Global Access to

Environmental
Information

Joseph Foti, World Resources Institute

April 1, 2009
TRI National Training Conference
2002 - WSSD Origins
Plan of Implementation

1992 – Rio Declaration

The Access Initiative Network

45 completed assessments
45+ active countries
 Our Model of
Influence
TAI assessments Advocacy tools

CSOs

Governments and Int’l Institutions

Close gaps in access law, institutions and

practices
 The TAI Method
Law
Constitutional rights
Framework laws (FOIA, APA, EIA Law, etc.)

Information Participation Justice

Air & H2O Quality EIA Denial of Info
SoE Reports Permitting Denial of Part
Facility-level Rulemaking Env Harm
Emergencies Non-compliance
Law
Effort
Effectiveness
Pollutant Release and
Transfer Registers

Claims of confidentiality regarding

pollutant release and transfer (42)
Pollutant Release and
Transfer Registers

Production of Pollutant Release and

Transfer Registers or equivalent (43)
Pollutant Release and
Transfer Registers

Pollutant Release and Transfer Register

reports available on the Internet (36)

Pollutant Rel
available on 
 Pollutant Release and
Transfer Registers

Quality of information accessible to public in

Pollutant Release and Transfer Register reports (15)
Pollutant Release and
Transfer Registers

Timeliness of Pollutant Release and

Transfer Register data (29)
 Lessons
Weak TRI Laws
Some exceptions
Enforcement is weak
What can we do to promote such
programs abroad?
II. Access to Information
and Communities
Poverty – Access Pilot Assessments

Cameroon
Nicaragua
Sri Lanka

Paraguay
Philippines
 Four Principles
Ensure that basic structures are
in place

Mechanisms should enable

uptake
 Information Systems

Practice
Push

Specific Proactive Laws

Pull

General Reactive Laws

Complete Information
Systems
 Four Principles
Ensure that basic structures are in
place
Mechanisms should enable
uptake
Lower transaction costs
Build public and intermediary
capacity
Intermediary
Organizations
Government

Intermediaries

Public
Biak-na-Bato National
Park
Four Principles and the
US
Ensure that basic structures are in
place

Mechanisms should enable

uptake

Lower transaction costs

Build public and intermediary

capacity is key
 A Vision...
EPA and its governmental partners will work to
grow the capacities of local organizations to use
the TRI information. The EPA will build
partnerships with intermediary organizations to
ensure that information reaches all
communities.

The communities at the greatest risk of toxic

exposure will have the information that they
need with regard to toxics, risk, official
processes and procedures in order work to
keep the communities clean and healthy.