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environment

The false hopes and empty promises of investment treaty modernization
13-Oct-2021 The Monitor
A Canadian company’s successful challenge to a precautionary mining ban in Colombia shows how little investor–state dispute panels care about the right to regulate.
Why a hasty trade deal may not be good for us – or for the environment
26-Aug-2021 Friends of the Earth
What precedent might be set by the new Australia trade deal and what could it tell us about the future for UK environmental standards?
Deep-sea salvage firm uses NAFTA to fight Mexican environmental rules
9-Aug-2021 The Maritime Executive
A lawsuit filed against the Mexican government for denying a permit for seabed mining has put a spotlight on the lack of international rules for such practices.
Protecting human and environmental rights in international investment agreements
9-Aug-2021 East Asia Forum
Human rights experts are particularly concerned about the asymmetric nature of the system and a lack of investors’ human rights obligations. Together with high ISDS costs and arbitral awards, they undermine states’ ability to realise economic, social, cultural and environmental rights.
Corporate courts vs the environment
3-Aug-2021 Al Jazeera
Corporate courts were invented to protect the West’s control of the world against decolonisation. They are now undermining attempts to halt climate change.
Brexit: Australia trade deal may lead to deal with South America, where intensive farming destroys rainforests
2-Aug-2021 The Independent
‘Any policy allowing imports that do not match UK animal welfare policies simply props up an industry the public has firmly rejected,’ says critic.
Ancient Romanian gold mine given UNESCO protection
28-Jul-2021 Balkan Insight
The derailment of the plans led Canadian mining company Gabriel Resources to sue the Romanian government for $5.7 billion before the Washington-based ICSID.
Romania mining town Rosia Montana eyes UNESCO restart
23-Jul-2021 France 24
Meanwhile, Gabriel Resources has taken Romania before the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, seeking $4.4 billion (3.7 billion euros) in damages.
Ecuador to seek ’payment plan’ for award to French oil company
3-Jun-2021 Reuters
Ecuador has 60 days to make the payment and has already contacted Perenco to start negotiations. In 2020, the country inked a $6.5 billion emergency deal with the IMF.
Ecuadorean state should pay $412 million to Perenco after losing legal dispute
2-Jun-2021 Amico Hoops
The Ecuadorean country will have to face a millionaire sum for Perenco oil company after a ruling by a panel formed under the auspices of the World Bank’s International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes.
US, Canada, Mexico hold ’robust’ trade deal talks, downplay differences
19-May-2021 Reuters
Trade ministers held "robust" talks on the new North American trade deal and pledged to fully enforce its higher standards, while downplaying differences over a range of other irritants.
Corporate courts threat to insects
18-May-2021 The Ecologist
The shadowy parallel court system of major trade agreements makes it difficult for countries to ban broad-spectrum insecticides.
EU exports of banned pesticides fuelling death & destruction in Mercosur
11-May-2021 The Left in the European Parliament
The EU has exported 7000 tonnes of deadly pesticides – banned domestically – to Mercosur countries in 2018-2019, a study published by the Left group in the European Parliament has found.
EU-Mercosur trade agreement: No protection of environment and people without renegotiations
3-May-2021 CIDSE
CIDSE, MISEREOR and Greenpeace published a new legal opinion that proves that in order to provide effective protection of human rights and environmental standards, the agreement needs to be renegotiated.
EU seeks Mercosur green commitments by end-2021 - EU trade chief
3-May-2021 Reuters
The European Union is seeking meaningful commitments on climate change and deforestation from Brazil and other Mercosur countries by the end of 2021.
Turkey is the latest victim of a billion-dollar corporate heist
23-Apr-2021 TRT
A Canadian mining company is suing Turkey for $1 billion at a secretive arbitration court over the cancellation of a mine project that was deemed disastrous for the environment.
Alamos Gold’s units to file $1 bln investment treaty claim against Turkey
21-Apr-2021 Reuters
Miner Alamos Gold said its Netherlands units will file an investment treaty claim exceeding $1 billion against Turkey for "unfair and inequitable treatment" with its gold mining project.
ATPC embarks on first ever environmental assessment of the AfCFTA to usher in green-friendly trade on the continent
14-Apr-2021 UNECA
The African Trade Policy Centre is preparing the first ever Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the AfCFTA to guide on how environmental considerations can be effectively incorporated into the agreement.
Mercosur trade deal threatens to wreck EU’s climate credibility
6-Apr-2021 Euractiv
To pass the EU-Mercosur deal in its current state would set an horrific precedent for future trade deals currently under negotiation and fly in the face of the EU’s landmark Green Deal.
EU trade deal set to increase harmful meat imports
24-Mar-2021 Friends of the Earth Europe
The EU plans to increase the number of destructive products on supermarket shelves with the proposed EU-Mercosur trade deal, reveals a report.