This briefer, presented by ICNL and ECNL, outlines some of the common legal and extralegal measures used to target civil society actors working on climate justice. Many of these measures violate international and regional law and threaten civil society’s ability to address urgent environmental challenges.

Climate change and the response to the crisis is set to transform the global economy, politics, and society by 2040. This briefing explores how states’ responses to the climate crisis over the next two decades will affect civic space for a range of established and new actors.

This issue of ICNL’s Global Trends examines common techniques used by governments and corporations to undermine the ability of environmental groups and activists to exercise freely their rights to assemble, associate, and express themselves.

This CIVICUS report examines the power of the growing climate movement, as well as restrictions that are holding it back. It also details how UN member states have collectively failed to respond, and makes recommendations on how to meaningfully recognize the youth climate movement.

Global Witness’s annual report on the killings of land and environmental defenders documents the many ways defenders are being criminalized, with countless people threatened, arrested, or thrown in jail for daring to oppose the governments or companies seeking to profit from their land.

Corporate-backed Bills Threaten Rights of Peaceful Protesters (March 2020)

Targeting Protesters through Extreme Penalties (October 2019)

Guilt by Association: Critical Infrastructure Bills and the Right to Protest (September 2018)

The battle over environmental activism has moved indoors to legislatures and courtrooms. This ICNL analysis looks at new types of “lawfare” to weaponize the law to undermine environmental organizations and their message.

This ECNL paper focuses on government restrictions that restrain activists and groups from meaningfully participating in decision-making processes on climate and environmental issues.

The “NGO Climate Compact: Commitments toward Environmental Action and Sustainability” represents a pledge by the InterAction community, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international NGOs, to urgently work to address climate change. It recognizes that the environment is central to achieving organizations’ missions to serve the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

Climate defenders in Africa face common challenges in exercising their assembly and association rights. On May 13, 2021, civil society organizations that work on climate justice from across sub-Saharan Africa, met with UNSR Voule to share first-hand information about the threats and challenges to freedom of peaceful assembly and association facing climate defenders.