Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability (CTEA)

The Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability (CTEA), previously known as the China Accountability Project, is a foreign affairs advocacy group that files legal action against for-profit organizations and other corporate entities that are accused of violating environmental and human rights laws. 1 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Environmental Policy, Energy Policy
Website: ctea.earth
Formation:

2020

Founder and Executive Director:

Jingjing Zhang

Location: Rockville, MD View on map
Tax ID: 85-2570055
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $1,193,911 Revenue: $842,003 Expenses: $693,058

Contents

    Activities

    According to a report by the group Legal Planet, CTEA is one of several civil society groups that advocate to, “hold major Chinese corporations accountable for their overseas environmental impacts in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America and elsewhere.” 3

    CTEA also advocates in favor of weather-dependent solar and wind power usage. 4 The group also opposes the expansion of hydrocarbon fuels use in China, claiming that “it’s still perfectly legal under Chinese law to build a coal-fired plant.” 5

    Financial

    According to its 2022 tax filings, the Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability (CTEA) reported revenues of $803,000 and assets of $637,450 in 2022. 2

    In 2020 and 2023, Open Society Foundations (OSF)donated $186,100 and $400,000 respectively to the CTEA, with the former grant intended “to support the grantee’s work on transparency and accountability during COVID-19.” 6

    In 2022, the Ford Foundation donated $457,666 to the CTEA. 7

    People

    Jingjing Zhang is the founder and executive director of the Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability (CTEA). 2 3 Zhang is a Maurice R. Greenberg fellow at the Yale School of Global Affairs. 8

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $1,193,911 $842,003 $693,058 View
    2023 $545,718 $426,160 $517,297 View
    2022 $637,450 $803,000 $442,397 View
    2021 $267,131 $205,000 $226,451 View

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 4

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Jingjing ZhangPresident$144,307
    Marie SoveroskiSecretary and Treasurer$79,697

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $2,699,694
    • Number of Grants: 12
    • Number of Funders: 7

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $665,0002025 The Ford FoundationGeneral support to unleash the power of Global South communities to protect their right to a sustainable environment and fight harmful impacts of international investments on human rights and environment and project support for institutional strengthening
    $400,0002024 Foundation to Promote Open SocietyTO PROVIDE GENERAL SUPPORT
    $400,0002023 Foundation to Promote Open Societyto provide general support
    $400,0002022 The Ford FoundationGeneral support to pursue transparency and corporate accountability of international investments' human rights and environmental impacts and project support to capacity building to communities affected by Chinese investment in Africa and Latin America
    $200,0002021 The Ford FoundationTo design modules to introduce policies and laws of Chinese overseas investment regarding environmental and social accountability, building capacity to civil society organizations in Southern Africa to effectively hold Chinese investors accountable
    $186,1002020 Open Society Action Fundto support the grantee's work on transparency and accountability during COVID-19
    $130,0002023 The Schmidt Family FoundationProtecting human rights in Africa
    $120,0002022 The Schmidt Family FoundationProtecting human rights in Africa
    $102,3402020 The Schmidt Family FoundationProtecting human rights in Africa
    $63,2542023 The Pew Charitable TrustsPolicy
    $28,0002022 RSF | Regenerative Social FinanceFOR EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY CHINESE INVESTMENT IN GUINEA
    $5,0002021 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.INTERNATIONAL, FOREIGN AFFAIRS

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $138,750
    • Number of Grants: 12
    • Number of Recipients: 1

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $27,0002024 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsACCA
    $25,0002024 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsZELA
    $20,0002022 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsZELA
    $12,0002022 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsACCA/Univ. Pretoria
    $10,0002022 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsAction Mines
    $8,0002023 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsAction Mines
    $8,0002022 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsUniversity of Malawi
    $6,0002024 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsGreenwatch
    $6,0002022 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsAfreWatch
    $6,0002021 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsTo assist AMINES
    $5,5002023 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsSYND
    $5,2502023 Multiple Sub-Saharan Africa RecipientsSYDHE

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability (CTEA).” ESCR, June 24, 2024. https://www.escr-net.org/members/center-transnational-environmental-accountability-ctea/.
    2. “Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability.” Cause IQ. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/center-for-transnational-environmental-accountabil,852570055/.
    3. Wang, Alex. “Power of the People: Environmental Advocacy in China.” Legal Planet, April 10, 2024. https://legal-planet.org/2024/04/10/the-power-of-the-people-environmental-advocacy-in-china/.
    4.  “The Role of China in Africa’s Just Energy Transition.” Wilson Center. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/role-china-africas-just-energy-transition.
    5. “China’s Evolving Energy Policies in Africa.” Institute for Policy Studies, July 17, 2024. https://ips-dc.org/chinas-evolving-energy-policies-in-africa/.
    6. “Grants and Fellowships from the Open Society Foundations.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants.
    7. “Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability.” Ford Foundation, June 10, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/center-for-transnational-environmental-accountability-142776/.
    8. “Jingjing Zhang.” World Fellows – Yale. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://worldfellows.yale.edu/person/jingjing-zhang/.