“Putting the rights of nature on the map. A quantitative analysis of rights of
nature initiatives across the world” was published online by Journal of Maps on
June 13, 2022, authored by Alex Putzer, Tineke Lambooy, Ronald Jeurissen &
Eunsu Kim. This is a unique addition to the scholarship on the burgeoning
Rights of Nature (RoN) movement, and a welcome one, offering graphic and
visual references to the geography of RoN. The authors acknowledge the
assistance of Prof. Craig Kauffman, author of “The Politics of Rights of
Nature, Maria Mercedes Sanchez from the United Nations Harmony with
Nature Programme, as well as members from the Community Environmental
Defense Fund (CELDF). The full paper can be found HERE.
The Rights of Nature (RoN) promote a new understanding of the human
environment, where natural entities are conceived as subjects with intrinsic
value independent of human interests. The implementation of this idea
gained momentum in the United States in 2006. One decade and a half later,
the idea has spread all over the world. Despite some efforts, a sophisticated
geographical inventory of the movement is missing. Building on Kauffman
(2020), we identified and analysed 409 initiatives in 39 countries, creating the
most comprehensive database of RoN initiatives to date. We developed a
taxonomy that may guide further research. We also present two detailed
maps which can help policymakers, legislators, judges, researchers, and the
public at large to evaluate and compare initiatives. The findings of this
investigation directly help the UN Harmony with Nature program and have
contributed to the launch of the Eco-Jurisprudence Monitor, an online
database of RoN initiatives.