PIEL.Pod

Unveiling Greenwashing and Economics: Truth Behind Corporate Eco-Friendly Claims

Join hosts Rawdah and Sarah in the latest episode of PIELPod, in collaboration with the annual Public Interest Environment Law Conference. Dive into murky waters of greenwashing with insights from Bobby Banerjee, of Baynes Business School and Sarah Nawaz, a law student specialising in sustainability and climate change. Discover how greenwashing, not only misleads eco-conscious consumers but also distorts market competition and damages authentic sustainability efforts. Get an in depth look at the economic incentives driving these deceptive practises and how governments are beginning to hold corporations accountable. Whether your are a consumer, eager to make informed choices or a business leader, aiming for true sustainability, this episode equips you with knowledge to see past the green facade. 

Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation by Charlie Holt, the head of the Global Climate Legal Defense and who also sits in the Steering Committee of the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe.

In today’s episode, we are delving into the otherside of corporate greenwashing, moving away from how governments regulate corporations against greenwashing and towards how corporations also sometimes use legal tools against activists, journalists, and organisations fighting for environmental justice. These lawsuits are called SLAPPs, which stand for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. But it is also quite an apt term that perfectly captures the impact of these lawsuits. SLAPPs are increasingly used by corporations and other powerful actors to intimidate and silence opposition and critics, raising some serious concerns about free speech, public interest advocacy, and corporate accountability.

Navigating Ethical Supply Chains: Insights from Becky Milon at the Fairtrade Foundation

In this episode, join us as we delve into the intersection of environmental law and ethical supply chains with Becky Milon from Fairtrade. We explore how Fairtrade fills a regulatory gap in current environmental legislation, addressing issues like deforestation, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Becky provides insights into how the Fairtrade system supports farmers in complying with emerging regulations such as the EU Deforestation Regulation. We discuss the impact of climate change on farmers' livelihoods and the direct support Fairtrade provides to mitigate these effects. 

Advancing Climate Justice: A Conversation with Niall Toru

Join us on the PIEL UK Podcast for an insightful discussion with Niall Toru, Senior Lawyer at Friends of the Earth (FoE). With expertise in climate litigation and planning law, Niall shares his journey from government lawyer to environmental advocate.

In this episode, Niall provides a concise overview of FoE's mission and the UK's role in climate law. Learn about key legal victories, including challenges against government climate policies. Explore the intricacies of the Climate Change Act and its impact over fifteen years. Gain insights into biodiversity protection under the UK Environment Act and practical steps for local environmental activism. Discover Niall's advice for law students seeking impact-driven careers and the importance of legal training in private practice. Get a glimpse into the intersection of politics and environmental policy in upcoming elections.

For a succinct exploration of climate justice and the power of legal advocacy, tune in to our conversation with Niall Toru.

Decoding Cocoa: Regulations, Sustainability, and the Future of Chocolate

In this episode, we delve into the expertise of Antonie Fountain, a specialist in commodity supply chains, with a focus on the cocoa value chain. As the Director of the VOICE Network, a pivotal organization for the cocoa sector, Antonie brings a wealth of knowledge to the forefront.

The VOICE Network annually releases the Cocoa Barometer report, a significant publication shedding light on the intricacies of the cocoa value chain. This report is a vital resource, offering insights into the happenings within the cocoa sector and, more specifically, the impacts on smallholder cocoa farmers in regions such as West Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

As a dedicated director of the VOICE Network, Antonie's work extends to monitoring and addressing the challenges faced by smallholder cocoa farmers. His expertise lies in understanding the nuances of commodity supply chains, with a particular emphasis on fostering sustainable practices within the cocoa industry.

Through the lens of Antonie's insights and the annual Cocoa Barometer report, this episode aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the cocoa value chain and the realities faced by smallholder farmers across different regions.

Navigating Environmental Justice: Gert van der Bijl's Perspectives on EUDR, Solidaridad, and Sustainable Agriculture

In this episode, we hear Gert van der Bijl's Perspective on various areas such as EUDR, Solidaridad, and Sustainable Agriculture as our speaker. Gert has an extensive experience and is a skilled EU Policy Advisor at Solidaridad Europe, a Dutch NGO, which engages European market actors, including corporations and governments. In committing to fair and sustainable value chains. Gert’s current focus is the upcoming EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

The Single-Use Plastic Ban: Why recycling is not the solution

England is banning single-use plastics in October 2023. Steve Hynd from City to Sea talks to us about the ban, its importance, its effect on small businesses, and why recycling isn't the solution.

Steve is the Policy and Media Manager at the not-for-profit, City to Sea who campaigns to stop plastic pollution at source. Steve has been leading their work to see a ban on some of the most polluting single-use plastics banned. Before City to Sea, Steve has worked at local, national and European levels of politics and has worked in Brussels, Kampala and the Middle East.

A Lawyer’s Transition from O&G to Sustainability

Rodrigo Manrique is a qualified lawyer in Peru and led the legal and environmental team of an oil and gas company for almost 10 years. Amongst many other notable achievements in his CV, Rodrigo specialises in conflict resolution, stakeholder management, government relations and external affairs. He recently completed his LLM in Environmental Law and Policy at University College London. Currently, he is working with The Chancery Lane Project, a non-governmental organisation working to support low-income countries in climate negotiation by reviewing the climate change clause for the Peruvian chapter. In this episode, he talks about his journey, the Andes culture, making O&G more sustainable, and everyone's role while we transition into a more circular economy. 

Climate Change Loss and Damage: What’s the fuss?

In this episode, we talk about loss and damage with Dr Elisa Calliari, a Research Scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Vienna and Associate Senior Research Fellow at the department of Political Science at University College London (UCL). Her research focuses on the politics and governance of climate change, loss and damage at different scales, from climate change negotiations to national policy-making processes. She is also interested in studying how planned relocation can be employed as an anticipatory and strategic form of climate change adaptation in Europe. She is currently a member of the Italian delegation at the UNFCCC, providing technical support on loss and damage to the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security.

Realities of Environmental Law Practice & The Rights of Nature

In this episode, we discuss with Paul Powlesland, barrister, activist and founder of Lawyers for Nature, the role of lawyers in the fight and advocacy for the rights of nature.