Center for International Environmental Law

05/05/2026

The takeaway from the world’s first ever conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels is clear: we have created the political space to address the root cause of the crisis.

The Santa Marta conference marked a historic shift from political deadlock to coordinated action, changing the trajectory of the fossil fuel conversation.

To secure a full phaseout and a truly fossil-free future, we must:

⚖️ End legal and financial barriers like Inter-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) that allow foreign investors to threaten public interest.
🌊 Halt fossil fuel expansion, specifically the push for offshore oil and gas that threatens our oceans.
🚜 Decouple our food systems from the petrochemicals embedded in fertilizers and plastics.
🚫 Reject false solutions and “techno-fixes” that enable greenwashing and delay real action.
🤝Enable effective cooperation among a coalition of doers and support for a binding fossil fuel treaty.

Now the question is not whether the transition will happen — but how fast, how fair, and how coordinated it will be.

Read our full statement at the link in our bio. 🔗

04/08/2026

💰 Petrochemical expansion isn’t just happening. It’s being decided.

A handful of financial institutions are shaping the future of toxic infrastructure in the US— choosing to finance projects that communities have fought for years.

This isn’t about inevitability.
It’s about concentrated financial power.

When banks approve loans and asset managers hold shares, they’re not neutral. They’re making decisions that lock in pollution, legal exposure, and long-term climate risk.

Behind every financing deal is a choice.

🔎 Explore the data.
📊 See who’s backing what.
✊ Ask why.

Link in bio.

11/20/2025

The climate rulings from the International Court of Justice and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights give the world something we’ve long needed: legal clarity.

And that clarity should guide us—especially in moments when progress feels stuck.

❌ No more voluntary promises
❌ No more delay
❌ No more impunity

It’s time to close the accountability gap and uphold what the law, science, and justice demand.

03/11/2024

📣 WE ARE HIRING!

💼 CIEL is looking for 2⃣ new team members:

👉 Administrative Assistant:
https://cielorg.bamboohr.com/careers/90?source=aWQ9MTg%3D
👉 International Carbon Capture Campaigner: https://cielorg.bamboohr.com/careers/91?source=aWQ9MTg%3D

Apply today or share this post with your network!

POSITION TITLE: International Carbon Capture Campaigner PROGRAM: Fossil Economy FOCUS AREA: Carbon Capture Technologies (CCS, DAC, BECC), EU & global SUPERVISOR: Program Director Fossil Economy LOCATION: Geneva or remote (regular EU / Europe travel) SALARY RANGE: €56,000 - €63,500 (Europe) O...

02/13/2024

📣 WE ARE HIRING!

CIEL is looking for a Marine Geoengineering Campaigner

👉 Apply today or share this post with your network!
https://cielorg.bamboohr.com/careers/87?source=aWQ9MTk%3D

10/20/2023

Check out this insightful article from The Atlantic, where CIEL's Carroll Muffett anticipates a new wave of climate litigation similar to recent cases against major oil companies. 🏭 💰

This time, the focus is on insurance. 'It's a virtual certainty,' states Muffett.

Read more: https://bit.ly/40398aP by Zoë Schlanger.

Sometimes, a town doesn’t have to be underwater to become uninhabitable. All it has to do is be uninsurable.

10/11/2023

Small plastic particles persist in our oceans 🌊 , making pollution prevention crucial, as Mongabay.com highlights in this article 📖 . A UN treaty on plastic pollution offers hope for global action 🌍 .

“What is really striking about the global plastics treaty mandate is that parties have agreed to look at plastics across the entire life cycle. These treaty negotiations have a really powerful signaling function for global markets around plastics,” from CIEL’s
Carroll Muffett

Read more: https://bit.ly/3Q6BD3X by Claire Asher.

Research finds impacts by tiny plastic particles on marine plankton and microbes could disrupt carbon and nitrogen cycling in the world’s oceans, possibly putting Earth’s operating system and the planet’s habitability at risk.

10/09/2023

ICYMI: Explore the insightful discussion on aligning the Plastics Treaty with Climate Goals. 🌍

📺 Watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/gStC8j2G-zA

Our panelists discussed the importance of plastics production controls for a 1.5°C aligned treaty. 🌡️

GRID-Arendal International Energy Agency (IEA)

5 October 2023, 4 PM (CEST)Moderator: - Carina Thomassen, Associate Expert, Waste and Marine Litter Programme, GRID-ArendalPanelists:- Daniela Duran, Senior ...

09/29/2023

📢 Exciting News! Join us for a webinar on "Aligning the Plastics Treaty with Climate Goals: The Role of Production Controls." Explore diverse perspectives on this crucial topic.

🗓️ Date: October 5th
🕒 Time: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm CET

🌐 Register here: https://bit.ly/3LDwCgu

🔹Moderator: Carina Thomassen from GRID-Arendal🔹Speakers: Christina Dixon from , Daniela Durán González from CIEL, Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez Stockholm Resilience Centre, Halatoa Fua from 🇨🇰, María Daniela García from 🇪🇨

We'll unveil the key findings of latest briefing highlighting how Plastic Production impacts the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal. 📖 Discover more: https://bit.ly/3PSeXoa

Don't miss this insightful discussion!
🌍 Open to all stakeholders - Member States, CSOs, Scientists, and more!
Stay tuned for further details!

The webinar aims to provide an overview of different perspectives on how the plastics treaty should align to the climate goals and beyond, and the role and importance of production controls to achieve that.

09/29/2023

Powerful recap of ITLOS’S historic climate change hearings just posted! After 2 weeks, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea concluded its hearings on nations' duties to protect oceans from climate change, impacting human rights & biodiversity.

READ it here: https://bit.ly/3Rzg7pP

💡 Key summary:

These hearings were initiated by COSIS on Climate Change and International Law to address climate change & ocean protection🌊 . The Tribunal was asked to clarify State obligations regarding marine pollution from greenhouse gas emissions & the protection of the marine environment from climate change impacts.

More than 50 states and organizations, including CIEL, participated in written submissions and oral arguments. The case highlights the urgent need for climate action to protect coastal communities and the marine environment.

Key issues:

🌊 Defining greenhouse gas emissions as marine pollution
📚 Shaping state duties with the best available science
🌏 Examining human rights implications of climate change
🛢️ Scrutinizing fossil fuels' role in harming marine ecosystems
🌍 Navigating international law and the

States' Positions:

- Greenhouse gas emissions as marine pollution widely supported
- Agreement on aligning state duties with science
- Diverse views on the Tribunal's jurisdiction
- Varied interpretations of state duties under international law
- Acknowledgment of fossil fuels' impact

What's Ahead:

ITLOS's forthcoming advisory opinion (6-8 months) sets a crucial precedent for climate litigation. States' positions underline the gap between climate duty rhetoric and action. Smaller, climate-vulnerable states champion climate accountability 🌍🌱

At Historic ITLOS Hearings, States Stake Out Positions on Climate Duties and Ocean ProtectionCourt expected to issue its opinion by early 2024