The Rights of Nature Tribunal marked 2024 with landmark rulings and historic hearings that underscored its commitment to defending ecosystems and communities worldwide. Here’s a recap of our pivotal actions:

🇨🇱 Chile: Ecocide in Biobío Region

The 11th Local Rights of Nature Tribunal ruled that the devastating impacts of the forestry model in Chile’s Biobío region constitute ecocide. The judgment highlighted violations of the Rights of Nature and the tragic aftermath of the 2023 forest fires, which burned over 479,000 hectares, displacing communities and destroying ecosystems.
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💧 Yesah Tribunal: First Indigenous-led Rights of Nature Tribunal

On June 1, 2024, the Yesah Tribunal in North Carolina became the first Indigenous-led Rights of Nature Tribunal. It exposed the environmental and cultural violations caused by the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), including over 500 permit violations and threats to sacred rivers and lands.
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💥 6th International Tribunal at Climate Week in New York

During New York Climate Week 2024, the Tribunal delivered a strong verdict on the fossil fuel industry, addressing oil spills, pipelines, coal mining, and false solutions like geoengineering. The message was clear: the era of fossil fuels must end.
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1. Judge Casey Camp-Horinek:
   “People talk about the fact that [Mother Earth] is hurting and that she needs healing. She’s doing fine. It’s us who need the healing. It’s us who need to take responsibility for the manner in which humankind has misbehaved, particularly in the last few centuries.”

2. Witness Antonia Juhasz:
   “Oil and gas are naturally occurring resources. When left to their own devices, they exist in harmony with Nature. It’s only in the last 150 years or so that the fossil fuel industry has turned these resources into what many of us call ‘weapons of mass destruction.’”

3. Witness Paganga Pungowiyi:
   “The idea of trying to alter Earth’s systems in a controlled manner is a violation of the sacred. Everything lives in balance and relationship to each other. This imbalance violates the sacred relationships and sacred balance of Mother Earth.”

4. Witness Julia Horinek:
   “Direct action—this is the power of civil society, amplified by Mother Earth. Rights of Nature is a solution, land defenders are a solution, water protectors are a solution, and just transition is a solution.”

5. Judge Tzeporah Berman:
   “What we heard today, and saw, was incredible courage. The courage to show up. Thank you for showing up. History is made by those who show up. And in this movement, in this Tribunal, we are making history.”

🇦🇷 Argentina: Defending Ecosystems and Communities

• Vaca Muerta Fracking Case: The Tribunal’s ruling exposed the environmental and human rights impacts of one of the world’s largest fracking projects in Patagonia.
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• Corrientes Hearing: The Tribunal investigated the effects of monoculture plantations on biodiversity and local ecosystems, calling attention to the urgent need for reform.
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🇷🇸 Serbia: Homolje Gold Mining Case

The 14th Local Tribunal addressed the environmental and social risks posed by Canadian company Dundee Precious Metals’ gold mining activities in the Homolje region. A final ruling is expected in March 2025.
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Looking Ahead to 2025

2025 promises to build on this momentum, with plans for expanded Tribunals, deeper engagement with Indigenous leadership, and more groundbreaking rulings to protect the Rights of Nature globally. Here’s what’s on the horizon:

🇪🇨 February: 15th Local Rights of Nature Tribunal for Ecuadorian Mining Cases
In early February, we will convene our 15th local Tribunal to empower an Ecuadorian delegation to bring critical mining cases to the forefront. These cases will be presented during the second session of the 6th International Rights of Nature Tribunal.

🇨🇦 February 28: Tribunal Session on Mining at the University of Toronto
The University of Toronto will host the second session of the 6th International Rights of Nature Tribunal under the theme, “The Impacts of Mining and the Post-Extractivism Era.” This session will spotlight the environmental and human rights violations tied to mining operations, focusing on the global reach of Canadian companies and their extractivist practices.

🇧🇷 November: A Unified Proposal at COP30 in Brazil
At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the Rights of Nature Tribunal will present a joint hearing to synthesize the findings of its groundbreaking 2024 and 2025 sessions. Cases from the first hearing on fossil fuels (New York, Climate Week 2024) and the second hearing on mining (Canada, February 2025) will be brought together under a unified proposal: The “New Pact with Mother Earth”, to emphasize the interconnectedness of the fossil fuel and mining industries as part of a larger, destructive system and call for transformative action to address these crises collectively.

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