ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD

The Colombian Supreme Court ruled on April 5, 2018, that the Colombian Amazon possesses rights equivalent to those of a human being, necessitating its protection and restoration. The case was brought by 25 youth plaintiffs who argued that government failure to meet net-zero deforestation targets under the Paris Agreement threatened future generations. Despite the court ordering the government to implement action plans to reach net-zero deforestation by 2020 and create an Intergenerational Pact, the document notes that deforestation continued to increase and municipalities failed to update land management plans, leading plaintiffs to return to court in April 2019.

• The Colombian Supreme Court recognized the Colombian Amazon as a subject of rights equivalent to those of humans, meaning it is entitled to protection, conservation, maintenance, and restoration.
• The court identified several primary drivers of deforestation in the region, 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 ruled that environmental deterioration, specifically deforestation in the Amazon, constitutes a serious attack on the fundamental rights of both current and future generations, including the unborn.
• The Supreme Court issued four specific orders to the government and municipalities: to implement action plans to reach net-zero deforestation by 2020, to create an Intergenerational Pact for the Life of the Colombian Amazon, and for municipalities to update local land management plans.
• Following the 2018 decision, the Colombian government failed to implement the court's mandates; deforestation increased, no municipalities updated land management plans, and a proposed development plan allowed for the deforestation of 800,000 hectares over four years without reforestation plans.

APA

Natural Justice (2020). ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Environmental-Court-Case-Series_Future-Generations-Case-Summary_Natural-Justice-2020.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD. 2020. 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=ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD |date=February 2020 |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{naturaljustice2020environmental, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2020}, month = feb, 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} }