ECNL works on identifying and analysing the challenges climate activists are confronted with, in law and practice. With the rise of the climate movement, we can notice an analogous effort from states but also private entities to suppress it. With ICNL we published a briefer on measures implemented by states to restrict civic space for climate activists. We also hosted a session at the 2021 Mozilla Festival to discuss the impact of AI on climate activism with the tech community.
Our follow up paper now focuses on the right to participation of environmental groups. Through the example of two European countries, Slovenia and Ireland, we show how governments changed and/or attempted to change legislation to systematically undermine meaningful participation and hinder CSOs’ ability to influence policies in areas of their work.
The analysis of European countries is of essence because it illustrates the fact that even democratic societies with strong civil society traditions are not immune to restrictive trends of implementing policy and legal measures to limit civic freedoms.
At the same time, we demonstrate how organized civil society in these countries has managed to push back, as this can serve as a valuable example for climate activists in other countries that might face similar challenges.