How giving forests legal rights can help the fight against climate change 

The climate crisis shows no sign of abating, with 2024 seeing more record-breaking temperatures and the year counting among the hottest years on record. June 2024 surpassed previous records as the hottest June ever documented, with a heat dome and subsequent wildfires destroying large parts of southern Europe. Natural landscapes have been transformed into inhospitable zones, leading to a stark reality – the commitment to curbing global temperature rise to 2°C remains a tough reach. In this ongoing crisis, governments are underestimating the gravity of the situation. They urgently need to summon the courage to allocate resources to avert an even grimmer future.

Numerous factors contribute to this political inertia. A fundamental catalyst, however, is our collective failure to disentangle ourselves from existing industrial ecosystems. As the first industrial revolution spread across England and Europe in the late 18^th century, the seeds for extractive capitalism was sowed. Today, we live with the repercussions of those critical moments.

Capitalism, of course has, in many aspects, brought about incredible progress. Industrialization and globalization have propelled advances in life expectancy, education, and social welfare. But does this narrative still hold true? For the first time, GDP diverges from well-being indices in many nations. This exposes a system that not only engineers its own demise, but threatens humanity and the natural environment.

The encouraging news is that an alternative form of capitalism is possible – one that revitalizes a symbiotic relationship with natural ecosystems. Economist Carl Sauer outlines two logics: "yield" and "booty". The former embodies a respectful synergy with nature's abundance and its inherent limits, while the latter represents aggressive exploitation based on the most intense forms of capitalism. The transition from "booty" to "yield" remains in our reach.

Consider forests, nature's invaluable repositories. A "spoils of the booty" mentality still governs our approach to these precious ecosystems. In Brazil, deforestation hit record highs in 2022. Over 10 million hectares of forest vanished yearly between 2015-2020. Why persist in this destructive pattern? Unfortunately, the destruction of forests is a profitable industry, contributing over $1.52 trillion to global economies in 2015.

Recent analysis using data from the International Space Station highlights the carbon-sequestering potency of protected areas, offering a lifeline for change. These sanctuaries are richer in carbon content than non-protected zones, especially in Brazil where forests vanish at an alarming pace. Mechanisms like carbon credits offer only a temporary fix. We need a paradigm shift.

Gabon is taking a totally different approach. Untouched and vibrant, its forests are excluded from the United Nation's REDD+ financing model (a programme aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries), making them wholly unavailable for exploitation. Gabon's example of responsible forest management challenges our distorted paradigm that focuses on capital gains and “booty”. Amid escalating deforestation in neighbouring nations, Gabon's pristine woods flourish. Shouldn't we reward and replicate this approach?

Replicating this approach elsewhere requires a complete ideological shift about how we see forests. We must reshape the relationship between capitalism and life itself. A groundbreaking concept is emerging – bestowing legal personality upon forests, enabling them to act as legal persons in global discourse. This notion resonates with philosopher Bruno Latour's "Parliament of things" and Michel Serres' "natural contract". Gabon is offering spiritual wisdom to its forests. Governmental policy is harmonized with nature. This approach can guide us toward a renewed dialogue. Our forests are not mere resources but as representatives demanding their rightful voice.

The approach of legal personality isn't an idealistic idea only – it's a path illuminated by history's greatest thinkers. As capitalism faces an existential crossroads, it's high time to embrace nature's wisdom. Gabon's example is profound: we must forge a capitalism that comprehends natural limits and respects the planet. The question isn't whether we can – it's whether we will.

In the face of our changing climate, rising inequality, and a world still grappling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to reimagine capitalism has never been more crucial. Harvard Business School Professor Rebecca Henderson argues that to create a sustainable and just future, we must foster a new relationship with nature, transform business models, and shift corporate culture.

It's not just about doing the right thing; it's about building a world that works for all – for all the earth’s inhabitants. Will we rise to the challenge and forge a new path?