Rights of Nature on the Island of Ireland: Origins, Drivers and Implications

Abstract

In June 2021 Derry City and Strabane District Council in Northern Ireland adopted a pioneering motion on the ‘rights of nature.’ Within days, a similar motion was adopted by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, followed by Donegal County Council in the Republic of Ireland in December 2021. To date, little research has been conducted into the nascent rights of nature movement on the island of Ireland. Existing analyses on rights of nature initiatives in Europe are generally quite limited, with few empirical studies to date. Yet, the movement across the island of Ireland raises important questions about the drivers (e.g., philosophical, cultural, political, legal) to pursuing rights of nature, as well as the implications of such initiatives. This paper contributes to addressing this gap, exploring these themes through an analysis of interviews with key stakeholders conducted across the island in June 2022.