Citizens call for rights for people and rules for business
90,000 citizens called on the European Union to support a binding treaty on business and human rights today, and to participate in international discussion on the issue in Geneva on the 24th October.
New EU finance chief must stop slash and burn approach
Reacting to European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis' hearing this morning in the European Parliament regarding his assuming the portfolio for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union, Friends of the Earth Europe accountable finance campaigner Anne van Schaik said:
Time for EU to hold corporations to account
Foreign affairs ministers from across the EU today published their conclusions on business and human rights. Friends of the Earth Europe welcomes a reference to the UN process to establish binding rules that would force multinational corporations to respect human rights laws [1], but calls on the EU to start actively supporting this UN process.
Six reasons to scrap EU-wide "super-ISDS"
Last week, several European newspapers published revelations about a proposal to roll out highly controversial corporate tribunals across Europe. [1]
COPINH activists call on EU to stop Honduran aid
Activists from the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) – the indigenous group that was led by murdered environmental activist Berta Caceres – are calling for the suspension of European aid to Honduras until human rights in the country are respected.
School of Sustainability
European investors need greater regulation
Europe needs to toughen-up its regulations for how investors deal with environmental and social risks, according to Friends of the Earth Europe and Global Witness.
Victory for Nigerian people in appeal against Shell
Four Nigerian farmers and Friends of the Earth Netherlands have welcomed today's ruling by the Court of Appeals in The Hague allowing them to jointly sue Shell in the Netherlands for causing extensive oil spills in Nigeria. The ruling is unique and can pave the way for victims of environmental pollution and human rights abuses worldwide to turn to the Netherlands for legal redress when a Dutch company is involved.
Global palm oil companies fail to prevent Indonesian fires
A large number of forest fires have been discovered on Indonesian plantations owned by global palm oil companies Bumitama and Wilmar International. Despite new evidence that both companies violate their own 'no deforestation' policies, major U.S. and European investors have not taken significant steps to address these problems, according to a new report released today.
Chevron, EDF and BNP-Paribas crowned climate Pinocchios
Chevron, EDF and BNP-Paribas have been awarded Pinocchio Climate Awards today for their roles in undermining climate action and harming local communities. The winners, announced at a ceremony in Paris after a month of public voting, include two sponsors of the COP21 international climate talks.
Pinocchio Climate Awards 2015: voting opens
The companies most guilty of undermining climate action are exposed today in the Pinocchio Climate Awards. Cash from big corporations is being used, through lobbying or greenwashing, to undermine necessary action on climate change the organisers of the awards say, a few weeks ahead of a crucial climate summit in Paris.