Ecuador’s forest win sets global precedent for nature’s legal rights

The Los Cedros forest in Ecuador’s Andes has become a global symbol of how granting nature legal rights can protect biodiversity from industrial threats like mining.

Peter Yeung reports for Yes!

In short:

• The Los Cedros forest, one of the world’s most biodiverse places, was saved from mining by a landmark court ruling that recognized nature’s legal rights.
• The ruling builds on Ecuador’s 2008 constitution, which grants nature rights, setting a precedent for protecting ecosystems worldwide.
• Challenges remain in implementing these protections, with concerns about illegal activities and nearby industrial threats.

Key quote:

“There was no case before this, there was no precedent. It was a case of science winning over extractive industries.”

— Josef DeCoux, conservationist

Why this matters:

This ruling is part of a global movement to give legal rights to nature, offering new tools to protect ecosystems essential to human health and survival, especially in the face of biodiversity loss and climate change. Read more: Could the Ohio River have rights? A movement to grant rights to the environment tests the power of local control.