A brief spotlight on the German Network for the Rights of Nature
By Christian Cray and Tobias Gerhartsreiter
RoN as a strong argument to tackle the multiple crises of our planet is gaining speed and momentum in media coverage, in conferences and in the public opinion in Germany. The German network for RoN (https://www.rechte-der-natur.de) was founded two years ago and in October 2023 we received official recognition as a registered NGO. It is a network of a wide range of activists, lawyers, academic researchers and NGO representatives. Our NGO status allows us not only to raise funds with public and private foundations, but also strengthens our standing in lobby activities for RoN. Beyond this, the aim of the network is to exchange information and best practice in educational work, media coverage and activities to raise public awareness.
Representatives of the German network have been participating in numerous events and have given speeches on RoN throughout the year. In February 2024 we are co-hosting an event on RoN together with University of Münster.
Currently, we are developing a strong focus on lobby work on RoN and we will by hosting an expert meeting in the UN city of Bonn on 27 November 2023. Around 40 experts in science, law, civil society as well as federal environmental agencies/ministries will spend a day considering the current discourse and the most pressing issues and obstacles. They will also discuss how implementation of RoN could succeed and what the implications would be for society, especially in an industrialized country as densely populated as Germany. The aim of the dialog event is to form new alliances and consolidate the network.
Thus, we envision that this will help us gain stronger leverage for any advocacy work with political decision-makers in Berlin in the future.
Last, but not least we would like to highlight that a series of publications on the rights of nature have recently been made or will be published shortly. The following is just a selection:
- Die Rechte der Natur / The Rights of Nature by Prof. Dr. Thilo Wesche (University of Oldenburg)
- Das ökologische Grundgesetz / The Ecological Constitution by Prof. Dr. Jens Kersten (LMU Munich)
- Die Natur hat Recht / Nature is right by Elisabeth Weydt (Journalist)
· Rechte für Flüsse, Berge und Wälder. Eine neue Perspektive für den Naturschutz? / Rights for rivers, mountains and forests. A new perspective for nature conservation? By Dr. Matthias Kramm et al. (University of Wageningen)
