In less than a week, over 4,000 representatives from UN Member States and observers from around the world will gather in Ottawa, Canada, for the fourth session of the intergovernmental negotiating committee to advance a plastics treaty (INC-4). Previous negotiations have swirled around procedural issues, leading to delays and frustrations. As the clock ticks with eighty-five scheduled hours of negotiations left, two crucial questions arise: where do negotiations stand? What is needed to ensure success in Ottawa?  Status of the Treaty Text Over the last eighteen months, negotiations have f ..read more

Published April 18, 2024 The world has known about the grave risks and impacts of the climate crisis for decades, but it wasn’t until 2022 that international courts were finally asked to formally clarify what States must do to protect people from this threat. Today, there are three climate advisory proceedings underway before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Inter-American Court), the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), each of which has been asked to clarify States’ climate obligations. In this era of devastating climat ..read more

Published April 10, 2024 By Aubrey Manahan, Campaigner, and Lani Furbank, Communications Campaign Specialist As the World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) prepare to convene their 2024 Spring Meetings from April 15 to 20 in Washington, DC, the growing call to decolonize economic and financial institutions as a fundamental part of the just transition is louder than ever. While these meetings typically address major financial events and trends impacting the institution, its borrower countries, private sector clients, and partner investors, this year, numerous sessions will ..read more

Homeowners risk billions in losses as ‘Dirty Dozen’ insurers—citing climate risks— pull coverage while profiting from fossil fuels Published April 3, 2024 By Risalat Khan, Senior Strategist, Insure Our Future campaign, and Charles Slidders, Senior Attorney, Financial Strategies at the Center for International Environmental Law. California homeowners face a potentially staggering economic blow due to climate-related insurance non-renewals. Insure Our Future’s analysis finds homeowners could lose between $9.87-32.1 billion in property value as a result of more than 100,000 non-renewals. Twelve m ..read more

Published February 2, 2024 By Sébastien Duyck, Senior Attorney & Human Rights & Climate Campaign Manager, and Lani Furbank, Communications Campaign Specialist. On the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a diverse, people-powered, global coalition made history at the United Nations headquarters in New York.  The Global Coalition of Civil Society, Indigenous Peoples, Social Movements, and Local Communities for the Universal Recognition of the Right to a Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment was awarded the prestigious UN Human Rights Prize for its vi ..read more

Published January 31, 2024 By Giulia Carlini, Manager and Senior Attorney in CIEL’s Environmental Health program, David Azoulay, Director of the Environmental Health Program, and Catherine Allary, Communications Campaign Specialist. After years of negotiations, the fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) successfully adopted a new global framework on September 30, 2023, in Bonn, Germany, named the “Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) – For a planet free of harm from chemicals and waste.” Its predecessor —the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM ..read more

Published December 18, 2023 By Aubrey Manahan, Campaigner for CIEL’s People, Land & Resources Program. This month, during the United Nations Climate Summit COP28 in Dubai, Parties finalized the creation of a Loss and Damage Fund aimed at addressing climate-related harms endured by vulnerable communities and countries. While this achievement follows decades of advocacy by communities and civil society organizations, the adopted fund does not adequately prioritize climate justice. Regrettably, it will do little to repair and remedy the widespread human rights violations communities are suffe ..read more

By Lien Vandamme, Senior Campaigner Human Rights & Climate Change Promoting the rights and ensuring effective remedy for people adversely harmed by the climate crisis remains sidelined in the international climate negotiations. The creation of the Loss and Damage Fund at COP27 was celebrated as a historic win for communities impacted by prolonged climate inaction. Yet, the world awaits confirmation of whether this Fund will truly deliver justice. With just two days remaining, the world watches in anticipation. Delay, Denial, and Inaction In the four meetings held by the Transitional Commi ..read more

*Note: The World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, together with the Moroccan Government, made the decision that this year’s Annual Meetings in Marrakech will continue as planned after the recent earthquake in Morocco. CIEL will continue to monitor the evolving context and support local and regional partners who have been affected by the disaster.* Next week, the World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) will host their Annual Meetings in Marrakech, Morocco, from October 9 to October 15.  This yearly event is a combination of official closed-door meetings ..read more

Court expected to issue its opinion by early 2024 This article was written by Joie Chowdhury. After two weeks, public hearings at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in relation to the request for its Advisory Opinion on climate change and international law concluded on September 25, 2023. These legal proceedings, initiated by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS), have the potential to advance ambitious climate action after decades of political inertia that have plagued international climate negotiations and domestic climat ..read more