Bridging Human Rights and Nature Protection: Exploring the Potential of the Anthropocentric Approach

Abstract

The article explores the doctrinal potential of anthropocentric human rights law to support nature protection, proposing a conception of human rights that is aligned with ecological well-being. Using the case law of the ECtHR as an example, it argues that the full potential of this framework has yet to be realised. The article further explores how the ECtHR’s evolving stance on the standing of associations in climate change cases, coupled with its approach to remedies, could open new avenues for addressing environmental harm, particularly in the contexts of climate change and ecosystem restoration. While recognising the symbolic power of Rights of Nature, it concludes that, in light of the ecological shift in human rights law, the practical basis for adopting Rights of Nature remains limited.

Keywords: Rights of Nature, European Court of Human Rights, Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Anthropocentric human rights protection, Climate change