The International Rights of Nature Tribunal has issued an urgent global call for a new era of environmental accountability, unveiling a declaration titled “A New Pledge for Mother Nature” during a side event at COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

The 15-member panel included environmental advocates and jurists from around the world, including Ana Alfinito (Brazil), Nnimmo Bassey (Nigeria), Enrique Viale (Argentina), Shannon Biggs (USA), Casey Camp Horinek (Ponca Nation, USA), Tom Goldtooth (USA), Princess Esmeralda (Belgium), Cormac Cullinan (South Africa), Patricia Gualinga (Ecuador), Francesco Martone (Italy), Tzeporah Berman (USA), Ashish Kothari (India), Osprey Orielle Lake (USA), Pooven Moodley (South Africa), and Felicio Pontes (Brazil).

Marking the conclusion of its 6th international session, the Tribunal urged governments, institutions, and citizens worldwide to recognise that nature has inherent rights — including the right to exist, thrive, and regenerate — just as humans do.

The declaration condemned the accelerating loss of biodiversity and the destruction of vital ecosystems, stressing that humanity must move from exploiting nature to protecting it.

It called on nations to enact laws safeguarding rivers, forests, and oceans; criminalize ecocide; and empower Indigenous communities, who have long served as stewards of the Earth’s resources.

Quoting from the pledge, the Tribunal stated: “We are all part of the Earth, an indivisible and living community of interrelated and interdependent beings with a common destiny but with different existential conditions and rights.

“The multiple crises we face are rooted in the economic, political, legal, and social systems of industrial, growth-oriented cultures — including capitalism, patriarchy, sexism, racism, and anthropocentrism.”

The Tribunal also hailed Brazil’s hosting of COP30 as a symbolic recognition of the Amazon’s global importance, while warning against expanding extractivist industries such as deforestation, fossil fuel exploration, and large-scale mining. It declared that the Amazon — along with its ecosystems, wildlife, and Indigenous peoples — should be legally recognised as a subject of rights.

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Delivering the verdict, Tribunal Co-President and Nigerian environmentalist Nnimmo Bassey said: “The defence of the rights of Nature is the right way to carry out real climate action. There can be no climate justice without the rights of Nature.”

The panel of judges emphasised that phasing out fossil fuels and transitioning rapidly to renewable energy must be central to any global climate strategy — not as financial or technological quick fixes, but as true solutions that protect both communities and ecosystems.

They urged the United Nations to adopt “A New Pledge for Mother Nature” as a blueprint for the evolution of international environmental law, positioning rights of nature as a legal and moral foundation for global climate justice.

The Tribunal’s declaration is expected to spark renewed debate on global environmental governance and could shape discussions on future UN frameworks for protecting the planet’s most vital ecosystems.