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As world leaders gathered for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, a parallel process was unfolding that spoke directly to the roots of the climate crisis. In the days leading up to the summit, the 6th International Rights of Nature Tribunal convened with a clear message: meaningful climate action requires recognising Nature as a rights-bearing entity, not a resource to be exploited. Grounded in Indigenous worldviews and Earth-centred governance, the Tribunal offered a powerful counterpoint to dominant climate narratives.
Held at the Universidade Federal do Pará, the Tribunal examined evidence and testimonies relating to fossil fuel expansion, extractivism, mining, and false climate solutions that continue to drive ecological collapse. These proceedings culminated in a declaration titled A New Pledge for Mother Nature, calling on the United Nations and international institutions to move beyond rhetoric and take decisive steps to protect the integrity of Earth’s living systems.
Moving between rivers, public spaces, and policy forums, participants bridged grassroots experience with global decision-making, demonstrating that Rights of Nature frameworks are not symbolic or aspirational, but already being practised in communities around the world. As COP30 unfolded, the Tribunal’s findings reinforced a growing global demand for systemic transformation—one that places respect for Mother Earth at the centre of climate governance and justice.
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