Client Earth

Operating in London, Brussel, Warsaw, Berlin, and Beijing, Client Earth is a leading organization which brings major environmental cases before courts and prosecutes the responsible ones. Founded in 2008 and aiming to fight for a right to a healthy environment, Client Earth gathered eminent experts covering the following areas: access to justice, biofuels, air pollution, and coal industry. By far, in the fight against climate changes and nature protection, they successfully issued numerous cases against governments in Europe.

Earthjustice

As a non-governmental organization based in San Francisco, the United States, Earthjustice holds the ones who break national laws to account. It has 14 offices across the state. Acting as the legal backbone for thousands of organizations, it strives to make the world a better place by providing legal assistance in the fight for environmental protection. Legal experts from this organization represent clients free of charge thanks to various individual donations. Their work is divided into three key goal areas: The Wild, Healthy Communities and Clean Energy and Stable Climate.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)

The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) is a non-profit and non-governmental organization of lawyers that was founded in 1992.  Its aim is to establish a sound environmental and ecological order by using the law as a tool. Firstly, it started as a local group advocating environmental justice and nature conservation, now it represents the response to the global call for a movement of supporting people living in rural areas and rural agronomy countries such as Bangladesh.

Center for International Environmental Law

Established in 1989, CIEL uses the power of law to promote human rights, protect the environment and ensure a sustainable society. It has its offices in Washington, DC, and Geneva, Switzerland where experts provide diverse services such as legal counsel, advocacy, policy research and capacity building across three main areas: Climate and Energy, Environmental Health and People, Land, and Resources. It has a specifically designed internship program for students so it can contribute to the education of future generations that will continue to fight for a healthier and more sustainable environment.

Natural Justice

As a young organization specializing in environmental and human rights, Natural Justice: Lawyers for Communities and the Environment operates in Africa offering support to communities that suffer the negative impact of increasing demand for land and resources. Also, they conduct extensive research on human rights and environmental law and get engaged in national and international processes. Their objective is to integrate international laws at the local level.

Environmental Law Foundation

The Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) is a charity established in 1992 and registered in England and Wales. Since its beginnings, it is continuously promoting better collective decision-making in a democratic and stable society and helps the voice of ordinary people be heard. The organization has its university-based legal clinics, but it also provides information and guidance on environmental issues for individuals and communities. The network of experts, both technical and legal, provides support to socially and economically disadvantaged communities.

World Organization for the Protection of the Environment

The OMPE (World Organization for the Protection of the Environment) is a french, independent environmental Non-Governmental and non-political organization established in 2013. They deal with environmental problems internationally having an objective to protect the planet Earth by correcting the mistakes made by humans in the past. Their work encompasses biodiversity (fighting endangered species), deforestation, rapid return to clean air and water quality at global level, global warming, energies, fight against all pollution (land, oceans, plastics, insecticides, waves, radiation, etc).

The Environmental Defender Law Centre

The Environmental Defender Law Centre is an NGO focusing on human and environmental rights protection in developing countries. As they claim, harmed environment means harmed communities which depend on such natural resources. Usually, people don’t have the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process or other ways to advocate the right to live in a healthy environment. In cases with environmental matters, this organization helps in finding lawyers, provide resources and give grants.

National Environmental Law Center

Working closely with state and local citizen groups, The National Environmental Law Center (NELC) brings corporate polluters to justice. Founded in 1990, this NGO helps the public to shape and enforce environmental laws. By providing legal expertise, they are successful at enforcing and strengthening anti-pollution laws and supporting local restoration and preservation efforts.

Eastern Environmental Law Centre

The Eastern Environmental Law Center (EELC) is based in New Jersey. It advocates the improvement of environmental issues threatening people, natural resources and communities in the surrounded region.  Also, it provides free legal representation to organizations and individuals who cannot afford it. Their work especially focuses on the protection and preservation of open space and water quality.

UK Environmental Law Association

UKELA (the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association) is an organization from the United Kingdom established in 1988. It represents a forum whose aim is to create better laws for the environment and improve the understanding and awareness of environmental law. Registered as a charity and a limited liability company, it strives to promote the enhancement and conservation of the environment in the UK.

Environmental Law Association 

In June 2008, 30 lawyers, conservationists, and academics gathered and established an independent association- Environmental Law Association. Based in Fiji, the organization aims to protect the environment and promote sustainable natural resource management through law. Its experts conduct training on behalf of the association and provide legal advice in environmental matters.

Environmental Law Association

The Environmental Law Association is an NGO based in South Africa. As the environmental issues are increasing, environmental law on the international scene expands. This organization contributes to a better understanding, teaching and developing of the complex regulatory systems such as environmental law and policies.

Lawyers’ Environmental Action Team (LEAT)

This organization was founded in 1994 in Tanzania. Lawyers’ Environmental Action Team (LEAT) conducts activities such as environmental and natural resources legal and policy research, advocacy, and selected public interest litigation. The organization has transformed itself through the years and has become the premier public interest environmental and natural resources management and protection organization in Tanzania.

The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) 

The Canadian Environmental Law Association is a non-profit organization established in 1970. It is one of 79 community legal clinics located in Ontario and 15 of which offer services in specialized areas of law. Its objective is to use existing laws to protect the environment and to advocate environmental law reforms. It is also a free legal advisory clinic for the public.

Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development

The Foundation for International Law and Development (FIELD) re-established itself as an independent NGO, after six years of being a subsidiary of International Institute for Environment and Development. Thanks to collaborative work with local partners, NGOs, and institutions, it has a worldwide reputation. Since 2008, it develops its expertise in the application of international environmental law and helps vulnerable countries, communities, and campaigners negotiate for fairer international environmental laws.

Friends of the Earth

Friend of the Earth is the largest grassroots environmental network. It unites 73 national member group and about 5000 local activists groups worldwide. It challenges the economic and corporate model of globalization but also promotes solutions for overcoming issues. Friends of the Earth gather more than 2 million people around the world with the aim to create a sustainable, socially just society, while at the same time striving for gender equality within their own activities.

Global Witness 

Global Witness strives to protect human rights and the environment by confronting corruption and challenging the systems that enable it. Founded in 1993 by people who realized the connection between natural resources, conflicts, and corruption, it aims to uncover truths that are harmful and of public interest. Global Witness has offices in London, Brussel, and Washington and as an independent and non-profit organization asks hard questions: who embezzles the money and how it is being spent.

Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association

Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) conduct activities such as legal and policy research, advocacy, impact litigation, conflict resolution and civic education aiming to help poor communities to assert and claim their environmental, economic, social and cultural rights. Established in 2000, the ZELA’s objective is to advocate public interest and promote environmental justice, as well as the sustainable and equitable use of natural resources, democracy, and good governance.

Environmental Justice Australia

This environment’s legal team and not-for-profit legal practice aspire to create a better legal system that delivers justice to people and the planet. By providing legal advice regarding environmental issues as well as legal support campaigns for social changes, Environmental Justice Australia aims to protect the environment and defend the rights of communities to healthier surroundings.

Each country has its own concerns and battles regarding environmental protection. Globalization encourages us to cooperate jointly and reminds us working on environmental problems should be our priority. Each organization from this list gives its bets in fighting for environmental rights. Therefore, this list doesn’t represent the order by their power or success.

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Ecology, its actualization, development, and importance in contemporary socio-political and economic processes have caused the need of enrichment of the existing human rights pallet with independent research of ecological rights and before all, a right to a healthy environment. From its very beginning, this right faced different controversies and was often studied within other branches of law. It was often understood as a luxurious right conferred to countries who have reached a certain level of economic development and can take ecological measures at the expense of profit in order to protect its citizens. But, even though this statement is not far from the present truth, governments worldwide are becoming more aware of this issue and international organization are working hard in order to provide everyone on this planet with the right of a healthy environment which is inseparable from other fundamental rights we are all entitled to, a right to life and a right to health. If your goal is to work on protection of human rights regarding ecology rights we have selected some human rights masters with an environmental focus which can be just a step forward towards your human rights career.

LLM Human Rights and the Environment, Lancaster University, United Kingdom 

England is well-known for reputable universities and top quality education and Lancaster University, a public research university in England offers the LLM in Human Rights and the Environment. This Master’s will provide you with a deeper understanding of political, legal and human rights issues, environmental protection and its regulation. It is a joint program of the Lancaster University Law School and the Lancaster Environment Centre where you will have access to the top expertise of academic working. The program encourages you to build a broad network of academics, peers, and alumni which is the most valuable asset you can gain during your university years and opens the door to exciting careers. It is possible to attend it as a one-year full-time Master’s or if you wish to adjust it to your work life you can choose a two-year part-time course.

LLM International Human Rights Law and Protection of Environment, Charles University, Czech Republic

In a charming city of Prague, the oldest and the largest university in the Czech Republic offers international LLM programs where you can choose between various specialization and one of them is an exciting LLM focusing on an interdisciplinary approach in the fields of human rights and environment protection. It is organized as 18 months three-semester course with two semesters of on-site study and one additional semester of distance study used for writing a thesis and its defense. The interdisciplinary approach combines International, European and Environmental Law, constitutional and administrative aspects of law but also the legal history of environmental protection to gain a better understanding of its historical evolution.  Pre-requisite for attending this LLM is a solid understanding of the issues of contemporary International Law as a large part of the program is devoted to studying international treaties, liability and enforcement mechanisms on an international level.

Master in International and Comparative Environmental Law, University of Limoges, France

If you are a French speaker currently working and unable to relocate to France but you have always wanted to study at a French University, then look no more. We found a distance learning master program in International and Comparative Environmental Law that can suit your needs. This master is organized together with AUF, Francophone University Agency that promotes education in the French language worldwide.

The Master is aimed at civil servants and lawyers from NGOs, consulting firms, industrial or commercial companies, holding various positions in local, national or international bodies, in the legal profession (lawyers, magistrates, experts …) wishing to be trained in environmental law, to teachers and trainers, and to everyone interested in training in this field in order to take up responsibilities in the field of environmental law or to pursue a doctoral thesis. This Master aims to integrate students in diverse sectors at the local, regional, national and international levels. The degree of International and Comparative Law of the Environment includes a common core, an international environmental law option, a comparative right option of the environment. When choosing a common core you have the option of studying Environmental Law within the European Convention of Human Rights and ECHR case law while at the same time studying different matters of environmental law on an international level and through comparative research.

LLM in Human Rights Law, Middlesex University, United Kingdom

Middlesex University in London is highly ranked in the area of human rights law with eminent experts teaching at the university. The LLM Human Rights Law provides specialization in human rights law on an international and regional level while encouraging students to address current human rights issues. Studying at this university, you will get the chance to learn directly from some of the world’s foremost figures in the fields of human rights law such as Professor Philip Leach, the Director of the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre who was named the Law Society’s Human Rights Lawyer of the Year. You have the opportunity to choose between four core and two optional modules and one of the optional modules includes Environmental Law and Governance.

Master in Environmental Law and Sustainable Development, SOAS University of London, United Kingdom

At the leading Higher Education institution in Europe, SOAS University of London, specializing in the study of Asia, Africa, and the Near and Middle East, you can get the full or part-time master program on the topic of environmental law and sustainable development. It provides a unique and attractive program not only on nature preservation but rational usage of natural resources as well. In order to provide equal chances for further development, for developing and developed countries, the program highlights links between environmental regulation and other related fields of law. It is needed to emphasise and broaden the scope of law matters, such as human rights, trade or intellectual property rights. Students can attend mix modules covering international and national environmental issues In order to be fully trained in dealing with the arising issues.

Also, University offers membership at the Law, Environment and Development Centre where students can upgrade their research skills and get advanced knowledge of the disciplines that cover the sustainable development and natural resource use.

Not many programs offer a full specialization in Human Rights Law and Environment, most of them are focused either on Environmental law with optional modules of human rights law vice versa. We hope that the academic institutions will follow the evolution of the right to a healthy environment and that we can expect more specialized human rights courses with environmental law focus in the future.

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