Lewisham Council Considers 'Rights for Nature' Framework for Ecological Governance

Lewisham Council is exploring the concept of Rights for Nature as part of its ongoing commitment to ecological governance and climate action. The idea, which recognises that nature has intrinsic value and should be considered in decision-making, was discussed at a recent meeting of the Sustainable Development Select Committee.

The committee received a report detailing the council's existing ecological governance framework, highlighting challenges and opportunities. While biodiversity is already embedded across Lewisham's strategies, policies, and land management, challenges remain, including limited influence over privately owned land, balancing growth with nature recovery, and the impacts of climate change.

During the discussion, Councillor Robin McGhee inquired about the practical implications of adopting a Rights for Nature framework for council decision-making. Esther Wainwright-Deri, Ecological Regeneration Manager, explained that while Lewisham already considers biodiversity extensively in its policies, a formal Rights for Nature approach would involve a deeper consideration of nature's intrinsic value. She noted that the council could further embed biodiversity considerations into corporate reporting templates and encourage all council services to consider biodiversity in their work.

Legal and Policy Shifts

A formal Rights for Nature framework would require a shift beyond existing statutory duties and policy commitments. The report notes that [t]here is no single model of Rights of Nature. Approaches range from symbolic declarations and policy commitments, through to governance changes and, in some countries, legal personhood for rivers or ecosystems. ¹ The 'Nature's Rights Bill' introduced in the House of Lords, which seeks to recognise Nature as a legal subject, indicates that legislative changes at a national level could influence local adoption.

Practically, within existing powers, the council could ask: What does this decision mean for nature, and can the outcome for biodiversity be improved within existing powers, duties and resources? Specific policy changes could include prioritising how 'Rights of Nature' and biodiversity are discussed in planning policy. Current biodiversity net gain requirements can sometimes feel like a tick-box exercise with varying quality of outcomes. The report also suggests incorporating these considerations into the Council's Local Plan.

Examples from Other Jurisdictions

Most UK local authority activity to date has focused on governance and decision-making rather than creating new legal rights. Maidstone Council is cited as an example, with Councillor Louis Luce being the first to include rights for nature in 2026. However, the report clarifies that [t]he one thing that I, as far as I understand, that like there are two ways of doing rights for nature. One, what kind of like local authorities for now are doing in the UK and what we kind of do as well in Lewish. And like we consider biodiversity and everything and include it in all our policies and strategies. And then there is the other way which you give legal personship for a river or some other natural entity. Which I don't think that any local authorities went down the legal route because I think that's a trickier route. This suggests that while some councils are incorporating 'Rights for Nature' principles into their policies and decision-making, the more complex legal route of granting legal personhood to natural entities has not yet been widely adopted by local authorities in the UK.

Concrete Actions for Lewisham

Beyond embedding biodiversity in reporting and encouraging services, Lewisham Council could take several concrete actions to give nature a 'voice' in decision-making through a 'Rights for Nature' lens. These include:

• Strengthening policy and planning: [P]rioritising how we talk about the rights of nature and biodiversity in planning policy and setting a standard for biodiversity and planning beyond just meeting minimum requirements. This could involve incorporating 'Rights for Nature' principles into the Council's Local Plan.
• Corporate reporting enhancements: Making biodiversity a specific consideration in corporate report templates, beyond just general environmental considerations.
• Engaging with natural entities: Considering decisions about a particular part of the natural world, such as rivers, and acknowledging their rights... to exist and to be clean and to be enjoyed by the public.
• Influencing developer contributions: Exploring opportunities to secure additional investment in habitat creation, restoration and long-term management through developer contributions, especially where developments impact natural spaces.
• Enhancing local protection and enforcement: [D]eveloping stronger local protection, expectation and enforcement for biodiversity, ensuring ecology is considered from the start within development management and other council services.
• Improving public awareness: Increasing awareness of issues like paving over gardens, invasive species, and wildlife-friendly gardening to encourage broader community action.
• Encouraging community participation: Supporting residents, schools, and groups in habitat management, ecological monitoring, and nature recovery initiatives.
• Exploring participatory budgeting: Using participatory budgeting to allow residents to directly influence how a defined amount of public funding is allocated for local biodiversity, greening, and nature recovery projects.