Political representation of nature

Political representation of nature is the concept and practice of granting political or institutional standing to nonhuman entities—such as animals, plants, and ecosystems—within governance systems. This concept has developed to incorporate natural entities in political decision-making, reflecting debates about the effectiveness of human-centered governance in environmental protection.

Emerging trends, including the political turn in environmental ethics and the representative turn in political theory, drive the debate in this field. Following progress in legal representation for nonhuman nature, such as the granting of legal personhood to animals, rivers and ecosystems, the conversation has broadened to consider how nature can be represented within legislative and executive branches of government.

Early thinkers, including Thomas Hobbes, have historically framed nature as passive and separate from human society. Later, theorists such as Bruno Latour introduced concepts, such as a 'parliament of things,' proposing that democratic processes consider nonhuman actors. Latour's approach has been cited as influential in political theories addressing ecological issues, emphasizing the interconnectedness of human and environmental systems.

Since the early 2000s, frameworks such as Earth Jurisprudence and Rights of Nature have further influenced the concept of nonhuman representation. These frameworks propose that nature has intrinsic value deserving of legal and moral rights. The works of political theorists like Andrew Dobson, Robyn Eckersley, Robert Goodin, and John O'Neill have contributed to this shift. They propose that humans have an ethical responsibility toward nature, suggesting that democratic systems might evolve to account for nonhuman interests.

Various institutional mechanisms have been proposed and implemented to incorporate nonhuman entities and ecosystems into formal political decision-making processes.

Electoral reforms like proportional representation and lowering electoral thresholds have been suggested to facilitate the entry of green parties into parliaments. These changes could help increase the political influence of parties dedicated to environmental advocacy, further amplifying the representation of nature in governance.

Deliberative initiatives, such as citizen assemblies and deliberative mini-publics, engage randomly selected citizens in structured discussions on environmental issues, providing a platform for nonhuman interests to be included in political discourse. While these bodies typically do not have formal decision-making power, they can influence policy indirectly by informing legislators.

Dedicated ombudspersons or commissioners are independent offices that investigate and advocate for the rights of natural entities, operating similarly to human rights commissioners.