An interview with the EJF (Environmental Justice Foundation)
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) was founded in 2001 to promote “equal access to a secure and healthy environment for all, in a world where wildlife can live alongside humanity.”
With teams across the world, the EJF works to expose environmental crimes and the connected threats to human rights. They work by telling stories from the frontlines and have teams of researchers, campaigners, communications specialists and film-makers who work in locations worldwide.
EJF joined Spielfeld in 2021 and has since grown their team. Joining us today are Katharina Pätz, Georg Werner and Anna-Maria Grün — we’re excited to have the opportunity to speak with them about their work.
SF: Thanks for talking to us and welcome to Spielfeld! Tell us about the beginnings of the Environmental Justice Foundation. Where and why was it started?
Werner: The Environmental Justice Foundation was originally founded in the UK with the primary goal of bringing together two areas of concern for civil society organisations in which great work had been done by many organisations but which remained somewhat isolated. That is to say that there were many fantastic environmental organisations as well as many NGOs working to eradicate human rights abuses. However, both dimensions — the environment and human rights — were seldom addressed together systematically.
This was the idea for EJF: to raise awareness and change issues where our environment is damaged and human rights are violated at the same time.
This was the idea for EJF: to raise awareness and change issues where our environment is damaged and human rights are violated at the same time. Also, we try to give voice to communities affected by environmental degradation and human rights abuses, documenting specific cases and bringing these insights, along with inclusive solutions, directly to local and national decision-makers but also those in Europe and elsewhere that can make a difference.
SF: We know you have team members in Berlin (at Spielfeld!) but you also have a large team spread across the globe. Do different locations have different focuses or projects?
Werner: Our offices are located where our core campaign areas lie so we can work on the ground together with local activists, communities and policy-makers. For our campaigns to improve ocean health and end illegal fishing, for example, we have teams in West Africa - specifically Ghana and Liberia. In Asia we have offices in Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. Colleagues of ours are also based in Brussels so they can work directly with EU decision-makers. Many of our staff — such as our film team, investigators or administrators — are based in London.
SF: Tell us about your team. I’ve seen on your website that many of you come from an array of specialties. Tell us about how you all work together.
Pätz: Currently we have a small core team of five working for the German country office, but we also collaborate with our colleagues from all over the world. Yes, within the organisation we have colleagues who come from sciences or worked within political institutions like the European Commission. There are also many communication experts and filmmakers, which is particularly exciting. I don’t know many other fields with an in-house film team.
SF: Tell us about the EJF purpose and vision. What do you guys do?
Grün: At EJF’s core is a simple but powerful belief: we all depend on the natural environment for our livelihoods and well-being, and environmental security is a fundamental human right. That’s why EJF is working in some of the world’s toughest and most remote countries to shine an international spotlight on the environmental and human rights abuses that too often go unnoticed: We’ve exposed the modern-day slavery propping up Thailand’s seafood sector, provided irrefutable evidence of illegal fishing in West Africa, uncovered state-sponsored forced child labour in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields and gathered powerful first-hand testimonials from those living on the frontlines of climate change.
We’re working with, and for, those on the frontlines of environmental destruction to investigate, document and expose environmental and human rights abuses and take local fights to the very heart of governments and business across the world to secure lasting, global change.
From the climate crisis to the loss of forests and the devastation of ocean ecosystems, it is the most vulnerable, marginalised and disempowered communities that bear the brunt. We’re working with, and for, those on the frontlines of environmental destruction to investigate, document and expose environmental and human rights abuses. We take local fights to the very heart of governments and business across the world to secure lasting, global change. Finally, we also provide training and community support to help to build local capacity, give a voice to new environmental defenders and strengthen the global call for change.
SF: How do you choose your stories?
Grün: By looking at environmental security through a human rights lens, we can mobilise concern, garner support and drive international action for lasting change. From floods and storms to deforestation, ocean exploitation and pollution, it is the people on the frontlines of environmental destruction that see, and feel, the true power of the environmental and human rights abuses being inflicted across our shared planet. We work with, and for, these frontline communities, helping them to expose and document the local environmental abuses, and taking their voices and local fights to those who have the power to secure lasting change.
SF: EJF often focuses on videos and images. Why are visuals such an important part of your process?
Grün: Films and photographs can and do change the world. EJF uses them, along with new technologies, to document threats to environmental security and human rights. Photos and films are a crucial pillar of EJF’s work because they provide powerful first-hand evidence. By combining our investigations with hard-hitting reports we target decision makers and work to change laws and policies with a positive impact for people and the planet.
SF: What are some of the reports that have made the largest impact?
Werner: Our investigations into the Thai fishing sector led to a number of reports and have certainly had a big impact. The investigations documented how rampant illegal fishing had been depleting fish populations in Thai waters for many years.
Beyond this, we uncovered associated human trafficking and labour abuses. This work and that of others led to the European Union taking action, officially warning Thailand that its seafood exports to the EU could be banned. Subsequently, we worked with Thai authorities to take steps to improve conditions in the fisheries sector — to drive back illegal fishing practices and ensure better working conditions for labourers from Thailand and abroad.
And, to provide a very recent example, we published a report on China’s global fleet and how it empties the ocean of fish while workers on vessels are treated horrendously.
SF: What are some of your current and future projects?
Pätz: At the moment I am reaching out to policy makers and other NGOs to share insights from our latest investigative report about human rights abuses and environmental damages caused by the Chinese Distant-Water Fleet.
I am also working with other global civil society organisations like Amnesty International and WWF on policy recommendations. We are currently in meetings with German Federal Ministries where we share and discuss our recommendation. We will hand these recommendations over to the G7 leaders prior to the G7 conference in June.
SF: Thanks to the team for joining us — we look forward to following your work over the next months and will be sure to update this post when new information becomes available!
