Nature Rights Policy Design Lab

The Nature Rights Policy Design Lab is a transdisciplinary platform that brings together design, science, society, industry, and politics to shed light on the intersections between democracy and eco-social change. Under the motto “From Democracy to Biocracy,” the project advocates for the democratic rights of nature. In a “biocracy,” all living beings are recognized as part of the state and are given a seat at the negotiating table.

Against this backdrop, we ask: What does it mean to bring environmental concerns and non-human actors into the political, social, and economic discourse? How do we shape this process for non-human actors? The Rhine-Main region, shaped by the Rhine and Main rivers, forms the starting point for the content. Inspired by international examples in which rivers have been granted legal rights, we ask: What if the Rhine and Main were given democratic rights?

Our goal is to give the Rhine-Main region a “seat” at the decision-making table and to create an interdisciplinary space to discuss how the rights of nature can strengthen biodiversity and regional sustainability. Furthermore, the project addresses environmental justice and highlights the link between social inequalities and sustainable decisions.

Furthermore, the project highlights the potential of “design labs” as places for democracy and transformation.