RIGHTS OF NATURE
a PROGRAM of the Environmental Law Centre (Alberta)
STANDING TOGETHER FOR A BETTER WORLD
What Inspires Us to Do This?
Legal rights govern how we interact with each other and with the world around us.
The right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment has seen broad recognition across the globe. Yet, our laws and regulations typically marginalize the needs of natural ecosystems.
Various jurisdictions are now granting legal rights to aspects of the environment such as rivers. The Environmental Law Centre has started exploring and advocating for changes in how the rights of nature may be considered and protected.
This includes Reimagining Rivers, a collaboration between the Environmental Law Centre and the Centre for Constitutional Studies. We are seeking novel and innovative ways in which our legal system can better protect the natural world.
OUR KEY IDEAS
Learn About the Rights of Nature:
When we talk about rights of nature on this website, we mean legal rights that are held by nature. This is different than environmental rights which are held by humans.
If ‘nature’ is awarded rights similar to those held by other legal persons, how would these rights be upheld? We highlight some emerging and established legal approaches that could be used to protect and enforce the rights of nature.
What happens when rights of nature come into tension with other types of rights? How do we anticipate resolving potential conflicts? We look at what happens when rights collide and what types of techniques exist for balancing rights.
