Rights of Nature : Introducing nature as a new legal actor in Swedish law
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Our planet is facing escalating environmental challenges, and in response, the Rights of Nature (RoN) movement has emerged as an alternative legal framework for protecting nature. It seeks to recognize nature and its elements as rights-bearing legal subjects. This thesis examines the concept of RoN and explores the possibility of implementing such rights within Swedish law. The study employs a legal dogmatic method combined with comparative and theoretical analysis. It examines international examples of Rights of Nature legislation and jurisprudence, as well as Swedish environmental law and the legal framework governing legal subjectivity and guardianship in Sweden. The thesis argues that although Swedish environmental law provides extensive protection for nature, current legislation remains predominantly anthropocentric, treating nature as a legal object. Consequently, nature lacks independent standing and cannot defend its own interests before courts and authorities. The analysis further demonstrates that nature does not fit within the existing categories of legal actors recognized by Swedish law. Therefore, if Rights of Nature were to be implemented, a new form of legal subjectivity would need to be established. The thesis concludes that introducing Rights of Nature in Sweden is legally possible and would strengthen long-term protection. Such a reform would not only enhance environmental protection but also promote a shift from an anthropocentric to a more ecocentric understanding of the relationship between humans and nature. Rights of Nature could serve as an additional mechanism for safeguarding ecosystems by recognizing nature's intrinsic value.
Author: Loveby Gustavsson, Lovisa
Language: English
Topic: Environmental law and policy
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7211656313