General readers

The resources here are specifically designed for general readers. They are arranged by type:

Booklets
Briefings
Consultation responses
Glossaries
Guides
Reports

Booklets

Big business, the environment and you
(PDF† 674K) January 2004
This colour booklet provides a straight forward introduction to this issue and offers advice on how people make a difference. For paper copies visit our online Publications catalogue's free resources section.

Briefings

Budget 2008 and climate change
(PDF† 343K) February 2008
This media briefing sets out Friends of the Earth's recommendations to the Chancellor for Budget 2008.

Heathrow expansion - its true costs
(PDF† 131K) January 2008
This briefing critiques the Government's analysis of the costs and benefits of Heathrow expansion.

Mining Madagascar - forests, communities and Rio Tinto's white wash
(PDF† 63K) October 2007
This briefing highlights how, contrary to the claims of Rio Tinto and the World Bank, Rio Tinto's mining project is in fact creating economic insecurity, social upheaval, and environmental destruction in Madagascar, depriving local people of their land and livelihoods while yet to demonstrate any real benefits in return.

Global Europe
(PDF† 47K) Jun 2007
Friends of the Earth's view on the European Commission's Global Europe strategy.

Food Sovereignty leaflet
(PDF † 264K) Apr 2007
This leaflet explores the right of people to define their own food and agriculture policies.

Cleaner cars and greener homes
(PDF† 75K) March 2007
This briefing sets out Friends of the Earth's detailed demands for tax and spend measures at the Budget to promote greener homes and less polluting cars.

How green was Gordon?
(PDF† 97K) March 2007
In this briefing Friends of the Earth looks at the environmental record of Gordon Brown's decade (1997 to 2007) as Chancellor through the policy measures he has taken on climate change and other issues in his budgets.

Shell: Use your profit to clean up your mess
(PDF† 1.2M) February 2007
Report on how Shell should fund local solutions for the environmental and social destruction caused by its projects.

Shell. Wildlife Destroyer of the Year?
(PDF† 60K) October 2006
This briefing outlines some of the impacts that Shell is currently having on wildlife, as well as highlighting the hypocracy of Shell sponsoring the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

Corporate conquest
(PDF† 147K) September 2006
Why the UK and its EU partners must stop forcing Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) upon developing countries.

Pie in the sky Why the costs of airport expansion outweigh the benefits
(PDF† 419K) September 2006
This briefing shows how the economic costs of aviation expansion outweigh the benefits claimed by Government and the industry.

Broken Promises
(PDF† 79K) June 2006
This briefing outlines how Shell's non-compliance with the OECD Guidelines harms people and the environment, and why voluntary self regulation is not enough to protect them from the activities of companies like Shell.

Palm oil, the survival or the orang-utan and UK company law reform
(PDF† 56K) May 2006
This briefing explains why the failure of hundreds of UK companies to ensure that they do not buy palm oil from destructive sources is a classic example of how the voluntary approach to corporate responsibility has failed, and why the Company Law Reform Bill must be strengthened.

Keep poverty history
(PDF† 207K) September 2005
This briefing shows why any gains developing countries make in aid and debt relief will be lost to "free" trade, and how current "solutions" are short term at best.

What's wrong with world trade?
(PDF† 215K) September 2005
This briefing looks at the world trade system and explains why Friends of the Earth believes it is fundamentally flawed.

Barclays, human rights and the trans Thai-Malaysia gas pipeline
(PDF† 74K) September 2005
This briefing describes some of the ways Barclays has broken its own rules and has infringed its own human rights policies to fund the trans Thai-Malaysia gas pipeline.

Why airport expansion is bad for regional economies
(PDF† 105K) August 2005
Over £17 billion is being sucked out of the UK economy as the amount of money spent abroad by UK residents is up to six times that spent in the regions by overseas visitors. This briefing shows the damage that airport expansion will do to regional economies.

Aviation and the Economy
(PDF† 72K) May 2005
Aviation is the fastest growing contributor to climate change. The industry claims that the economic impacts of implementing the necessary measures to address this growth outweigh the ecological benefits. This briefing analyses these claims and shows the flaws in the aviation industry's arguments.

Barclays and the financing of the Narmada Dams
(PDF† 42K) January 2005
This briefing looks at Barclays' involvement in the Narmada Dam Project and the principles and laws it breaches in doing so.

What you need to know about NAMA
(PDF† 52K) October 2004
Friends of the Earth International explain why the WTO's Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) negotiations threaten the environment and development.

Barclays and Omkareshwar Dam
(PDF† 45K) October 2004
This briefing reveals how Barclays are set to fund a dam with huge environmental and social consequences that violates their green finance principles.

How Public Money Funds Oil
(PDF† 88K) October 2004
This briefing explains how UK tax payers money funds oil extraction projects overseas using two case studies as examples.

Not dead but dying
(PDF† 222K) August 2004
A Friends of the Earth briefing examines how the vested interests of the WTO ensured that a critical deal in July was reached - regardless of the consequences - and explains why Friends of the Earth believes the WTO is digging its own grave.

GATS in Wales: Understanding the General Agreement on Trade in Services
(PDF†140K) April 2004
This briefing looks at how GATS will affect the powers of the Welsh Assembly and what action the Assembly can take to protect its ability to regulate in the public interest.

AGM Season 2004
(PDF† 133K) April 2004
An introduction to Friends of the Earth's activities at Annual General Meetings throughout Spring 2004. Contains a list of the companies being targetted and the reasons why.

UKplc in Latin America
(PDF† 766K) September 2003
The EU, backed heavily by the UK, continues to push hard for a new WTO investment agreement while British multinationals plough on with the kind of investment such an agreement would promote. Friends of the Earth exposes the plans, demands the accountability of those responsible, and shows up the WTO investment agreement myth.

Open wide, this won't hurt a bit
(PDF† 162K) July 2003
This briefing explains what a WTO investment agreement would look like and why we don't need it.

Investment and the WTO - Busting the myths
(PDF† 425K) June 2003
This briefing aims to explode some of the myths surrounding FDI and the 'benefits' of establishing an investment agreement in the WTO.

GM trade war looms
(PDF† 241K) May 2003
The WTO's Dispute Resolution Mechanism decides who wins and who loses in international trade wars. This briefing exposes how it works, and explores what may happen following the US complaint against the EU over GM food.

GATS gotta go
(PDF†) November 2002
This briefing gives essential background information about GATS and suggests more ways individuals and groups can help halt this latest push in the WTO's expansion.

GATS Primer - Understanding the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services
(PDF†) November 2002
This primer looks at GATS and how it relates to social and environmental concerns. The issues and obligations that make up GATS and the possible implications of GATS on local communities and the environment are discussed.

Stealing our water
(PDF† 406K) Nov 2001
Friends of the Earth briefing on GATS.

More isn't always better
(PDF† 79K) 1998
This briefing explains why the economic indicators we have relied upon have so misled our politicians, and how the uncritical pursuit of growth in gross domestic product has undermined quality of life.

Green dividends - why the Chancellor should invest in eco-tax reform
(PDF† 153K) November 1996
Friends of the Earth's first blueprint for a green Budget:
This blueprint for a green Budget explains the central role of eco-tax reform and shifts in government spending in creating a dynamic economy that respects environmental limits and improves the wellbeing of all. Specifically it sets out measures the Chancellor can, and should, include in this Budget to progress towards a sustainable economy.

Consultation Responses

Committee on Climate Change and Workplan Consultation.
( PDF† 172K) June 2008
Friends of the Earth evidence to Climate Change Committee on the targets to be set in the Climate Change Bill, June 2008

Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry into Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) June 2008.
(PDF† 71K) June 2008
Friends of the Earth evidence to Environmental Audit Committee, on Vehicle Excise Duty (VED).

Shadow Secretariat - Committee on Climate Change(CCC)
(PDF† 146K) January 2008
Friends of the Earth evidence to shadow climate change committee, on delivering carbon budgets.

Submission to the Environmental Audit Committee inquiry on the 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review
(PDF† 52K) November 2007
This submission informs the Environmental Audit Committee inquiry about the views of Friends of the Earth on the 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review.

Submission to the Select Committee on the Merits of Statutory Instruments - Energy Performance Certificates
(PDF† 17K) June 2007
This note informs the House of Lords Select Committee on the Merits of Statutory Instruments about the views of Friends of the Earth on Energy Performance Certificates.

Climate change and the Stern review: the implications for HM Treasury policy on tax and the environment
(PDF† 59K) January 2007
Friends of the Earth's submission to the Treasury Committee Inquiry.

Climate change: the "citizen's agenda"
(PDF† 36K) January 2007
Friends of the Earth's evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's inquiry into climate change: the "citizen's agenda". Our response focuses on question 6: "to what extent is 'green taxation' an effective driver of behavioural change?".

Evidence to Environmental Audit Committee on Pre-Budget 2006
(PDF† 69K) November 2006
The first part of our evidence covers the Stern Review and the Government's response to it so far. The rest of our evidence looks at the Committee's questions on aviation taxation, the Barker Review and companies' environmental reporting requirements.

Friends of the Earth's evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee
(PDF† format 140K) July 2006
Friends of the Earth's submits evidence on 'International Trade & the World Trade Organisation' to the Enviromental Audit Committee.

Stern Review submission 2
(PDF† 176K) March 2006
Friends of the Earth's second submission to the Treasury Stern Review on climate change.

Stern Review submission
(PDF† 373K) December 2005
Friends of the Earth's submission to the Treasury Stern Review on climate change

Liberalising trade in services
(PDF† format 245K) January 2003
Friends of the Earth's response to the DTI consultation condemns the limited timeframe the DTI gave for responses and the lack of transparency in negotiations. Our response reflects on examples of previous liberalisation in the UK (eg. the privatisation of rail, the recent maritime oil disasters) to highlight the problems with this agreement.

Glossaries

Glossary of terms - World Trade Organization
(PDF† 192K) August 2003
Understanding trade jargon is an essential first step for anyone wanting to understand or change the international trade system. This is a guide to help would-be trade campaigners crack the WTO code.

Guides

Trade activists guide: Trade, food and agriculture
(PDF† format 1.02MB) November 2001
This guide explores some of the effects of globalisation and free trade on food and agriculture. It is intended to provide activists with information that can be used to brief officials, the public or media.

Reports

Generated user benefits and the Heathrow expansion: Understanding consumer surplus
(PDF† 235K) July 2008
This report from academics at the Stockholm Environment Institute, critiques the Government's use of Consumer Surplus Theory as a means of calculating economic benefits for the proposed Heathrow expansion.

Out of the shadows: What's behind DEFRA's new approach to the price of carbon?
(PDF† 234K) July 2008
This report from academics at the Stockholm Environment Institute critiques the Government's approach to pricing carbon in appraisal - the shadow price of carbon.

The price of carbon: What should it be and why?
(PDF† 1.4K) July 2008
This report summarises views expressed at an academic-Government-NGO seminar on carbon pricing held in July 2008.

Critique of Cost-Benefit Analysis, and Alternative Approaches to Decision-Making
(PDF† 192K) January 2008
This report from academics at Tufts University, USA critiques the use of cost-benefit analyis in policy making, and proposes alternatives.

Debating climate economics: The Stern review vs its critics
(PDF† 235K) July 2007
The Government's Stern Review, released in late 2006, expressed alarm at the impending climate damages that will result from business as usual and presented novel economic arguments endorsing prompt and vigorous action. Economists were quick to respond to the review, in many cases quite critically. This report, written for Friends of the Earth by Frank Ackerman, reviews and explains the differences between Stern and his academic critics.

The European Happy Planet Index
(PDF† 890K) July 2007
In an age of climate change, the Happy Planet Index gives a better picture of the true health and wealth of nations. Using new data, this report reveals that Europe is less carbon efficient now than it was 40 years ago at delevering human well-being in terms of relatively happy, long lives to its citizens. The Index explores why some European countries produce well-being at a much higher cost than others.

Shell: Use your profit to clean up your mess
(PDF† 1.26M) February 2007
Report on how Shell should fund local solutions for the environmental and social destruction caused by its projects.

After Stern: Towards a Climate Change Budget
(PDF † 179K) November 2006
Pre-Budget Report briefing:
This briefing outlines the opportunities for the Chancellor to make progress on cutting carbon emissions by using taxation and government spending policies. It sets out specific measures that can, and should, be included in the Budget.

Climate change - the costs of inaction
(PDF† 262K) October 2006
This report examines the costs of inaction - the worsening damages that will result from allowing climate change to continue unabated. Economic models have estimated damages as great as US$74 trillion, but even these numbers fail to convey the multiple harms that lie in store for the world.

The Happy Planet Index
(PDF† 1.63M) July 2006
The Happy Planet Index is an innovative new measure that shows the ecological efficiency with which human well-being is delivered around the world. It is the first ever index to combine environmental impact with well-being to measure the environmental efficiency with which country by country, people live long and happy lives. The results are surprising, even shocking, but there is much to learn from what they show.

Green foundations: better regulation and a healthy environment for growth and jobs
(PDF† 486K) June 2006
The increasing globalisation of the world's economy has raised concern about the ability of UK industry to compete in world markets. This report presents some key, evidence-based messages showing that future economic prosperity and high environmental and social standards must go hand in hand.

Can't see the forest for the TR€£$
(PDF† format 1450K) November 2005
This report looks at how trade talks to open up markets for timber and wood products could speed up destruction of the world's forests, devastating the livelihoods of millions of the poorest people in the world and undermining efforts to tackle climate change.

Easy Listening - a research summary
(PDF† 340K) July 2005
This summary shows why the Government needs a new playlist featuring more than the CBI's old favourites.
Full report - Hidden voices

Gas flaring in Nigeria: a human rights, environmental and economic monstrosity
(PDF† 1.5M) June 2005
More gas is flared in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. This report tracks its history, explains its implications, and shows how it violates human rights and damages the environment.

Lessons not learned- the other Shell Report
(PDF† 505K) June 2005
This report tells the real story of living on Shell's doorstep around the world, that Shell's reports fail to mention.

Beyond Oil: the oil curse and solutions for an oil free future
(PDF† 735K) January 2005
This report brings together information and contacts needed to stop the conflict and destruction that the oil economy generates at every stage of its cycle.

Xposé Awards 2004 Ceremonial Brochure
(PDF † 537K) September 2004
Full details of all companies and lobby groups nominated for Xposé Awards at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton 2004.

Xposé Award Winners
(PDF † 150K) September 2004
Details of the award-winning companies and lobby groups at the Xposé Awards.

Behind the shine - the other Shell report
(PDF† 840K) June 2004
Highlights Shell's poor performance in the area of corporate social responsibility using accounts from people who live next door to Shell around the world.

GATS: its local impact in England
(PDF† format 830K) January 2003
This report examines the aspects of GATS that relate to five key areas of activity for local government in England - planning, regeneration, green procurement, environmental protection and transport - to identify the potential impact.

Towards sustainable economies: challenging neoliberal economic globalisation
(PDF†) January 2003
Friends of the Earth International report setting out guidelines for developing fair and sustainable economics.

Sale of the Century? The WTO's 4th ministerial
November 2001
This series of five reports from Friends of the Earth International examines the theories, impacts and institutions of world trade, outlines the proposals for trade negotiations in various sectors at the 4th WTO ministerial meeting, and assesses the influence of transnational corporations.

New jobs without roads - sustainable regeneration in Hastings
(PDF† 324K) June 2001
Friends of the Earth commissioned CAG Consultants to research options for the sustainable regeneration of Hastings as alternatives to the proposed Hastings bypasses and this is their report.

Working future?
November 1994
Working future? is a report which looks at sector-based case studies on pollution control, transport, energy, resource use and agriculture in order to get a clearer idea of the opportunities for job creation through sustainable development. This is a summary of that report.

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