Environment

A landmark International Court of Justice advisory opinion has clarified that states have a duty to prevent climate harm, marking a shift toward enforceable climate accountability and strengthening the emerging framework of ecological and rights-based environmental law.

As Indigenous knowledge gains recognition and environmental crises deepen, a growing movement argues that granting legal rights to nature can protect it from exploitation.

In the Pacific Islands, the annual spawning of palolo sea worms feeds communities, marks time and sustains cultural traditions. Why this Indigenous tradition is becoming increasingly important as climate change intensifies weather events.

From Ecuador to New Zealand and India, a growing number of countries are recognizing the legal rights of nature, though not without legal and political challenges.

Environmental laws are evolving from prioritizing human benefits to recognizing nature’s intrinsic rights; this is reflected in the small but growing number of countries that grant legal personhood to natural entities.

Would you rather have abundant and affordable energy or a clean, healthy planet where wildlife can flourish? It sounds like an either/or choice, but it doesn’t have to be.