Carole Excell

Director, Environmental Democracy Practice

Bio

Carole Excell is the Director of World Resources Institute's Environmental Democracy Practice and the Project Director for The Access Initiative, working on access to information, public participation and access to justice issues around the world.

Previously she was the Coordinator for the Freedom of Information Unit of the Cayman Islands Government in charge of ensuring the development and effective implementation of the Cayman Islands Freedom of Information Law. She was in charge of developing an implementation plan for the Cayman Islands, creation of an information manager’s network, development of appropriate IT systems and appropriate administrative regulations. She also worked with The Carter Center as Field Representative in Jamaica working on their Access to Information Project. As part of the Carter Center Access to Information project she was involved in the development of materials, conduct of research and analysis on legal and policy issues associated with the right to information and acted as the Secretariat to the Volunteer Attorneys Panel, a panel of lawyers who provide pro bono services to civil society organizations and indigent persons.

Carole Excell is an Attorney-at-law with a LLB from the University of the West Indies and Certificate of Legal Education from the Norman Manley Law School, Mona. She has a Masters Degree in Environmental Law from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. She has seven years working experience working for the Government of Jamaica on environmental and planning issues both at the Natural Resources Conservation Authority and then at its successor the National Environment and Planning Agency.

Blogs

Protecting Forests with an Unexpected Legal Tool: Freedom of Information Laws
by Jessica Webb, Carole Excell and Rachael Petersen - March 22, 2017
A critical way to protect forests is to determine how well companies are complying with concessions agreements that allow them to work on forested government land. Finding this out can be a challenge. A new WRI study shows Freedom of Information laws can help.
President Trump’s First Week: Is Environmental Democracy in Jeopardy?
by Elizabeth Moses and Carole Excell - January 30, 2017
Recent actions from the Trump administration could not only undermine the government's ability to protect the environment and public health, they erode the foundations of good governance.
Death of Honduran Activist Berta Cáceres Underscores the Need for Environmental Democracy
by Carole Excell - March 08, 2016
Berta Cáceres famously fought against the Agua Zarca Dam, which would have obstructed the Gualcarque River, a source of food and water for local communities. Her murder is tragic, senseless and unfortunately, indicative of more systemic governance problems.
In Order to Solve Pollution, We Must First Solve Governance Challenges
by Carole Excell - September 28, 2015
Solving the challenges of air and water pollution will require more than the adoption of top-down solutions or greener technology. It will require countries to address key governance challenges, like inaccessible information and a lack of public participation.
Crossing the Digital Divide to Protect the Environment
by Stephanie Ratté, Carole Excell and Lauren Williams - December 22, 2014
Roughly 1.3 billion people around the world lack electricity, and more than 3 billion live in rural areas that may experience poor internet connectivity.

How can we ensure that digital tools benefit the communities that oftentimes need them the most?
New Tool Reveals How Jamaica’s Development Projects Impact People and Planet
by Carole Excell and Stephanie Ratté - November 20, 2014
A new tool from WRI’s Access Initiative and the Jamaica Environment Trust, shows where recently approved or proposed development projects overlap with protected areas, fisheries, forest reserves, and other areas important for Jamaica's environment and public health.
UNEP’s New Access to Information Policy Falls Short of True Transparency
by Carole Excell - June 23, 2014
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its first-ever access to information policy last week. The pilot policy—which will be revised after its first year—aims to “enhance transparency and openness” in the organization’s work. But despite its noble aspirations, the policy falls far short of providing true transparency.
Struggles in East Kalimantan Underscore Need for Better Access to Environmental Information
by Carole Excell and Caitlin O’Donnell - March 17, 2014
More than 70 percent of Samarinda’s land (the capital of Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province) is allocated to mining concessions, and little information is provided to citizens on companies’ compliance to safety and environmental health rules.

In the hopes of preventing mining fatalities, the Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM), a group of Indonesian NGOs and community organizations, requested information from the Indonesian government to determine what companies were doing to mitigate mines’ environmental and health impacts. This process prompted the STRIPE project, which will focus on building strong civil society coalitions to advocate for corporate disclosure of information.
Open Government Partnership: It’s Time for Deeper Engagement with the Environment Sector
by Carole Excell and Consuelo Fernandez - November 21, 2013
The Open Government Partnership (OGP)—which held its most recent summit about three weeks ago—has made tremendous progress in its two years of existence. The OGP, a voluntary partnership between governments and civil society, aims to make governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens. Discussions at the summit made it clear that the partnership is already demonstrating impact. Sixty-two governments have now joined OGP, making 1,115 commitments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.

The Summit provided a real sense that there’s a growing community who really “gets” the importance of open government to meeting development goals. Yet there was still a gap in the discourse in one particular area—the environment.
New Jakarta Declaration Aims to Strengthen Rights to Environmental Information in Asia
by Carole Excell - May 09, 2013
Increased industrialization in Asia has created countless hurdles for communities to protect themselves from pollution. Important government information—such as the amount of pollutants being discharged by nearby factories or results from local air and water quality monitoring—still isn’t readily accessible in user-friendly formats. This practice often leaves the public entirely out of decision-making processes on issues like regulating pollution or expanding industrial factories. In many cases, the public lack the information they need to understand and shield themselves from harmful environmental, social, and health impacts.

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Carole Excell

Protecting Forests with an Unexpected Legal Tool: Freedom of Information Laws

President Trump’s First Week: Is Environmental Democracy in Jeopardy?

Death of Honduran Activist Berta Cáceres Underscores the Need for Environmental Democracy

In Order to Solve Pollution, We Must First Solve Governance Challenges

Crossing the Digital Divide to Protect the Environment

New Tool Reveals How Jamaica’s Development Projects Impact People and Planet

UNEP’s New Access to Information Policy Falls Short of True Transparency

Struggles in East Kalimantan Underscore Need for Better Access to Environmental Information

Open Government Partnership: It’s Time for Deeper Engagement with the Environment Sector

New Jakarta Declaration Aims to Strengthen Rights to Environmental Information in Asia

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