International Program
Allison Joyce / Getty Images
50 California St., Ste. 500
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 217-2000
intloffice@earthjustice.org
Media Inquiries
Kathryn McGrath
Public Affairs and Communications Strategist
(202) 516-6932
kmcgrath@earthjustice.org
Legal Assistance Inquiries
Contacto de Prensa
Robert Valencia
Estratega de Comunicaciones y Asuntos Públicos Hispanos/Latinos
rvalencia@earthjustice.org
(212) 845-7376
Who We Are
The International Program partners with organizations and communities around the world to establish, strengthen, and enforce national and international legal protections for the environment and public health. See bar admissions for our attorneys.
Sadhana AbayasekaraSenior Attorney
Natalie BarefootSenior Attorney
Natalie Bridgeman FieldsManaging Attorney
Sarah BurtDeputy Managing Attorney
Anna CederstavLatin America Program Manager / Deputy Director of AIDA
Danika DesaiSenior Associate Attorney
Peter HarrisonSenior Attorney
Jacob KopasSenior Attorney
Jessica LawrenceStaff Scientist
Mae ManupipatpongSenior Associate Attorney
Lisa NessanLegal Practice Manager
Leonardo OrsiniLegal Practice Administrator
Ramin PejanSenior Attorney
Erika RosenthalSenior Attorney
Danny ThiemannSenior Attorney
Lauren WitheyStaff Scientist
Erik WoodwardAssociate Attorney
Our Impact
Like the environment itself, Earthjustice’s work transcends national borders.
Since 1991, our International Program has been partnering with organizations and communities around the world to establish, strengthen, and enforce national and international legal protections for the environment and human health. Learn about some of the places where we work around the world.
We were one of the first organizations to advocate for the international right of all people to a healthy and sustainable environment, a principle that remains at the heart of our work today.
We are also guided by our commitment to ending systems and practices that result in environmental harms, including the burdens of the fossil fuel economy falling disproportionately on Indigenous peoples and low-income communities in the Global South.
To end the many harms of fossil fuel consumption, we collaborate with partners to catalyze the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy in key places like Australia, Indonesia, Latin America, and South Africa. Together, we oppose fossil fuel production and consumption where those activities cause the greatest harm, challenge barriers to renewable energy, accelerate the global transition to clean energy, and increase access to low-cost clean energy for all.
We’re also building international partnerships to protect highly migratory ocean wildlife from increasing — and unsustainable — human activity, including overfishing. In particular, we focus on defending marine predators, such as sharks, which are essential to healthy ocean ecosystems.
Highlights of our work include:
Australia
- Already one of the world’s largest exporters of coal and gas, Australia’s government aims to dramatically increase its exports of fossil fuels. In collaboration with Environmental Justice Australia and Environmental Defenders Office, we’re pushing back by fighting coal mines, coal plants, and toxic coal-ash dumps. We’re also helping defend the human rights of Australia’s Indigenous groups, who bear much of the burden of Australia’s fossil fuel extraction.
- Together with our Australian partners, we’re using international law to pressure Australia to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to protect human rights and magnificent natural treasures such as the Great Barrier Reef.
Indonesia
- As one of the world’s largest coal producers, the Indonesian government is fighting to expand its fleet of coal fired-power plants. Together with our partners, Indonesian Center for Environmental Law and the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, we’re working to level the economic playing field for clean energy, protect human health from coal-ash pollution, defend environmental safeguards that are under attack, and strengthen legislation to support renewable energy.
Latin America
- Together with our long-standing partner the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense, we’re working to challenge the expansion of fracking in Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico, as well as large-scale mining in Colombia, and the closure of coal plants in Chile. We’re also supporting clean energy in Mexico, Chile, and Brazil.
Africa
- Together with the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) and others, we’re challenging proposed coal and gas-fired power plants in South Africa — and using the power of the law to force the government to protect the health of thousands who live next to coal mines, coal plants, and toxic coal ash dumps. We’re also supporting several South African cities working to adopt and defend renewable energy programs.
- Collaborating with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and progressive national electricity regulators, we’re providing legal assistance to vanguard cities and nations to promote the transition to clean energy. We’re also working to expand this work across Africa.
The Ocean Ecosystem
- We’re working to develop partnerships across the globe to protect vulnerable species and strengthen international provisions in U.S. fisheries management laws to improve shark conservation.
