The groups argue that the UK is no longer in compliance with the rules of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a Norway-based organisation that brings together governments, companies, and civil society to oversee the governance of extractive industries.
In a formal complaint submitted on Friday, the campaigners accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government of intensifying a crackdown on environmental protesters, which they claim is backed by the fossil fuel industry and has led to a record number of climate activists being jailed.
"Until our government remembers it isn't a private security firm for the oil and gas industry, recognises the important right to protest and stops jailing peaceful climate activists, the UK should be suspended from the initiative," said Jolyon Maugham, director of the Good Law Project, one of the groups behind the submission.
The EITI requires member states to ensure an enabling environment for civil society engagement, including legal protections for freedom of expression, assembly, and protest. The UK, which has been an EITI member since 2014, is set to undergo its next compliance review starting 1 July.
'Terrifying' erosion of protest rights
The UN Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders, Michel Forst, recently described the UK's current legal environment as "terrifying" for peaceful activists. Civil society groups say recent laws restricting protests, combined with efforts to criminalise dissent, have effectively silenced critics of the fossil fuel industry.
The submission also highlights the recent move by the UK government to proscribe Palestinian Action under terrorism legislation, equating the group—which engages in direct action against companies linked to Israel's arms trade—with globally recognised terror organisations such as al-Qaida.
"The UK government has sold off democracy to its sponsors in the fossil fuel industry," said Tim Crosland, director of the climate justice organisation Plan B. "It allows them to draft the laws to silence and jail their own civil society critics. If that conforms to the EITI standard for civil society engagement, the standard isn't set very high."
The submission was also signed by Defend Our Juries and The Corner House, two organisations that have criticised recent attempts to restrict protest actions involving juries and public demonstrations.
Spotlight on EITI compliance
The EITI standard explicitly calls for an open civic space as a requirement for participation, stating that member governments must "ensure that there is an enabling environment for civil society participation" in both legal frameworks and practical implementation.
The campaigners argue that the UK has failed on both counts, citing not only recent legislation but also the influence of fossil fuel-aligned individuals and think tanks shaping protest policy behind the scenes.
The UK's compliance review this summer will assess whether it is still eligible for EITI membership. A decision is expected later in 2025.