ClientEarth

In May, a landmark advisory opinion (AO) from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea/Tribunal international du droit de la mer confirmed that States MUST prevent, reduce, and control greenhouse gas emissions that are polluting our ocean, in a significant step forward for climate justice. 🌊   This from ITLOS is the first of three international advisory opinions on States’ responsibilities to confront the climate crisis set to play out this year. It sets the floor — not the ceiling — for future decisions on climate and international legal duties.   Today, together with Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change & World's Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ) we published our key takeaways from the ITLOS opinion, ahead of the upcoming ICJ climate advisory proceeding. Read more 👉

EU leaders must continue to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and toxic pollution. This is key to ensuring the security of all Europeans. If immediate action is not taken, these crises will further erode the EU's economy and diminish its global competitiveness. They will also compromise our energy independence, exacerbate public health issues, and trigger unprecedented waves of forced migration.   This is why we're calling on the future President of the European Commission to appoint a new Vice-President for People and the Environment that will boost the green transition. In our fictional mission letter, we outline what we think their role and responsibilities could look like. Read and share: https://lnkd.in/eEK5GKE2

⚠️The world’s forests are in danger, and so is the EU law that protects them. Just a year ago, the European Parliament and EU countries overwhelmingly voted in support of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Now, some conservative leaders from the EPP (European People’s Party) want to delay the deforestation law and water it down.   Why we need this law: The EUDR helps ensure the products we consume in the EU aren’t linked to deforestation or forest degradation. This law has been on the statute books for over a year already and European companies will have to start complying with it in the next six months. Talking about delay will only create uncertainty and undermine the investments that responsible companies have already made to become compliant.   Deforestation has not gone away. The EUDR has been negotiated and agreed. EU decision-makers must now focus on its swift and thorough implementation, not further time-wasting. [Credits: Fern NGO]

Congratulations to Keir Starmer and all in the Labour Party (UK) for winning the UK General election. The new Labour Government has a clear mandate for change – and bolder action on climate formed a key part of Labour’s promise to voters. The climate crisis is already upon us, and is escalating at pace. Spring 2024 was the warmest in the UK on record and the wettest in nearly 40 years, according to the Met office. Meanwhile, progress on meeting the UK's emissions reduction targets are seriously off track. In June, we wrote to party leaders to remind them that, following our court win in May, the next Government must publish a revised plan that puts the UK on track to meet its legally-binding carbon budgets by May 2025. Luckily, there are many concrete actions that can be taken, in line with long-standing recommendations from the Climate Change Committee. These include large-scale investment in public transport, rolling out mass home-insulation, and making land use in the UK more climate and nature friendly. While tackling the climate crisis, these policies will also improve quality of life and lower the cost of living for people across the UK. This new Government now has a golden opportunity to demonstrate leadership at home and internationally. That starts with a strong statement of intent about how it will respond to the High Court ruling and deliver a climate plan that is fit for purpose by May next year. Given the urgency of the challenge, we hope to see this statement of intent in the Government’s first 100 days. Change must start now.

📢 The science is clear: carbon offsetting is not reliable for tackling the climate crisis. We've joined 80 civil society organisations to call on climate target-setting bodies including @sciencetargets to stick to science. Read our joint statement: https://lnkd.in/dmA_5mRs

We are urging the future President of the European Commission to step up action against climate change, pollution and nature loss, by putting people and the planet at the heart of all EU decisions. Ursula von der Leyen has been picked again for the job but the Commission also needs a new position - a Vice-President for People and the Environment, to ensure climate and health are embedded in a just and fair transition.

More and more people around the world are recognising the power of the law as a force for climate action, according to LSE and Grantham Institute’s new report on Climate Litigation trends, which highlights how the trend is gaining momentum in protecting all life on Earth. Several of our bold and innovative legal cases are featured in the report, underscoring how ClientEarth’s work is part of the rich tapestry holding governments and businesses to account, setting precedents in climate litigation, and changing mindsets and behaviours.

The EU has reapproved the use of glyphosate – an extremely harmful pesticide – despite our request with PAN Europe & others to reconsider. We’ve proven that the safety check for this approval was flawed and that EU authorities ignored the vast majority of scientific evidence. Glyphosate is associated with carcinogenic, neurotoxic and endocrine-disrupting effects, and is hugely harmful to nature and wildlife. Our lawyer, Hélène Duguy, said: “The Commission is doubling down on its decision to re-approve glyphosate despite the fact that it is legally required to act with caution to prevent harm to humans and nature. We won’t hesitate to take this matter to the EU’s highest court to get the Commission to comply with its own rules.”

📢 With the UK general election a week away, now is the time to demand strong commitments on climate and nature protection from all candidates. Join us in calling on them to put the environment at the top of their priorities. Take action here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dNYSFbZ6

💧Our new report, published today along with EuroNatur Foundation & Riverwatch, assesses how well 6 Western Balkan countries are safeguarding their rivers💧 The report details to what extent these countries are protecting rivers by incorporating key EU laws around hydropower projects into national legislation. The analysis reveals that despite significant variations in adopting EU environmental law among these countries, in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, there has still been some progress. However, the report also highlights specific systemic failures to comply with the EU framework concerning environmental law, which are preventing the regions rivers being effectively protected. “This report not only sheds light on the current state of river protection in the Western Balkans, but also provides a clear path forward for enhancing legal frameworks to ensure the long-term health of these vital ecosystems. The findings and recommendations of this report will be instrumental in guiding policymakers, environmental advocates, and other stakeholders in their efforts to protect and preserve Europe’s last pristine rivers.” Maja Pravuljac, ClientEarth legal expert and author of the report. Read the full report below. (image credit: © Vladimir Tadic / Save the Blue Heart of Europe)