The duty to protect the intrinsic value of nature in a new publication from the LUMEN Project
In the new volume State Responsibilities in the Climate Crisis, Silvia Bagni analyzes how protecting nature through an ecocentric approach can contribute to global climate justice.
Published on 29 August 2025 | Publications
The volume State Responsibilities in the Climate Crisis: Legal Standards and Global Litigation, edited by Ezio Costa Cordella and Pilar Moraga Sariego and published by Tirant Lo Blanch (Valencia, 2024), has been recently released. Among the book’s contributions, a standout chapter from the LUMEN project is authored by Silvia Bagni, coordinator of the research unit at the University of Bologna, titled The Duty to Protect the Intrinsic Value of Nature to Tackle the Climate Crisis (Chapter 11, pp. 511–546).
In her contribution, Bagni addresses a central issue for climate justice: the need to move beyond an anthropocentric paradigm and adopt an ecocentric perspective that recognizes the intrinsic value of nature. According to the author, the ecological crisis requires a reform of legal systems so that nature itself is recognized as a legal subject, with its own rights and protections, beyond human needs.
The chapter integrates diverse cultural, philosophical, and scientific perspectives, ranging from indigenous worldviews—which regard nature as a living being with whom humans maintain a relationship of reciprocity—to religious traditions and modern science. Bagni also explores the emerging concept of Earth Jurisprudence, which advocates for laws aligned with the natural systems of the Earth.
The author goes beyond theory: the chapter presents concrete examples of national and international legal developments, such as the recognition of the rights of nature in Ecuador’s Constitution, and suggests how these approaches could guide global efforts to address climate change, including the expansion of instruments like the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The volume as a whole, gathering contributions from legal scholars from both the Global South and North, aims to outline innovative legal standards and identify state responsibilities, providing practical tools for a just and sustainable ecological transition.