About

About EIA

“Throughout the entire policy-making process, EIA was perceived as the most active and well-known agent, being ascribed [as]…having an expert status on the topic…committed and well-connected…as builder of the [coalition].”
– “Divide and Conquer – Discursive agency in the politics of illegal logging in the United States,” Global Environmental Change, November 2015

For over a quarter century, EIA has been recognized by government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and independent journals, like Global Environmental Change above, for its extraordinary work on the ground and at the heart of solving global environmental problems. Our team can be found in the field working with civil society collecting information, deeply entrenched in research and data analysis, and at international negotiating platforms poised to propose solutions that work.

Our interlocking campaign program works to protect threatened wildlife, forests, and our global climate. Divided among these three core areas, we are determined to protect the environment with intelligence.

Mission

Protecting the environment with intelligence.

EIA works to achieve tangible changes in the global economy that make local and sustainable management of the world’s natural resources possible.

Working in London since 1984 and in Washington, D.C. since 1989, the Environmental Investigation Agency has identified and implemented specific solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental problems. Our campaigns to protect endangered wildlife, forests, and the global climate operate at the intersection between increasing global demand and trade and the accelerating loss of natural resources and species. EIA takes advantage of its independence and mobility to produce game-changing primary evidence and analysis of these problems and to build lasting alliances, institutions, and policies to implement solutions.

As a non-profit organization with IRS 501(c)(3) designation, EIA relies on financial support from individual donors and charitable foundations. Donations to EIA are U.S. tax deductible to the full extent of applicable law.

Methods

EIA is a different kind of environmental organization with a unique combination of methods: undercover investigations of criminal activity, a wide variety of scientific, economic and social primary evidence, and campaigning expertise are combined to achieve systemic environmental breakthroughs. A thirty-year track record reveals EIA as arguably the most consistently independent, fearless, dynamic and effective NGO working on global environmental issues today.

EIA pioneered the use of investigative techniques, including undercover documentary evidence, to record and expose the world’s most pressing environmental problems thirty years ago. Today we leverage a global intelligence and advocacy network at the highest levels of government, civil society, and industry, combined with deep policy expertise, to spur changes in market demand, local, national and international laws, and enforcement.

We have worked tirelessly to investigate environmental crimes, often in collaboration with our London partner-office, to directly instigate policy changes around the world. Since our founding, we have achieved lasting successes, such as the international ban on ivory trade in 1989 and the passage of the 2008 Lacey Act amendment in the United States.

Our targeted approach in our investigations shape our strategies and provide factual evidence for policymakers and enforcement agencies. Our campaign teams leverage the information we gather on highly organized, large-scale eco-criminal operations with policymakers, the media, and the public.

From remote villages in Latin America and Africa, to the negotiating platforms of the UNFCCC, CITES, and Montreal Protocol, we seek to connect with and empower civil society, facilitate dialogue amongst industry and global leaders, and promote frameworks that protect natural resources, wildlife, and the people that depend on them.

EIA’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

EIA is committed to ensuring that our practices, policies, and culture root out white supremacy and other caste systems, cultivate sustained learning, and create space for diversity and inclusivity, and advance justice and equity within our organization, our partnerships, our network, and our campaigns. We envision a diverse, transparent and equitable EIA that actively confronts racism. We will strive to uplift and amplify the voices of those most affected by discrimination and entrenched colonization. We will approach anti-racism as a forever process with humility and conviction.

Contact Us

Mailing address:

Environmental Investigation Agency
PO Box 53343
Washington, D.C. 20009
USA

Email: info@eia-global.org

Phone Number: +1 202 483 6621

Fax: +1 202 986-8626

Audited Financial Statements & 990s:

2019/2018/2017/2016/2015/2014/2013/2012/2011

2019-990/2018-990/2017-990/2016-990/2015-990/2014-990

EIA Board Members:

Allan Thornton
Environmental Investigation Agency, President (Founder)

John Fitzgerald*, 2011
Society for Conservation Biology, Former Policy Director
Defenders of Wildlife, Former General Counsel

Michael Brintnall*, 2013
American Political Science Association (APSA), Former Executive Director

Brian B. Cox*, 2016
MFX Solutions, President and CEO

Janine Ferretti*, 2016
Inter-American Development Bank, Chief, Environmental Safeguards Unit

Kristin Rechberger*, 2018
DYNAMIC PLANET, CEO

* indicates independent voting member

Executive Staff

Allan Thornton, President
Alexander von Bismarck, Executive Director
Ghaya Hassairi, Director of Finance and Operations

Whistleblower Reporting

EIA is committed to transparency and high standards of work ethics. If you have concerns related to any form of possible misconduct by the organization or any of its employees, we encourage you to report any such concerns using the following channels:

Reporting to EIA

• Email: specialnotices@eia-global.org, noting in the subject line "Confidential communication." Such communications will be handled by the EIA Executive Director, Director of Finance and Operations, and Legal Counsel.
• Mail: P.O. Box 53343 Washington, DC 20009. Please address the correspondence to "EIA Executive Director c/o Legal Counsel" and mark the letter as "Confidential communication."

EIA has a no retaliation policy that protects anyone who in good faith reports suspected incidents of misconduct. EIA reserves the right to conduct its own internal investigation into any reports of possible misconduct by its employees and to deal with any instances of misconduct according to applicable U.S. law.