An organization associated with the Chinese Communist Party has contributed millions to an environmental law nonprofit focused on energy initiatives in Louisiana.
The Pelican Public Policy Institute recently published a report detailing systemic obstacles that are impeding the growth of Louisiana’s energy sector. According to the Pelican Institute, Earthjustice, an environmental law group based in San Francisco, has obtained significant funding—totalling millions—from nonprofit entities linked to the CCP.
Earthjustice is reported to represent various environmental advocacy groups, such as RISE St. James, Concerned Citizens of St. John, and the Alliance for Affordable Energy in legal challenges, permit disputes, and civil rights litigation. They are also part of a coalition, Louisiana Against Falls Solutions (LAF), which is aimed at shifting the energy market away from fossil fuels.
The Pelican Institute has pointed out that Earthjustice has targeted projects like Formosa Plastics’ proposed petrochemical facility, Denka’s synthetic rubber production site, a Mitsubishi Chemical plant, as well as a methane gas power plant operated by Entergy Corp. in Louisiana.
Since 2003, Earthjustice has received $6,562,936 from the Energy Foundation of China (EFC), a nonprofit organization with connections to the Chinese government. The foundation’s CEO, Ji Zhou, has a background with China’s National Climate Change Strategy Center and was part of the Chinese delegation at the 2015 Paris climate talks.
One board member of EFC, Zhang Hongjun, is a lawyer based in Washington, DC, and previously served on the Legislative Committee of China’s National People’s Congress.
The Energy Foundation has its registered base in San Francisco but is also recognized in Beijing, where it is registered with local authorities. The Pelican Institute mentions that EFC and the U.S. Energy Foundation used to be part of the same organization until they separated in 2019. They continued to share an office in San Francisco until 2022, and as of July 24, some EFC employees were still compensated by the U.S. foundation.
Critics argue that EF is financing U.S. organizations to further China’s energy objectives, particularly through legal actions that inhibit the domestic energy sector. During a 2025 U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, this was noted, along with claims that EF and EFC had contributed $6.4 million to LAF affiliates.
The Pelican Institute reported that LAF has received nearly $115.5 million in funding from external donors, including sources like Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Rockefeller Family Foundation, and the George Soros-funded Tides Foundation.
Earthjustice has collaborated with Michael Bloomberg’s initiatives, including the $1 billion Beyond Carbon Initiative and the $85 million Petrochemicals Campaign, both of which aim to reduce reliance on carbon-emitting energy sources. There’s a goal to close all coal-fired plants in the U.S. by 2030.
The Beyond Petrochemical Campaign is focusing on preventing over 120 planned petrochemical plants from being developed in Louisiana, Texas, and the Ohio River Basin.
The Bloomberg Family Foundation has reportedly contributed at least $34.25 million to Earthjustice. The nonprofit has expressed appreciation for Bloomberg’s support, deeming him a “strong ally.”
In 2018, reports indicated that Republican members of the House Natural Resources Committee reached out to Earthjustice for documentation regarding its connections to foreign officials and environmental activists.
Earthjustice registered with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in 2019 after hosting young environmental activists from various countries as foreign principals.
