Overview

• General

• Our Vision and Mission

• FIELD's funders

• Sustainability statement

General

The Challenge

We live in a rapidly changing world. The threats posed by environmental damage and climate change increase each year. For some of the most vulnerable people, change is coming sooner than expected and endangering their way of life.

Climate change, overfishing, marine pollution and rapid loss of species are threatening people everywhere. These threats are escalating fast. We must tackle them now, but the solutions are not easy. They require international cooperation, but not just among developed nations. The voices from the most vulnerable nations and groups among us need to be heard, especially since they will feel the impacts of inaction more immediately and acutely. They need a seat at the table where international treaties and law are decided, or they risk losing their livelihoods to environmental problems they didn’t cause.

The voices from the most vulnerable nations and groups among us need to be heard

However, the number of environmental treaties has grown quickly in the past 20 years. More than 500 multilateral environmental agreements exist. Complicated negotiations related to existing and new agreements are constantly under way. Large, rich countries have a great advantage. Small or vulnerable countries, likely to be hardest hit by climate change and other environmental problems, struggle to influence international negotiations

Our Solution

The rapid development of new international environmental agreements presents an opportunity to get it right. If developing countries, civil society and indigenous peoples can have a say in new international agreements the outcomes will more fair and effective. A level playing field creates a better result.

FIELD deeply understands challenges and opportunities developing countries face when they attempt to shape international environmental law. From the very beginnings of international environmental law, we have been there, working with most vulnerable people to ensure they have a voice in crucial international negotiations.

It was the late 1980’s and the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster - rules on transboundary pollution didn't exist nor in fact did international environmental law. Prompted by the above, two young British barristers headed to Washington DC where they met like-minded US environmental lawyers. Starting off by providing legal opinions to Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the like, the four lawyers banded together to create the Centre for International Environmental Law - later renamed FIELD - and took the first steps in what became a major contribution to the emergence of international environmental law.

Better international environmental law is essential to solving global environmental problems

FIELD worked closely with small island states during the time that the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) was established – an exciting time. AOSIS is a coalition of small island states and low-lying nations, which gives these countries a much higher profile and stronger, unified voice in international climate change negotiations.

We offer a unique combination of legal expertise, support and research

FIELD are founded on the belief that better international environmental law is essential to solving global environmental problems and to strengthening national laws. We help shape international law in a direction that takes into account the needs of the small and vulnerable, amplifying their voices.
Unprecedented threats need unprecedented solutions. We offer a unique combination of legal expertise, support and research.

We help shape international law, amplifying the voices of the small and vulnerable

To learn more about the historic developments and early years of our organisation, watch five short videos from the FIELD founders James Cameron and Philippe Sands.

Our Vision and Mission

Our vision - a fair, effective and accessible system of international law that protects the global environment and promotes sustainable development.

We contribute to this through:

• Advocacy for broader access to environmental justice and fairer international laws and institutions

International laws and institutions have an increasing impact on countries, communities and people. It can be very difficult to understand complicated international processes, let alone influence them. We work to level the playing field and help those at risk to make their voices heard.
 

• Advice and capacity building for groups ranging from poor communities to senior government officials.

FIELD works to empower others and build their capacity long term. We help community groups, advise NGOs, and train government officials in international negotiations.
 

• Research on international law, policy and national practice

The international negotiations that we are engaged in, for example on climate change and biodiversity, aim to tackle unprecedented threats, so require unprecedented responses. FIELD is proud to be contributing to the solutions through our research.

Pro Bono

Whenever possible we provide our services on a pro bono basis, using funding from foundation grants, governmental institutions and our fee income.

Fee-paying 
We also take on fee-paying work. For example, we advise other NGOs on the legal aspects of international campaign strategies and governmental agencies on issues related to international treaties.

To contact FIELD with an enquiry regarding our services, please email field@field.org.uk.

Sustainability statement

 FIELD is carrying out its activities in a sustainable manner wherever possible. FIELD aims to minimise its greenhouse gas emissions, to minimise waste and to undertake all its work with environmental and social sustainability in mind.

FIELD takes this into account both in planning its activities, for example, in project design, as well as in its day to day activities.

Office operation

FIELD aims to minimise use of energy, paper, water. We also currently recycle paper, card, glass, plastic, foil and cans. End-of-life computers are given to ComputerAid for re-use.

Purchasing and outsourced suppliers

Whenever outsourcing or purchasing, FIELD chooses suppliers that meet environmental and sustainable development criteria (for example, sustainable printers for our publications, environmentally friendly computers, and charity travel agent).

Transport

Our work is international in nature, which includes travel and work in other countries.

In making choices regarding travel FIELD considers the following:

• Is the trip necessary? Could it be replaced by electronic means, phone or video conferencing?
• Can the trip be combined with another trip or trips to minimise air miles or other travel?
• At the end of the financial year FIELD offsets its air travel with the EquiClimate scheme, which is reviewed annually.
• In Europe FIELD staff travel by train rather than air whenever feasible.

Transport to and from work– all FIELD staff travel to and from work with public transport, and no private cars are used.