Summary
In 2022, the Irish government convened a Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity Loss to examine how the Irish state can improve its response to the issue of biodiversity loss, and to bring forward proposals in that regard. On September 1, 2022, legal professionals across Ireland and the UK submitted to the Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity Loss a proposal to hold a referendum to amend Ireland’s constitution to recognize rights of nature. In November 2022, the Citizens Assembly voted overwhelmingly (83 percent in favor) to support the proposal and included it in the committee’s recommendations to the government.