Environmental Investigation Agency

Eia's forest campaign protects the world's forests, and the people, wildlife and global climate that depend on them, by exposing illegal timber operations and illegal deforestation for production of commodities through undercover investigations; extensive research, data analysis, scientific analysis, campaigning and advocacy for domestic laws that ban imports of products made from illegally cut timber or commodities resulting from illicit deforestation; engaging with businesses and trade associations to make supply chains more traceable and transparent worldwide to reinforce legality and promote sustainability; advocating for forest protection and governance safeguards in trade policies; and strengthening forest governance and community inclusion, which in turn helps communities to thrive and forests to remain standing. Eia conducts investigative field work, desktop detailed research and analysis, and engages extensively with indigenous and local communities, enforcement officials, scientific and policy experts to support advances in technology, policy change in international fora, national, regional and local governments and with local stakeholders to protect forests and the global climate.

Global climate campaign: eia is leading the international effort for a global phase-out of hydroflurocarbons (hfcs)--a class of potent chlorinated chemicals that are responsible for the antarctic and arctic ozone holes as well as one sixth of all global warming. Eia provides a wide array of information, through primary research and data analysis, to various industrial sectors to facilitate immediate conversions from ozone depleting substances and hfcs to low-gwp climate friendly alternatives. Through comprehensive analysis of scientific knowledge, including atmospheric and chemical sciences, gas chromatography, cutting-edge refrigeration and air-conditioning technology and activities within the montreal protocol, eia works with research organizations, scientists, governments, industry and ngos as well as the technology and economic assessment panel (teap) that was established as the technology and economics advisory body to the montreal protocol parties, to provide technical information related to the alternative technologies that have been investigated and employed to make it possible to virtually eliminate use of ozone depleting substances (such as cfcs and halons), that harm the ozone layer. Eia also presents in various u.n. and industry events on latest technology developments to promote climate-friendly technology that use non-fluorinated non-synthetic refrigerants currently widely used in refrigerants and air conditioning.

Eia wildlife and ocean campaigns envisions a world where the world's most threatened species, including elephants, rhinos, orangutans, and beluga whales, are protected, recovered, and thriving throughout their natural ranges. Eia relies on the best available scientific, customs, and trade data, and intelligence from investigations, to support policies and actions that protect threatened and endangered species. Eia's wildlife campaign works with partners and allies on the ground to stop the illegal and unsustainable killing of, and trade in, elephants and rhinos, and to protect the arctic home of belugas and other whales and the tropical forest habitat of orangutans.eia's approach to wildlife protection falls under two major work areas: 1) protecting terrestrial species from poaching, trafficking, and habitat loss, by upholding international bans on elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn; campaigning for countries and jurisdictions to adopt and implement laws to close down domestic elephant ivory and rhino horn markets, dismantle the organized criminal networks controlling transnational elephant ivory and rhino horn trafficking; campaigning to protect all remaining orangutans and their habitat, and 2) arctic marine species protection by advocating for effective regulatory change to promote recovery for critically endangered cook inlet beluga whales; increased critical habitat protection and anthropogenic threat reduction (i.e. Underwater noise exposure, impacts from oil & gas exploration and development, contaminant exposure, and reductions in prey availability); and engage governments, industry, and other stakeholders at relevant international decision-making fora to reduce threats to vulnerable marine mammal populations from underwater noise exposure from increased commercial shipping and illegal commercial whaling.to achieve the desired impact of ensuring that eia's focal wildlife species are not only protected, but thriving, the wildlife program areas focus on government advocacy, and research and investigations to expose illegal trade and exploitative activity in order to obtain powerful primary evidence that supports our policy work. Campaign prioritizes communication and outreach to key stakeholders including media to influence and steer the dialogue, combined with coalition building and stakeholder development with international and local partners. Through these outputs and their associated activities, eia drives towards policy and regulatory change, site-level collaboration and engagement, progressive public and private sector change, and evidence-based decision-making to achieve a positive impact on targeted wildlife species.

The extractive industries campaign aims to reduce mining impacts and injustices worldwide by fighting power imbalance through strategic investigation-led and ground-truthing campaigns. The campaign aims to reinforce local capacities, amplify local voices, and contribute to local resistance worldwide. Our growing portfolio of projects also seeks to prioritize ambitious transparency-based and equity-focused supply chain solutions. For the 2024-2028 period, building on eia's pioneer investigative approaches, our programmatic priorities will include: stopping fossil fuel expansion; fighting industrial mining impacts and injustices, and disrupting minerals trafficking networks.