Switzerland Parliament – First Step to Protect the Rights of Nature-3/26/2021
CDER works with Swiss partners to advance the Rights of Nature
On March 19, 2021, five members of Switzerland’s Parliament formally presented an initiative to recognize the human right to a healthy environment and the rights of the environment itself – the rights of nature – in the Switzerland Federal Constitution (Die Bundesverfassung).
Parliamentary members – Anna Giacometti, NR FDP (National Councilor, Liberal Democratic Party), Jon Pult, NR SP (National Councilor, Social Party), Nik Gugger, NR EVP (National Councilor, Evangelical Party), Beat Flach, NR GLP (National Party, Green liberal Party), and Marionna Schlatter, NR Grüne (National Party, Green Party) – submitted the initiative to the federal government. The initiative is a request to the government to prepare a draft amendment to the Swiss Constitution to enshrine environmental legal rights of humans and nature.
Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights (CDER) has been working closely over the past year with Swiss activist Doris Ragettli of the organization Rights of Mother Earth, and Swiss author and activist Linard Bardill, and others with the World Ethic Forum, on this project.
CDER’s Mari Margil stated, “We congratulate the parliamentarians and our partners on advancing this important initiative. The Members of Parliament have taken a critical step forward in securing the highest protections for nature, the recognition of constitutional rights.”
Linard Bardill explained, “For the World Ethic Forum, the parliamentary initiative for a right to a healthy environment and the enforceable right of nature represents a significant milestone. If we want to move from cold intellectual knowledge to a meaningful experience and encounter with the earth, then the most important steps are the realization that we and the earth are one, that we ourselves are also nature, and that all agents on this earth have a right to dignity and respect and can also claim this right.”
He added, “With this project, the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights was extremely important. We would like to thank the Center for their consulting, research, and fine-tuning.”
It is expected that the government will respond to the parliamentarian’s request later this year.
The initiative – in German and English – may be found below. It states:
Parliamentary Initiative for the Rights of Nature in Switzerland, 19.3.21
The protection of the environment and Nature is to be strengthened in the federal constitution. In a corresponding revision, two strategic directions are to be pursued:
1. The human right to a healthy environment must be anchored as a fundamental right.
2. Nature is to be given, at least in part, the status of a legal subject.
The intensive use of natural resources is putting increasing pressure on Nature. The decline in biodiversity and climate change are an expression of the lack of balance between humans and Nature. As part of the natural environment, humans are directly affected by the environmental crisis: Due to the scarcity of resources, increasing environmental pollution, and the consequences of global warming. That is why the General Assembly of the United Nations in Harmony with Nature; www.HarmonywithNatureUN.org passed resolution 75/220 "Harmony with Nature" on December 21, 2020.
New constitutional foundations are needed in Switzerland. The right to a healthy environment should become an enforceable basic right for all people. And Nature, understood as a uniform ecosystem, is to be given, at least in part, the status of a legal subject. When working out the details, it is sometimes necessary to clarify who is entitled to legally represent Nature.
Parlamentarische Initiative
Recht auf gesunde Umwelt und Rechte der Natur
Der Schutz von Umwelt und Natur ist in der Bundesverfassung zu stärken. In einer entsprechenden Revision sind zwei Stossrichtungen zu verfolgen:
Das Recht des Menschen auf eine gesunde Umwelt ist als Grundrecht zu verankern.
Der Natur ist mindestens partiell der Status eines Rechtssubjekts zu geben.
Begründung
Die intensive Nutzung natürlicher Ressourcen setzt die Natur zunehmend unter Druck. Der Rückgang der biologischen Vielfalt und der Klimawandel sind Ausdruck des mangelnden Gleichgewichts zwischen Mensch und Natur. Als Teil der natürlichen Umwelt ist der Mensch direkt von der Umweltkrise betroffen: Aufgrund der Ressourcenknappheit, der zunehmenden Umweltverschmutzung und der Folgen der globalen Erwärmung. Deshalb die Generalversammlung der Vereinten Nationen im Einklang mit der Natur; www.HarmonywithNatureUN.org hat am 21. Dezember 2020 die Resolution 75/220 "Harmonie mit der Natur" verabschiedet.
Es braucht neue Verfassungsgrundlagen. Das Recht auf eine gesunde Umwelt soll zu einem einklagbaren Grundrecht aller Menschen werden. Und der Natur, verstanden als einheitliches Ökosystem, ist mindestens partiell der Status eines Rechtssubjekts zu geben. Bei der Detailausarbeitung ist auch zu klären, wer berechtigt ist, die gesetzliche Vertretung der Natur zu übernehmen.