Exploring Environmental Law, Activism, and the Rights of Nature

Paul Powlesland, barrister and Rights of Nature campaigner who acted for Sheffield activists, proposes that trees should have Rights of Nature and Guardianship and that Sheffield is a great place to try out this model.

The dictionary definition of Nature lags behind the new scientific and cultural consensus – that humans are part of Nature, not separate from it. We want to change that.

Last November, the European Parliament reached provisional agreement in favour of the new Environmental Crime Directive (‘the Directive’) which criminalises environmental damage ‘comparable to ecocide.’

LFN’s Alex May reflects on developments in relation to business and nature, in light of the recently published Opinion on Nature-related risks and directors’ duties under the law of England and Wales.

What happens when a 200 year old oak tree takes the Secretary of State for Climate and Ecological Breakdown to court?

Just over a year ago, TLT LLP asked the question: ‘Does Better Business mean Nature sits on the Board?’

As we settle into 2024, we wanted to take the time to reflect on the work we have done and the achievements we are most proud of from the past few months. 

A couple of week’s ago, LFN Co-Director Brontie Ansell and researcher Alex May took part in Love Our Ouse’s Rights of River Summit in Lewes, a town in Sussex in the south of England.

Last month, we submitted a response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on ‘A Human Rights Bill for Scotland' to emphasise the importance of taking an ecological approach to the Right to a Healthy Environment, and to highlight the role that Rights of Nature can have in realising this.