🧠 In this blog article...

We are nature, and nature is at the heart of Future Planet's mission to transform our organisations, society and systems to be in balance and harmony with nature — and fair for all.

Sadly the systems and structures that exist do not yet know or act in a way that reflects this. So we must go to work on influences, levers, signals, stakeholders and structures.

Legal rights and governance is at the heart of how we can embody nature in our systems. To protect what we can and restore what we need. Because we are nature and what we build needs to feel that. 

This is why we are exploring solutions on how we can embed Nature into our businesses or organisations, starting with our two upcoming events that are intentionally curated to give you the tools and insights to solve your challenges. You'll find these opportunities at the end of this article.

✨ You will discover

• ✅ Some examples of what our wonderful members, networks and collaborators have achieved together
• ✅ Inspiring Rights of Nature stories around the world
• ✅ Examples of putting Nature on the Board + toolkits you can access to do the same
  
  Plus...the next two peer-learning opportunities to join your peers and receive insights and solutions on nature governance and strategies for your organisation.
  
  

Be inspired...

Examples where nature has legal rights 

1. Whanganui River, New Zealand

• Granted legal personhood in 2017 and represented by two guardians: one from the local Māori tribe (iwi) and one from the government.
  
• Why it matters? This shifted governance to focus on the river’s well-being and sets a global precedent for treating nature as a stakeholder, not a resource.
  
• How? The Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act formalised the river’s status. It established a new co-management framework rooted in the Māori worldview “I am the river, and the river is me.”
  

2. Te Urewera Forest, New Zealand

• Once a national park, it's now personified (declared a legal entity in 2014) and guided by a board that includes Māori representatives. 
  
• Why it matters? Decisions must protect Te Urewera’s long-term health and identity, reflecting Māori principles of guardianship (kaitiakitanga).
  
• How? Under the Te Urewera Act, management practices incorporate both ecological science and indigenous knowledge systems to safeguard the forest’s living spirit. 

3. Rights of Nature in Ecuador's Constitution

• First country to enshrine rights of nature (2008), Ecuador declares nature (Panchamama) has the right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate.
  
• Why it matters? Ecuador Pioneered a constitutional approach which then empower citizens to take legal action on behalf of nature. 
  
• How? Ecuador's legal framework embeds indigenous wisdom (Sumak Kawsay or “good living”), offering a blueprint for other nations or even organisations to incorporate rights of nature into governance.

4. River Ouse, England

• Makes history as the first in the UK to gain legal rights (2023). The river was recognised for its right to flow, to be free from pollution and to maintain its natural biodiversity. 
  
• Why it matters? This represents a breakthrough for Earth law within the UK, which can potentially shape future local planning decisions, environmental enforcement priorities and broader legislative frameworks. 
  
• How? Collaboration is at the heart of the River Ouse gaining legal rights. It is also through collaboration that we can ensure the reduction of our impact and restore the wellbeing of our waterways. 
  
  

Other inspiring achievements can be found in the image below. 



👉🏽 It's also worth noting several international frameworks being crafted and gaining momentum that will give nature a standing at the highest level of decision-making.

• Global Pact for the Environment > link here to support
• Earth Law > link here to discover Earth law models and templates

• Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth (UDRME) > link here to the draf

Nature on the Board

We are inspired by these businesses that are giving nature voice in their organisation's decision-making

Below, you can also access the toolkits to help you build a business case for embedding nature in your organisation.


1. Faith in Nature

• A UK-based natural beauty and household products, Faith in Nature appointed “Nature” as an official director on its board in 2022.

TOOLKIT 👉🏽 You can discover and apply the principles and template for giving nature a voice at the heart of a business > link here 

2. House of Hackney

• A British luxury interiors and lifestyle brand, House of Hackney put Nature and Future Generations on their board to ensure the environment's well-being drives their business decisions.

TOOLKIT 👉🏽 Read more to discover how they did it > link here 

3. Patagonia

• A well-known outdoor apparel brand with a long history of environmental activism. Patagonia made Earth their sole stakeholder by transferring ownership to a trust dedicated to addressing the climate crisis. 
  

TOOLKIT 👉🏽 Learn more about how Patagonia's steward-owned business model works > link here

4. Tony's Chocolonely

• An Amsterdam-based chocolate manufacturer, Tony's created 'Mission Guardians' to ensure their long-term mission of fair farming practices and ecological responsibility remains protected.

TOOLKIT 👉🏽  Dive into Tony's open-source guide for copying or tailoring a similar approach > link here

Nature is at the heart of our collaboration

Connect with peers on Nature, share insights and receive solutions

10th April: Community Connect Live in London

Our next Community Connect Live will be an inspiring, insightful and energising evening intentionally designed to connect you with your peers. You will hear impactful stories from fellow changemakers, discover solutions and have the opportunity to connect and share with fellow guests. 

👉🏽 RSVP for 10th of April here

7-8th May 2025: Nature and Biodiversity Strategy Days & Workshops

Are you tasked with protecting and restoring nature & biodiversity? Discover what your peers are doing on nature strategies and more in our in-person Strategy Day & Workshops.

This will be co-hosted by Oliver Hurrey (Founder & Chair - Scope 3 Peer Group), Melissa Miners (Co-Chair - Scope 3 Peer Group) and Carl Pratt (Founder - FuturePlanet)

The approach will be to: 

✅ Learn from peers and gain insights into the best practices for a range of challenges;
✅ Collaborate directly on shared commodities, locations and projects
✅ Share and receive advice, tools & templates you can use to copy-and-paste what works and support more standardised methods

👉🏽 RSVP for 7-8th of May here

Connect with your peers, share stories, receive support and more

Join our Community of Action

We are intentionally welcoming individuals and team whom we can support through a community of peers to: 

❤️ Feel energised, supported and a sense of belonging
🙌 Save time and discover solutions to your sustainability challenges
🤓 Share and receive knowledge and insights on impact themes
⚡ Collaborate to create and scale the tools for transformation

If you would like to explore joining the community - please apply here. 

The Future Planet community of action is vetted and intentionally curated to include: 

• Professionals from across functions and sectors in medium and large organisations 
• Purposeful pioneers and leaders of innovative solutions, and
• Policy influencers 

Individuals and teams are from organisations including Asda, Estee Lauder, Capgemini Invent Nestle, Sodexo, Suez and many more.

Together we can ✊🏽