The Environmental Law Institute, a prominent nonprofit organization, has been at the center of a national security controversy over its past partnerships with Chinese government-linked organizations. A national security group is urging Congress to investigate the nonprofit's ties with China, citing concerns that its work may have undermined American national security.
ELI has trained over 2,000 American judges on environmental law through its Climate Judiciary Project since 2018. However, the organization has also cultivated relationships with entities described as Chinese government-affiliated, CCP-linked, or tied to China's military research ecosystem.
A letter addressed to congressional leadership argues that ELI's work has uniformly advanced Chinese strategic and national security interests while constraining domestic energy producers and industrial expansion. The organization is accused of pushing America toward dependence on energy sources dominated by the People's Republic of China.
State Armor, a national security organization, is raising concerns that ELI's ties to China could have domestic implications. The group is urging lawmakers to examine the scope of ELI's cooperation with Chinese entities and review the funding, curriculum development, expert selection, and governance structure of its judicial education programs.
ELI has maintained that its work in China ceased in 2024 and that its programming is evidence-based and focused on environmental regulation. However, the nonprofit has continued to advance China-related scholarship and partner with individuals linked to Chinese government ventures.
In May, ELI published an English-language paper written by two Chinese academics detailing China's progress on environmental protection. In June, the organization hosted a Chinese legal scholar for a panel discussion on global career pathways in environmental law.
ELI has worked with organizations and universities that have been scrutinized by the United States government over their ties to China's military. The nonprofit has also launched a working group to facilitate dialogue between multinational businesses and Chinese environmental regulatory authorities.
Republican lawmakers and conservative activists have drawn scrutiny from ELI's China-related work and foreign partnerships. Sen. Ted Cruz has waged a campaign against ELI, alleging that the group has links to the Chinese government and that its operations harm the United States.
State Armor argues that ELI promotes a policy agenda that disfavors American energy interests, citing the organization's disproportionate focus on regulatory constraints on U.S. domestic energy production. The group is urging lawmakers to investigate ELI's ties to China and review its judicial education programs.
