specialist at the Center for International Environmental Law. Based on an article on ammonia by Lisa Tostado, Agrochemicals and Fossil Fuels Campaigner at the Center for International Environmental Law, originally published in the November 2024 … Read More.

An Unprecedented Opportunity: The Forum for Environmental Defenders in the Caribbean

Published on April 7, 2025 By Luisa Gomez Betancur, Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law, and Alexandra Cólon-Amil, Communications Campaign Specialist at the Center for International Environmental Law. Latin America and the Caribbean is the most violent region in the world for those who defend the land and the environment. Brazil, Colombia, … Read More.

COP29: Time for Real Climate Finance and Fossil Fuel Phaseout

Published November 7, 2024 By Erika Lennon, Senior Attorney for the Climate and Energy Program at the Center for International Environmental Law, and Rossella Recupero, Communications Campaign Specialist at the Center for International Environmental Law. The stakes are once again high as the world heads to the 29th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change … Read More.

An Imperfect Storm: Hurricane Helene Exposes Insurers’ Climate Hypocrisy

Insurance companies facilitate climate change by financing fossil fuels — and then seek to raise rates because of the damage it causes. Published October 7, 2024 By Lindsay Fenlock, Senior Researcher at the Center for International Environmental Law, Charles Slidders, Senior Attorney, Financial Strategies at the Center for International Environmental Law, and Nikki Reisch, Director … Read More.

Climate Crisis Triggers Dangerous Domino Effect: Insurance, Housing, Financial Crises

Published July 23, 2024 By Lindsay Fenlock, Senior Researcher at the Center for International Environmental Law, Charles Slidders, Senior Attorney, Financial Strategies at the Center for International Environmental Law, and Nikki Reisch, Director of the Climate & Energy Program at the Center for International Environmental Law. This is the second analysis in a multi-part series, … Read More.

Insuring the Climate Crisis: New Bill Aims to Rein in Predatory Insurance Practices

Published June 26, 2024 By Lindsay Fenlock, Senior Researcher at the Center for International Environmental Law, Charles Slidders, Senior Attorney, Financial Strategies at the Center for International Environmental Law, and Nikki Reisch, Director of the Climate & Energy Program at the Center for International Environmental Law. This is the first analysis in a multi-part series, … Read More.

COP28: A Crucial Crossroads for Fossil Fuel Phaseout and Human Rights

Published November 29, 2023 The United Nations climate conference gets underway in the United Arab Emirates this week against a backdrop of broken records and broken promises. From off-the-charts temperatures and unprecedented weather events to off-the-rails climate policies and missing climate finance, 2023 has raised the stakes for this year’s intergovernmental climate talks to new … Read More.

Will Canada Stand Up for Indigenous Rights or Continue Supporting Big Oil?

This article by Whitney Gravelle, Lindsay Bailey, Tamara Morgenthau, and Marco Simons was originally published on Just Security. One day in July 2010, residents of Marshall, Michigan, smelled something toxic in the air and called 9-1-1. It took over 17 hours for Canadian oil giant Enbridge to detect that its Line 6b pipeline had ruptured. In that time, … Read More.

Latest IPCC Report Warns: We Do Not Have Time to Waste on False Solutions

In March, the international authority on climate science released its new Synthesis Report on the current status of climate change, its impacts and risks, and our options to adapt to and confront the crisis in these pivotal years ahead. The takeaways from this massive document by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are numerous and detailed, … Read More.

Green Climate Fund: Updates from Songdo, South Korea

In March, the board of the Green Climate Fund met in South Korea to fund climate projects and shape its strategic plan for the next four years. The Green Climate Fund was established in 2010 as a promise to channel billions of dollars to low-income countries to help them adapt to a changing climate and reduce … Read More.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Frequently Asked Questions

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is purported to collect or “capture” carbon dioxide generated by high-emitting activities, and is therefore commonly proposed as a technology to help meet global energy and climate goals. However, CCS does not address the core drivers of the climate crisis or meaningfully reduce greenhouse emissions, and should not distract from … Read More.

Investors v. Climate Action

What recent case law and treaty reforms may mean for the future of investment arbitration in the energy sector Download a PDF of this document. As governments step up action to end reliance on fossil fuels, oil, gas, and coal companies may wield investment law as a shield to insulate themselves from the cost of … Read More.

False Solutions Prevail Over Real Ambition at COP26

The climate talks, COP26, in Glasgow started with a plethora of declarations. But in the end it failed to deliver on the real and immediate action needed to avoid climate catastrophe, and to address the demand for justice and equity for those most impacted by climate harms. The message outside of the negotiating halls at … Read More.

Civil Aviation Bailouts: Violating Our Children’s Rights?

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought international travel to a grinding halt as nations around the world imposed travel restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. The suspension of travel has, in turn, played a role in slashing fossil fuel demand to an unprecedented low and likely accelerated the systemic decline of the oil, gas, … Read More.

Money Talks: Taking Aim at Wall Street’s Investments in the Climate Crisis

“If we can stop the flow of money, we can stop the flow of oil.” In January, a coalition of environmental, youth, and Indigenous groups, including the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Greenpeace, and the Sierra Club, formed a new, people-powered movement called Stop the Money Pipeline. Our mission: to cut off the cash … Read More.

Potential Disaster Looms Off the Coast of Guyana

Following the discovery of oil off the coast of Guyana, fossil fuel industry giants rushed to sign a contract with the government. The resulting “deal” is shockingly unjust and devastatingly reckless.  Fossil fuels have profoundly impacted the world in which we live today. Their proponents insist that without them, we cannot continue to enjoy the … Read More.

Breaking Silos on Chemicals and the Climate Crisis

I know, I know, it’s a bit of a trope to talk about the need for a “holistic approach” within UN spaces. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the phrase “synergy” or “breaking silos” so much as in the time I’ve been attending UN events in Geneva.  However, despite the cliché messaging, environmental decision-making is … Read More.

Oil and Gas’s Gift to California: A $5.7 Billion Cleanup Bill

There is a very good chance that California taxpayers will be on the hook for $500 million in future costs of plugging so-called “orphan” oil and gas wells, and a good chance the number could be as high as $5.7 billion, according to a new report.  The report, released Friday by the California Council on … Read More.

Investors Spend US Tax Dollars on Fracking. Again.

Fracking destroys communities, endangers health, and perpetuates our addiction to fossil fuels. Yet, US tax dollars are still being poured into these destructive projects. Recently, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) voted to exacerbate the climate crisis, approving over $450 million of US taxpayer dollars to finance two large fracking projects in the region of … Read More.

The Climate Crisis is Threatening Your Rights. Now Do You Care?

In December 2017, a picturesque beach-side community along California’s central coast became the newest victim of the climate crisis. The Thomas Fire burned over 280,000 acres, destroyed at least 1,000 structures, displaced over 107,000 people, and cost almost $2 billion in damages. Thomas held the title of the largest wildfire in California’s history for less … Read More.

Missing the mark: Why You Should be Wary of Pro-Plastic Claims

Is your cotton tote really worse than your plastic bag? Claims promoting plastic as a “climate-friendly” material have managed to inundate the social media landscape lately, perpetuating a fundamental misunderstanding of the link between plastic, fossil fuels, and climate change. Plastic and climate change are not mutually exclusive; they are inherently interconnected. Claims that plastic … Read More.

Under Threat, Land Has a Critical Role to Play in Addressing Climate Crisis

“Land provides the principal basis for human livelihoods.” With this statement the IPCC begins the Summary for Policy Makers of its new Special Report on Climate Change and Land. In the report, the IPCC sends a clear message that we need urgent action to combat the climate crisis. Only by achieving “compatibility between specific land … Read More.

Getting Article 6 Right with Human Rights

Climate solutions that disregard human rights are not solutions at all. Including proper social and environmental safeguards in climate mitigation and adaptation is crucial for ensuring just, ambitious, and effective climate action. In Bonn, Germany, climate experts are coming together for the latest session of the UN climate negotiations. This is their first meeting since … Read More.

We Do Not Need Geoengineering to Solve (or Exacerbate) the Climate Crisis

On February 13, the Center for International Environmental Law launched a major new report examining the repeated and ongoing instances in which fossil fuel companies played a disproportionate role in promotion of carbon capture and storage, carbon dioxide removal strategies, and other geoengineering techniques. As we expected it to do, the report sparked excitement among … Read More.

Climate Outlook for 2019: Liability & Material Financial Risk

As the global transition to a low-carbon economy continued to accelerate, the impacts and responses to climate change dominated the news in 2018. The billions of dollars in property damages, lost businesses, and declines in state and local tax revenue in the US continues to reinforce concerns about the urgency of the climate crisis and … Read More.

A Global Response to the Global Plastic Crisis

We are overwhelmed by plastic pollution. This is the last call to save the planet. Marine plastic pollution is now under the magnifying glass of a group of experts tasked with recommending a global response to the plastics crisis. Here’s what to expect at their meeting next week. Plastics are a product of the fossil … Read More.

Time to Roll Up Our Sleeves: Moving toward the Paris Implementation Guidelines

At the climate negotiations this December, countries must adopt guidelines for implementing the Paris Agreement at the national level. The Paris Implementation Guidelines are essential to ensuring that climate action around the world keeps global temperature rise below 1.5°C while respecting and protecting human rights. But after multiple rounds of talks, including a special session … Read More.

The Uncertain Future of Big Plastic

In the 1960s, investing in plastics was a safe bet, and the plastics boom showed no sign of slowing down. But in 2018, the future of the plastic industry is less clear. In the US, plastic production is ramping up as natural gas fracking has led to extremely cheap feedstocks for plastic production. The plastic … Read More.

Rhode Island Becomes First State to Join Wave of Climate Litigation

In yet another frontier of the expanding struggle for climate justice, Rhode Island is the first US state to sue fossil fuel companies for the impacts of climate change. Climate change — with its rising sea levels and more frequent and severe natural disasters, like 2012’s Superstorm Sandy — is already impacting and extensively damaging … Read More.

ESG Guidance from the Department of Labor Clarifies Fiduciary Duty

On April 23, 2018, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued new guidance for private sector employee benefit plans about fiduciary responsibility in the exercise of shareholder rights and in weighing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in investment decision-making. At a time when public pension beneficiaries are expressing concerns about the prudence of retaining fossil … Read More.

Public Participation & Rights a Priority at Upcoming Climate Meeting

From April 30 to May 10, countries will come together for a United Nations climate meeting, to continue to make progress toward implementing the Paris Agreement and meeting key goals at this year’s COP24 climate conference in Poland. To ensure positive climate outcomes that benefit both the planet and communities across the world, we must … Read More.

Rights for Ambition: Talanoa Dialogue Presents Opportunity to Increase Climate Ambition While Respecting Rights

When countries adopted the Paris Agreement in 2015, they agreed to convene a “facilitative dialogue,” which would allow countries to come together to evaluate the world’s progress toward the goals of the Agreement. At last year’s climate talks, countries adopted the Talanoa Dialogue as the concept for this facilitative dialogue. The Talanoa Dialogue platform provides … Read More.

$600 Million Loan from Inter-American Development Bank will Support Controversial Energy Reform in Mexico

In 2013, Mexico’s president Enrique Peña Nieto Peña Nieto touted the country’s energy reform as a “historic opportunity” to “transform and elevate the quality of life of all Mexicans.” The constitutional changes, which ended decades-long monopolies on oil, gas, and electricity held by two state-owned companies, have both Mexican and foreign private competitors salivating at … Read More.

New Investments in Plastic Deserve Greater Scrutiny

Industry is currently investing billions in capacity to expand plastic production. But as the world phases out fossil fuels and awareness of the dangers of plastics increases, it begs the question: Is plastic production a good long-term investment? Around the world, countries, cities, and individuals are ramping up efforts to phase out fossil fuels, but … Read More.

Court Recognizes Right to a Healthy Environment at a Crucial Moment

Around the world, the connection between human rights and a healthy environment is becoming ever more obvious — as communities are harmed by mining projects, as people are displaced by climate change, and as cities and towns are devastated by extreme weather. That’s why the historic decision of the Inter-American Court on Human Rights in March was … Read More.

Tackling Gender Disparity at the Intersection of Human Rights and Climate Change

On the eve of International Women’s Day, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) adopted a new General Recommendation on the gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change. It marks a major milestone in tackling the particular impacts climate change has on the rights of women and girls … Read More.

Hey! Have You Been Subpoenaed by Exxon Yet?

In what has become the go-to intimidation tactic for Exxon and its allies, Exxon has announced that it is launching yet another baseless, vexatious discovery process designed to prove that every city, state, journalist, and nonprofit that investigates the company is part of a massive conspiracy to suppress its constitutional rights. Exxon’s latest targets (and … Read More.

Happy Birthday, Paris Agreement: Global Climate Accord Turns Two

On December 12, 2017, hundreds of investors, governments, and civil society representatives joined French President Emmanuel Macron at the One Planet Summit to mark the second anniversary of the Paris Agreement. President Macron—joined by UN Secretary General António Guterres, Work Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, and others—encouraged public and private financial institutions to accelerate … Read More.

German Court Grants Peruvian Farmer’s Appeal Against RWE

On November 13, a German appeals court agreed to review evidence supporting arguments by Peruvian farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya in his case against German energy giant RWE for the company’s contributions to climate change impacts that are now threatening his Andean home. Lliuya argues that RWE, as one of the world’s biggest emitters of carbon … Read More.

COP23 is an Opportunity to Emphasize Human Rights in Climate Action

Building on the momentum in the two years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, the upcoming COP23 is an opportunity for negotiators to reiterate the importance of human rights in climate action and take concrete steps toward implementing the agreement at a global scale. There is no doubt: climate change is a human rights … Read More.

Unbearably Hot, Wet, Windy, and Burning: Science Shows Us Who is Liable for the Earth’s New Normal in an Age of Climate Consequences

September has offered a sobering glimpse of the growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather patterns and their horrifying impacts. Record breaking heat, storms, and floods are being described with a growing collection of superlatives: hottest, wettest, most, and worst. As research scientist Katharine Hayhoe explains, as the world warms, more rapid evaporation increases the … Read More.

Green Groups Stand Together to Protect Climate Risk Carbon Initiative

A few weeks ago, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones fired back against a group of twelve oil and coal states that have threatened legal action over the Climate Risk Carbon Initiative. Now, fourteen environmental organizations are standing together to protect the same initiative from legislative assaults launched against it from within the state. Senate Bill 488, … Read More.

Aramco Opens, Fossil Fuel Age Closes

The Saudi government, in an effort to modernize and diversify the economy of Saudi Arabia, is planning to bring Saudi Aramco – an oil company with exclusive rights to Saudi Arabia’s vast oil and gas reserves – public with an IPO. This decision has raised eyebrows, as most observers expect that Aramco’s IPO, even with … Read More.

Arctic Shipping: New Environmental and Human Rights Risk

As a direct result of climate change, the Arctic is warming at a much faster rate than the rest of the planet. In 2016 the average temperature in the Arctic increased by 12 degrees Fahrenheit, a margin that would be cause for widespread panic if it occurred in a more populated area of the world. … Read More.

The Commissioner Strikes Back: California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones Counters Legal and Legislative Threats from Oil, Gas, and Coal Interests to Halt Climate Risk Carbon Initiative

Last week, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones fired back against a group of 12 oil and coal state that have threatened legal action over the Climate Risk Carbon Initiative. The threats of legal action began in June 2017, when Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter, the successor to the current EPA administrator Scott Pruitt, sent a … Read More.

Three California Climate Lawsuits Target Fossil Fuel Industry Responsibility

This week, three California municipalities – San Mateo County, Marin County, and Imperial Beach – filed complaints  against thirty-seven fossil fuel companies, seeking damages for the impacts of climate change. The plaintiffs argue that sea level rise has already done damage and cost money to study and prepare for. These costs will only grow as … Read More.

Why the Exxon Investigation Is More Urgent and More Justified Than Ever

Exxon may be perpetrating an ongoing fraud on the public. Over the last two years, reporting by the Los Angeles Times, the Center for International Environmental Law and others has exposed that Exxon and other oil companies have known about climate change and its potentially catastrophic impacts for at least 60 years. Instead of sounding … Read More.

The Green Climate Fund: A Refresher

It’s a been a while since we’ve written about the Green Climate Fund (GCF), but given its recent popularity in the media stemming from Trump’s complete mischaracterization of it when declaring his intent to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement, we wanted to give you a refresher on it. What it does. Contrary to … Read More.

US joins UN resolution to protect human rights from climate change

The US said climate change had “a range of implications for the effective enjoyment of human rights,” in a departure from recent diplomacy and Trump’s rhetoric The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution that calls for the protection of human rights from the impacts of climate change, with the support of the US. Two weeks … Read More.

Public Participation Both Winner and Loser at UN Climate Negotiations in Bonn

By Erika Lennon and Sébastien Duyck Undeterred by the political posturing of the US government, the United Nations climate negotiations continued to make progress towards the development of practical guidelines to assist governments in translating the Paris Agreement into concrete action. For the past two weeks, nearly 200 governments and hundreds of representatives from civil … Read More.

Why We March For Science

On Earth Day – April 22, 2017 – in Washington, DC (and in satellite marches in 600+ cities across the globe) thousands of people will come together in a show of force in the March for Science. We march to show our support for the research, analysis, and methods that seek to solve the most … Read More.

A Good Month for Climate Justice – A Bad Month for ExxonMobil

Exxon’s efforts to avoid accountability and the company’s campaign of intimidation against CIEL and partners just hit a huge roadblock… In 2015, the New York and Massachusetts Attorneys General opened investigations into whether ExxonMobil misled consumers, investors, and the public about the science linking the burning of their products to climate change. In an effort … Read More.

Climate Policy Must Protect Children’s Rights, Experts Tell UN Panel

By Sébastien Duyck, Senior Attorney Governments must do more to protect the human rights of children as they try to tackle climate change, representatives of the UN and its member states have told high-level panel in Geneva this week. Dozens of states spoke at the meeting, none argued that the rights of children were adequately protected under current … Read More.

Censorship Will Not Stop Us.

  By Lisa Anne Hamilton, Director of Climate & Energy Program On the website of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, book burning refers to the ritual destruction of written materials by fire. Usually carried out in public, the burning of books represents an element of censorship that proceeds from a cultural, religious, or political opposition … Read More.

Trillion Dollar Transformation: A Conversation with CIEL’s Steven Feit

What is Trillion Dollar Transformation? TDT is a project undertaken by Mercer and CIEL to explore the financial and legal circumstances facing public pension fund fiduciaries in the context of climate change and the financial risks it poses. It encompasses one report each from Mercer and CIEL, and will be followed by in-person events to … Read More.

Chileans are Fighting to Protect Their Rivers, Their Glaciers, and Their Right to Water

The Alto Maipo Hydroelectric Project, currently under construction just outside Santiago, Chile, threatens the water supply for over 7 million Chileans, and will have long-term devastating environmental impacts. Concerned citizens call the project “unviable” and are calling for it to be halted. From January 23-26, Marcela Mella, spokesperson of the Citizen Coordinating Committee in Defense of … Read More.

Panama Withdraws Problematic Barro Blanco Dam Project from CDM Registry

By Ariadni Chatziantoniou and Kelsey Alford-Jones In early November 2016, Panama withdrew the Barro Blanco hydroelectric power plant project from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) – the first time a host country has withdrawn a CDM registration due to human rights concerns. Specifically, the project failed to respect the rights of the indigenous Ngäbe people. … Read More.

Subpoenaed by Exxon

  By Carroll Muffett, CIEL President & CEO Two years ago, the early entry into force of the Paris Climate Agreement would have been unthinkable. Today, it is part of a new normal. The world is moving to make its vision of a safer climate a reality, and CIEL is a leader in this fight. … Read More.

The Growing Climate Rights Movement

By Alyssa Johl, Senior Attorney As the international community prepares for the Paris Climate Agreement to take effect on November 4, there are many reasons to celebrate this historic moment. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon shared his reflections: “What once seemed unthinkable is now unstoppable. Strong international support for the Paris Agreement entering into force is … Read More.

UNEA-2 and Stakeholder Engagement

By Dr. Marcos A. Orellana, Director of Human Human Rights & Environment Program The weekend prior to UNEA-2, civil society gathered in the 16th Global Major Groups and Stakeholder Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. For a number of years, this Forum has been the space where organizations interested in UNEP’s work prepare their engagement with UNEP’s … Read More.

Will UNEA-2 Be Able to Deliver on the High Hopes Placed on It?

By Dr. Marcos A. Orellana Looking back at the genesis of the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA) could give us a leads on the answer to that pointed question. The architects of the Rio+20 Outcome Document faced the challenge of strengthening the institutional framework for sustainable development. In particular, it was recognized then that the … Read More.

In Support of Climate Science Truth and Accountability

By Steven Feit, Law Fellow On Tuesday, May 3rd, CIEL President Carroll Muffett testified before the California Senate Judiciary Committee in support of Senate Bill 1161. SB 1161 (also known as the “California Climate Science Truth and Accountability Act of 2016”) is at once a common-sense measure and a potential landmark in efforts to ensure … Read More.

Reflections on Getting A Global Climate Agreement

By Alyssa Johl, Senior Attorney, Climate & Energy Program Now that I have had some time to reflect on (and recover from) our time in Paris, I want to share some thoughts on what we achieved through our unprecedented campaign to include human rights protections in the 2015 Paris Agreement, and how we got there. … Read More.

How We Learned “What They Knew”

  By Carroll Muffett, CIEL President & CEO and Steven Feit, Law Fellow The document trove which we call “Smoke And Fumes” actually began under a different name. Internally, the project was referred to as “What They Knew” for most of its life. This reflected the fact that the research was not about finding the … Read More.

No Parenthetical for Abbot Point: Risk Miscalculated

  By Muriel Moody Korol, Senior Attorney, Climate & Energy Program Right before Christmas, Moody’s announced that it is considering downgrading the credit rating of Adani Abbot Point Terminal Pty Ltd. (Abbot Point). Abbot Point is the case profiled in CIEL’s Report (Mis)Calculated Risk. CIEL’s report illustrates how rating agencies are failing to incorporate a dynamic change … Read More.

2015 Highlights: Top 10 Accomplishments

Your energy and advocacy sparked a global momentum shift over the past year, and we are on the cusp of true, transformative change. On all fronts, you have defended your right to a healthy planet. With your support, you help CIEL… Advance Climate Justice For three years, we’ve highlighted the growing legal and financial risks … Read More.