Nature Could Gain a Voice in Politics

The Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment in Frankfurt will host a lecture on March 12, 2025, focusing on the necessity of political participation for nature. The event is part of the "Wir können auch anders" lecture series.

Political scientist Professor Claus Leggewie will discuss how nature and non-human beings could gain a voice in democratic processes, aiming to counteract humanity's detrimental impact on the planet. The core idea is to grant nature rights and representation.

The lecture will explore concrete models such as Berlin's "Organismendemokratie" and the "Klimaparlament" that are experimenting with integrating non-human actors into decision-making. It will also address how societal contracts could be expanded to include nature.

Professor Leggewie, an expert on human-environment relationships and director of the "Panel on Planetary Thinking" at Giessen University, will present ideas for a more sustainable world achieved through cooperation with nature, rather than against it.