Summary
In 2021, Councillor O’Neill from the Derry and Strabane District Council in Ireland drafted and submitted a Rights of Nature motion. The motion sets out for council to collaborate with civil society to explore what rights of nature mean for the people and economies of the region and to investigate how the rights of nature could be expressed in community plans, corporate plans, improvement objectives and other strategic frameworks. The motion directs the council to hold two community workshops and work with the local community and stakeholders to draw up a Declaration for the Rights of Nature, which would then be brought back before the Council for adoption within the next six months.
The motion passed unanimously. While the council has no legal powers to enforce such rights, the Council hopes it will encourage other councils to follow suit.
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2025. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor.https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/derry-city-and-strabane-rights-of-nature-motion/.
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