2 Future Generations (Colombia)

This case study by Natural Justice details a legal action brought by 25 children and young adults against the Colombian government and 14 municipalities regarding deforestation in the Colombian Amazon. The Colombia Supreme Court ruled on April 5, 2018, recognizing the Colombian Amazon as a subject of rights and ordering the government to implement action plans to reach net-zero deforestation by 2020.

• The Colombian government failed to meet its net-zero deforestation targets under the Paris Agreement and its 2014-2018 National Development Plan, with deforestation in the Colombian Amazon increasing by 44% between 2015 and 2016.
• The Colombia Supreme Court identified several primary drivers of deforestation, with land grabbing being the most significant contributor at 60-65%, followed by illicit crops (20-22%) and illegal mineral extraction (7-8%).
• The Court established that the Colombian Amazon possesses rights equivalent to those of a human being, entitling it to restoration, maintenance, conservation, and protection.
• The Supreme Court issued four specific orders: the government must implement action plans to reach net-zero deforestation by 2020 and address climate impacts; an Intergenerational Pact for the Life of the Colombian Amazon must be created; and Amazonian Municipalities must update local land management plans to reduce deforestation.
• One year after the ruling, the decision remained inadequately implemented: none of the 81 mandated municipalities updated their land management plans, and a proposed government development plan allowed for the deforestation of 800,000 hectares over four years without reforestation plans.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). 2 Future Generations (Colombia). https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Environmental-Court-Case-Series_Future-Generations-Case-Summary_Natural-Justice-2020.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. 2 Future Generations (Colombia). n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Environmental-Court-Case-Series_Future-Generations-Case-Summary_Natural-Justice-2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=2 Future Generations (Colombia) |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Environmental-Court-Case-Series_Future-Generations-Case-Summary_Natural-Justice-2020.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendfuture, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{2 Future Generations (Colombia)}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Environmental-Court-Case-Series_Future-Generations-Case-Summary_Natural-Justice-2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }