Beyond our work in the Amazon and the Mekong regions, EarthRights seeks justice on behalf of communities in the U.S. that have been intimidated or harmed at the hands of corporations and institutions.
Corporations frequently impose harms on frontline communities, yet some take steps to avoid taking accountability for their actions. These efforts increasingly limit the ability of ordinary citizens and other victims of corporate abuse to access the courts. Under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision, corporations – which cannot vote – have been granted rights under the First Amendment to spend money to influence elections.
Corporate interests rarely represent the interests of the global community. We must ensure that protecting people, not corporations, is the primary focus of U.S. laws and policies. We work hard to shape a future where profits do not reign supreme over the rights of the people and the planet.
PROTECTING EARTH RIGHTS IN THE U.S.
We stand with frontline communities, from those fighting pipelines to those suing Big Oil, to shape a future where profit does not reign supreme over the rights and prosperity of people and the planet.
CHALLENGING CORPORATE POWER
We pioneered using the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) to hold companies accountable in U.S. courts for violations they committed abroad. See our transnational litigation portfolio, covering issues related to a destructive coal power plant, armed land grabs, and the funding of paramilitary groups to commit murder to advance business prospects. Learn more.
Colorado is on the frontline of the climate crisis, which is placing a burden on local governments that now must invest considerable financial resources to clean up the fossil fuel industry’s mess. That’s why we’re teaming up with communities in Colorado to hand the bill back to Big Oil. Learn more.
We use the U.S. Foreign Legal Assistance (FLA) statute to obtain information for use in corporate accountability lawsuits in other countries. We have won several FLA cases and have provided valuable information and documents in human rights and environmental justice cases in Peru, the Netherlands, and Mexico. Learn more.
By expanding corporate rights, the U.S. has become a safe haven for corporate abuse. We develop global campaigns to lobby powerful governments, aid communities and activate global networks to cancel corporate abuse. Learn more.
For too long, oil, gas, and mining companies have made payments to governments in secret. Since 2009, EarthRights has worked with Oxfam America and the Publish What You Pay US (PWYP-US) coalition to shine a light on extractive industry payments and promote transparency by strengthening the SEC’s 1504 rule. Learn more.
CONNECT WITH THE U.S. OFFICE
Check out our Contact Us page for more details or send us an email at infous@earthrights.org
