Switzerland Freedom of Information Request on behalf of the Mar Menor Lagoon
In July 2025, the Swiss State Secretariat for International Finance admitted a Freedom of Information Request (FOI) submitted on behalf of the Mar Menor lagoon.Read More →
Personhood
This page identifies initiatives that explicitly recognizes any non-human element of Nature (e.g., ecosystems, plant species, animal species) as possessing legal personhood status. In doing so, these initiatives treat Nature like any other other legal person, like corporations, as opposed to recognizing unique rights of nature. Note that all initiatives included in the Personhood category are also included in the Rights of Nature category, but not all rights of nature initiatives are legal personhood initiatives.
Jeju Island (South Korea) Law: rights of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins
A bill recognizing the rights of the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin was submitted to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province in South Korea in December 2024.Read More →
Switzerland citizens’ initiative: rights of the Rhône River
The Swiss association id·eau launched a transnational citizen initiative for the recognition of a legal personality for the Rhône River.Read More →
Grosspösna (Germany) municipal court case: voting rights for oak trees
In 2025, a citizen filed a legal petition claiming the right for oak trees to vote in the upcoming German federal election.Read More →
Paris Grants Honorary Citizenship to the Seine River
In February 2025, Paris granted honorary citizenship to the Seine River and emphasized the necessity to grant real legal status to the river.Read More →
Southern Chiefs’ Organization of Manitoba (Canada) court case: legal personhood for Lake Winnipeg
In 2024, the Southern Chiefs Organization initiated a Charter challenge in Manitoba, Canada seeking recognition of Lake Winnipeg as a living entity with rights.Read More →
Utrecht (Netherlands) City Motion: rights for nature
In June 2024, a Motion was submitted in Utrecht, Netherlands to recognize nature as a legal entity in the city.Read More →
Sault Tribe (USA) Resolution: Rights of Nature
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in northern Michigan passed a resolution in defense of the tribe’s first family: its natural resources.Read More →