Although WikiLeaks is perhaps best known for its release of the Afghanistan Diaries, Iraq War logs, and Guantanamo Bay detainee files the materials published by the award-winning investigative news outlet go far beyond this. As the latest climate change summit, COP 26, due to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, fast approaches, it is worth remembering some of the key environment-related documents published by WikiLeaks.
Documents leaked to WikiLeaks revealed that government spying and surveillance of diplomats, negotiators and other officials, is standard practice including by the US and UK. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for example, drafted a detailed "human intelligence" directive calling on all manner of biographical and even biometric data (e.g. fingerprints, DNA) belonging to UN workers to be obtained.
Spying and surveillance is done in order to gain a competitive edge between countries. During environmental summits, human and electronic intelligence gathering methods are used in order to determine what the bargaining positions of even 'friendly' governments are. An NSA intercepted conversation between German and Japanese diplomats, for example, revealed that the US was pressuring the Germans to drop their demand for a 25-45% reduction in carbon emissions, and that the lobbying would likely be successful.
Spying is also being used to help bribe, blackmail or coerce governments into acting as desired. The EU and US agreed to work to "neutralize, co-opt or marginalize" so called "Pink Tide" or centre-left governments in Latin America for "not playing ball". Meanwhile, even as climate negotiations proceed from year to year, separate treaty negotiations such as TPP, TTIP and TiSA, all have provisions that would preference the rights of corporations over the ability of governments to protect the environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy.
Diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks also exposed that an environmental "marine reserve" pushed by the UK government in the Chagos Islands was actually designed to prevent the people of those Islands from ever returning (the British government forcibly removed the Chagos Islanders from their homes against their will in the 1960s and 70s). The UK was admonished by the International Court of Justice and the UN General Assembly, its greenwashing of a major colonial crime was exposed thanks to the cable.
Worrying developments, such as the melting of the polar ice caps, are shown in other cables, as offering positive economic opportunities to US, Russian and European government ministers who see "new shipping routes" and the possibility of previously infeasible resource. A former Danish foreign minister described the new mood optimistically as a scramble to "carve up" the Arctic.
Serious corruption and "neocolonial exploitation" of mining resources by multinational corporations was also laid bare by documents focusing on the Central African Republics mining resources. As was a suppressed report into the devastating toxic dumping of waste in the Ivory Coast by commodities trader Trafigura.
All this and more has been brought to light by documents leaked to WikiLeaks and then provided to the public at large.
Some Topics covered by WikiLeaks releases
- Government manipulation of countries into accepting their climate strategy
- Spying and surveillance to gain advantages commonplace in prior climate discussions
- Geopolitics interfering with a science-based and cooperative approach to tackling climate change
- Middle-range powers also sought to water down climate accords
- China opposed 60 per cent carbon emission reduction target during Copenhagen 2010 talks
- US uses its economic position to lobby/coerce countries to accept genetically modified foods
- Pollution is seen as a tradeable commodity
- Melting Arctic due to Global Warming seen as opportunity for oil drilling
- Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
- Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTPIP), aka Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA)
- Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA)
- 'Environmental protection' used to disguise ulterior motives: The 'marine reserve' in Diego Garcia
- Iraq's city of Basra heavily contaminated by war, oil and radioactive weaponry
- Dirty war for uranium and mineral rights in the Central African Republic (CAR)
- Suppressed Minton report on Trafigura toxic dumping along the Ivory Coast
1. Government manipulation of countries into accepting their climate strategy
Amid the Copenhagen climate change summit and COP 15, the US government was revealed by WikiLeaks to have been seeking "dirt" on nations opposed to its approach to tackling global warming", but also using financial pressures to compel countries to act in a particular manner 1.
The US privately pressured Germany into dropping its demand for "a 25- to 45-percent mid-term carbon dioxide reduction" in 2008 2 ahead of the 2009 COP 15.
On 17 February 2010 the EU Commissioner for climate spoke with US Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs regarding upcoming climate talks in Mexico and beyond post Copenhagen. They both agreed that the US and EU "will need to neutralize, co-opt or marginalize" so called "unhelpful countries" such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador 3. All of which had been critical of past climate policies and negotiations for being insufficient or undemocratic.
EU's Climate Action Commissioner, also on 17 February 2010, suggested to US Deputy Special Envoy on Climate Change that the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) "could be our best allies given their need for financing" 4. This suggests that poorer countries could potentially be 'bought off' to accept potentially inadequate climate policies despite the existential threat rising sea levels pose to such states.
Only a few days later, on 23 February 2010, Maldives Ambassador- designate informed then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that if "small countries, like Maldives" receive "tangible assistance from the larger economies" then other states "would then come to realize that there are advantages to be gained by compliance" with climate change agreements 5. The Maldives Ambassador also pushed for $50 million in assistance for climate change "adaptation programs" such as harbour deepening and strengthening sea walls.
2. Spying and surveillance to gain advantages commonplace in prior climate discussions
The US National Security Agency intercepted 2008 communications between Japanese and German diplomats about upcoming 2009 Copenhagen climate talks. The German official acceded that pressure from the US would likely result in their country dropping their demand for 25 - 45% mid-term carbon dioxide reductions 6. NSA intercepts also revealed that UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon told German Chancellor Angela Merkel he was highly optimistic about the US' role in tackling global warming under Barack Obama believing that the new US president "will have a very engaging and proactive attitude on the issue".
A 2010 leaked document from the UK's communications spy agency GCHQ lays out why spying on climate change participants is a priority in order to know other countries' negotiating positions and "red lines" 7. Following these revelations the UN General Secretary stated that an investigation was being opened into spying by the UK and other countries as "UN information should be protected in its entire confidentiality" 8
In fact, other leaked documents reveal a 2010 directive from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to obtain (ie steal) "biometric information" from top UN officials 9.
NSA 2008 intercept revealed that Japanese officials were committed to the "sectoral approach" to reducing carbon emissions, despite reported criticism from the International Energy Agency and the European Union 10.
3. Geopolitics interfering with a science-based and cooperative approach to tackling climate change
In 2009, the US pressured then Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) chairman Dr Rajendra Pachauri who agreed to help prevent Iranian climate scientist Dr Mostafa Jafari from being elected as a co-chairman to a key working group at the IPCC. The cable, sent by then- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, recognised Jafari as a "highly- qualified scientist with research ties to the UK and Japan" but argued that having "US and Iranian co-chairs would be problematic and potentially at odds with overall US policy towards Iran" 11. Jafari was ultimately not elected as co-chair of the working group in question.
4. Middle-range powers also sought to water down climate accords
While it has been noted that US negotiators seek to limit the cuts and commitments amid climate negotiations, France was also revealed to have played a key role in lobbying against a legally binding treaty. According to a 2010 US embassy cable, "French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo told the [US] Ambassador that the key to advancing climate negotiations is to drop the notion of a legally binding treaty in favour of a system of national commitments". The French Minister also argued that it would be down to a "small group" of 8 - 10 to negotiate the Copenhagen Accord^12.
5. China opposed 60 per cent carbon emission reduction target during Copenhagen 2010 talks
A Cable summarising discussion between US counsellor on Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Brent Christensen in Beijing and Shanghai Institutes of International Studies Vice President Chen Dongxiao were published by WikiLeaks 14.
The Europeans "played a lot of tricks" and took advantage of their "united front" to endeavour to push China to increase its carbon intensity reductions to an unacceptable level of 60 percent, Chen said.
Amid discussions in Copenhagen in 2010, the Chinese were reportedly angry when UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown "simply repeated European earlier demands on the 60 percent target".
China's delegation at Copenhagen was seen to reflect "a lack of coordination between the Foreign Ministry and National Development and Reform Commission" as well as the fact that "China's internal decision- making process does not mesh with the fast-moving negotiating environment that characterized the Copenhagen discussions".
Chinese saw Copenhagen as representing a "new dynamic between the developing countries (led by China), Europe and other developed countries, and the United States emerging".
6. US uses its economic position to lobby/coerce countries to accept genetically modified foods.
In 2007, US ambassador to France recommended the USG "calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some pain across the E.U." in defence of GMO crops 15.
Food and Water Watch analysed 926 diplomatic cables, sent between 2005 and 2009, containing the words "biotech" or "GMO". It concluded that the emails "reveal a concerted strategy to promote agricultural biotechnology overseas, compel countries to import biotech crops and foods they do not want, and lobby foreign governments - especially in the developing world - to adopt policies to pave the way to cultivate biotech crops" 16.
7. Pollution is seen as a tradeable commodity
A 2007 confidential research document Air Pollution as a Commodity: Regulation of the Sulfur Dioxide Allowance Market17, prepared for members of the US congress, reveals the extent to which air pollutants and greenhouse gases driving global warming are also seen as potential money-making opportunities.
There is no evidence that speculative or any other market trading in greenhouse gases will lead to an overall reduction in the substances, let alone enough to avoid climate catastrophe 18. Carbon markets continue to be discussed as key to addressing climate change despite continued failures of the markets to show results 19.
8. Melting Arctic due to Global Warming seen as opportunity for oil drilling
Diplomatic cables from 2007 - 2010 20 22, published by WikiLeaks in 2011 23, reveal that the melting ice in the Artic is seen as an opportunity to "carve up" 24 the Arctic - as the ex-Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller told US diplomats - for oil, gold and uranium extraction when it otherwise would not have been. Melting ice due to global warming is also seen as a positive for opening "new shipping routes" 25 according to Møller in a 2009 cable.
The cables also reflect that this 'opportunity' is also seen in the context of great power competition with NATO and Russia26 worried that a military scramble in the Arctic may lead to war 27.
Extractive potentials noted above led US diplomats in 2007 to see "a unique opportunity to shape the circumstances in which an independent [Greenland] may emerge" 28.
9. Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
The TPP was negotiated in secret primarily from 2008 - 2015 (although it represents an expansion of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement agreed in 2005 29). The environmental chapter was published by WikiLeaks and contributed to growing pressure against ratification of the deal.
In addition to global warming and climate change the environmental chapter of the TPP covered conservation, biodiversity, indigenous knowledge and resources, over-fishing and illegal logging.
Notwithstanding rhetoric espousing the need to tackle climate change and ensure strong environmental protections more broadly, WikiLeaks revealed that the environmental section of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was "noteworthy for its absence of mandated clauses or meaningful enforcement measures" 30.
Julian Assange, WikiLeaks' founder and publisher, described the environmental chapter as a "toothless public relations exercise with no enforcement mechanism" 31.
In Article SS15 of the environmental chapter 32 the parties merely agree to discuss ways to deal with climate 33 with no further elaboration 34, revealing global warming and climate change to be an afterthought or otherwise secondary to the primary objective of trade.
The TPP negotiations also show that environmental issues and policies are impacted by other policies and chapters such as rules pertaining to market access, tariffs, financial services and intellectual property.
Analysis of the TPP text in 2014 determined that the "most egregious threat" to the environment is the investment chapter, whereby signatories to the treaty agree in advance to dealing with disputes via investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms. In essence, these corporate courtrooms allow businesses to sue governments if their environmental and health policies impact on current and future profits of the enterprise, rendering domestic laws and protections ultimately meaningless 35.
According to Professor Jane Kelsey the "vast majority of investment arbitrations under similar agreements involve natural resources, especially mining, and have resulted in billions of dollars of damages against governments for measures designed to protect the environment from harm caused by foreign corporations" 36.
The TPP was on the verge of becoming law in the US encompassing nearly one third of global trade, but substantial opposition to the treaty resulted in it failing to become law with then-president Donald Trump killing the deal upon assuming office 37. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership evolved out of the failed TPP deal, with much of the same provisions 38, with many countries ratifying the deal though without the US as a signatory.
The consolidated draft text 39 published by WikiLeaks revealed a dual position being pushed by the United States government (as well as others) from at least 2005 - 2016. Even whilst negotiations over tackling climate change continued publicly, environmental policies and protections were being undermined or otherwise subordinated to protecting corporate profits and the free flow of trade. There was also great emphasis on self- regulation as it applied environmental protection.
10. Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), aka Trans- Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA)
Negotiated between 2013 - 2016, if ratified, the currently stalled TTIP would address policies including health, environment and finance between the EU and US 40. Leaked drafts of the TTIP dated April 2016 reveal 41 apparent failure of EU negotiators to remain committed to their pledge of tackling global warming and maintaining the independence of EU environmental protections.
The now-notorious ISDS mechanisms from TPP are also introduced via TTIP, which would allow corporations to sue governments for loss of profits allegedly resulting from health, safety and environmental protection laws.
EU climate policies would be 'sabotaged' by TTIP, as confirmed by documents leaked to the Guardian 42. EU negotiators themselves were to "propose a rollback of mandatory energy savings measures, and introduce obstacles to any future pricing schemes designed to encourage the uptake of renewable energies".
The TTIP would also severely undermine the pledge made by G7 ministers in May 2016 43 to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, according to analysis of the leaked text 44.
Consumer protections would also be undermined under the current TTIP text.
11. Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA)
The TiSA is a proposed agreement between 23 parties including the EU, UK and US negotiated from 2013 to 2016 45.
It was heavily criticised, following publication by WikiLeaks of analysis of various of its provisions 46, for seeking to lock-in privatisation of public services (including healthcare) and guaranteeing market access for multinationals 47.
Despite its focus, TiSA still covers environmental policies as it seeks to lower barriers to international trade in services, including environmental protections, according to analysis by Friends of the Earth 48.
Further analysis 49 of a proposed "Energy Related Services Annex" shows that 50:
TiSA would undermine the ability of regulators to distinguish between technology regardless of whether it is used for solar, nuclear, wind, coal, geothermal or fracking.
TiSA would undermine or eliminate a country's ability to ensure control over and benefit of their natural resources by requiring free markets for foreign suppliers of energy related services.
Undermines climate change and other environmental policies by restricting governments from regulating energy markets, companies, and industry infrastructure.
12. 'Environmental protection' used to disguise ulterior motives
In 2009, The UK government proposed the establishment of a "marine park" or "reserve" in the Chagos Archipelago. The Chagos Islanders were forcibly removed by the British in the 1960s and 70s who then leased territory in Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands, to the US to establish a military base 51.
According to an e-mail revealed by WikiLeaks the true motive of establishing a marine reserve would be to ensure Chagos Islanders could not return to their homes. The "former inhabitants would find it difficult, if not impossible, to pursue their claim for resettlement on the islands if the entire Chagos Archipelago were a marine reserve" 52, according to discussions between senior UK foreign office officials and US diplomats. Meanwhile the reserve "would in no way impinge on [US Government] use of the [British Indian Oversees Territory], including Diego Garcia" 53.
In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion stating that the UK "is under an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible" 54. In reaching its decision, the ICJ made explicit reference to the aforementioned cables published by WikiLeaks 55. A vote in the UN General Assembly adopted the text of the ICJ decision and demanded that the islands be returned to Mauritius 56. A maritime law tribunal at the UN later also confirmed the ICJ decision and the UNGA vote 57. The UK continues to ignore the ICJ and UN decisions stating that the islands are required "for defence purposes" and that the archipelago has been under UK sovereignty since 1814 58.
13. Iraq's city of Basra heavily contaminated by war, oil and radioactive weaponry
A top US diplomat as early as June 2006 wrote a succinct yet detailed report/diplomatic cable revealing the extent to which the water supply and surrounding environment in Basra had been heavily contaminated by oil, toxic and radioactive materials 59.
The cable, revealed by WikiLeaks as part of its Cablegate releases, describe the contamination as resulting largely from "25 years of war" in Iraq, all of which the US and UK were both directly and indirectly implicated in.
An estimated 70% of rural inhabitants and 40% of city-dwellers have no access to running water, with much of the water that is available being too contaminated to drink.
UN sanctions circa 1990s (which were pushed through by the US and UK governments) "caused a severe shortage of parts to maintain the oil industry" resulting in "an increased number of oil spills and leaks" which were "worsened because of a lack of technology for leak detection and the disposal of oil-contaminated water in shallow aquifers or land", according to the cable.
"Large and widespread quantities of military debris" such as unexploded ordinance (ie explosives) and "toxic and material such as depleted uranium" are scattered in the area without any monitoring, the cable notes. The cable also notes that "it is believed" that "significant quantities of depleted uranium were used in Basrah during the 1991 Gulf War" by the US.
The cable, written by Principal Officer at the Regional US Embassy Office in Basrah Ken Gross, ominously and presciently warns that there is "very little attention being paid to the serious environmental issues facing Basrah today that could cause devastating results in the near future."
Studies published by Iraqi experts showed that "cases of leukemia in children in Basra increased by 60 percent between 1990 and 1997, and that the number of children born with severe birth defects increased by a factor of three", with the research pointing to the use of "depleted uranium" by the US 60.
14. Dirty war for uranium and mineral rights in the Central African Republic (CAR)
In February 2016, WikiLeaks published 61 documents exposing serious corruption and environmental degradation in the Central African Republic as a result of apparently unlawful and destructive policies of extractive multinational corporations.
Included among the revelations was:
Radioactive contamination (up to 30 times the natural radioactivity in the zone) left by French nuclear waste giant AREVA 62, which failed to invest in the country as it had promised and with "neocolonial" conditions of exploitation of its mines.
Bribery of local officials and legal violations by nearly two dozen mining companies 63.
A fake UN-backed organisation (the World Sports Alliance) 64 which undertook to establish numerous infrastructure obligations including creation of a system of garbage disposal, electricity production, 4 sport centres and 12 youth centres none of which ever materialised. The WSA was revealed to be a front organisation which facilitated the illicit acquisition of mineral resources belonging to the CAR public.
15. Suppressed Minton report on Trafigura toxic dumping along the Ivory Coast
In September 2009, WikiLeaks published an internal study known as the "Minton report" detailing an incredibly serious toxic waste dumping incident which effected up to 108,000 people in the Ivory Coast, according to a UN report 65.
Oil and commodity trader Trafigura, which dumped the toxic waste, commissioned the report. But the multinational corporation successfully obtained a 'gag' order from a UK High Court judge. The order was so strict that it prevented any person or news outlet served with the 'gag' order or even aware of its existence, from reporting any aspect of the incident, its link to Trafigura, or even the existence of the order itself.
The 'gag' order, known as a 'super injunction' because, unlike with most injunctions, in this case news outlets were not permitted to even disclose its existence, prevented anyone from sharing the WikiLeaks' link to the "Minton report". WikiLeaks also revealed the court order itself 66.
After five weeks, the highly controversial super-injunction - which Trafigura's lawyers argued prevented anyone even from reporting on a Parliamentary question raised about the incident 67 by a member of parliament- was discharged by the company following growing criticism and outrage by politicians, press and civil society organisations 68.
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(29) sice.oas.org
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(33) web.archive.org
(34) defenders.org
(35) truthout.org
(36) web.archive.org
(37) federalregister.gov
(38) international.gc.ca
(39) wikileaks.org
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