Meet Carla Cardenas—Environmental & Forest Expert for ELC

Meet Carla Cardenas, ELC’s Environmental & Forest Policy Expert

Interview by Keith Morgan for ELC.

To truly understand the Earth Law Center, it is necessary to learn more about the people who are implementing its goals all over the world. Carla Cardenas, ELC’s environmental and forest policy expert, is key in orchestrating the fight to protect Nature’s inherent rights to exist, thrive, and evolve.

Meet Carla Cardenas, a Champion for the Rights of Nature

Carla Cardenas is an environmental lawyer with over 15 years of experience; an International Board Member in the Forest Stewardship Council, the main forest certification initiative in the world; and the founder of Nunamaisha, which works to conserve the environment through the preservation of indigenous communities. Her expertise in international collaboration, forest governance, and management of natural resource conservation projects are a great fit with ELC’s mission to build an international grassroots movement to protect Nature.

Throughout the years, Carla has added new skills to improve her ability to fight for Nature—a degree of Master at Laws from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, a Master in Management of Natural Resources from the Catholic University of Ecuador; and a Master in Bioethics and Law from Barcelona University. Carla continues to fight for the Rights of Nature, forests, and indigenous peoples. She joined ELC in 2019 as a volunteer while completing her Master of Laws program at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

Now a full-time member of the ELC team, Carla’s incredible achievements for the Earth Law movement include:

An amicus curiae to defend the Rights of Nature in the pioneering Los Cedros, Bosque Protector case, which was chosen for argument before the Ecuadorian Constitutional Court in order to produce the first jurisprudence decision establishing the rights of Nature as plaintiff.

High-profile amicus briefs seeking an injunction from Ecuador’s Constitutional Court directing the HIDROTAMBO hydroelectric plant to restore the Dulcepamba River.

Documentation for the “Los Mecheros” case brought by Indigenous peoples to stop the use of open-air petroleum well gas flaring, which harms the lives of thousands of children and families in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Get to know Carla in her own words—a Q&A

ELC: What inspired your devotion to the environment?

CC: I grew up in a small town in Ecuador where we have forest, paramos, mountains and where live Indigenous people. The town’s name is Otavalo. I was inspired from childhood to dedicate my life to protect Nature and apply the Indigenous cosmovision that implies respect to the Pachamama. It means that the environment is our “Mother” and should be respected and protected. The difference is that under this concept, Nature is not just a resource to exploit; it is a part of our life.

Later, when I was young, I achieved a love for politics and law, so, I decided to be an environmental lawyer when I was 17 years old. In Ecuador, there was not [an] environmental law studies [program], so I had to find my own way to become an environmental lawyer. I studied [for] a master’s in management of Natural Resources. With the combination of my knowledge in law and management of natural resources I was able to become an environmental lawyer.

ELC: Any advice for aspiring lawyers?

CC: I would like to tell young lawyers that please choose a law area of work with meaning. Law was created to change the world and make life better for everyone. Enjoy your life being a lawyer with cause.

ELC: How does a Rights of Nature strategy fit into your approach to environmental / social stewardship?

CC: Rights of Nature are now in the Courts. Rights of Nature are a new paradigm that in some ways picks up the philosophy of Indigenous people. That is why I feel so linked with this perspective and a way to see the world because I have grown with that. Also, I consider that the Rights of Nature are a lighthouse to governments, organization and communities that need to decide how to develop in a sustainable way.

Environmental lawyers can now use Rights of Nature as an ally to defend the ecosystems when companies are destroying water, forest, paramos, oceans, and mountains. This new tool allows them to raise the voice of Nature before judges. Judges are hearing us, it is true, it is happening, so we can see now several Court Decisions that prioritize Nature over extractive activities in Colombia, Ecuador, New Zealand and more.

“I feel very happy working with Earth Law Center in our cases that constitute precedents in Court to spread this new perspective of give Nature rights and for that better life for people also. I am happy provoking the change in Courts.”

ELC: What projects are you currently working on for ELC?

CC: I am working in the most important cases that the Constitutional Court in Ecuador will hold about the respect of Nature in Bosques Protectors from the damage that mining companies cause. The Constitutional Court in Ecuador needs to decide if the rights of Nature are violated with the mining activities that destroy forests, pollute water, and violate rights of Indigenous people to protect their Pachamama. These cases are the Bosques Protector Los Cedros y El Bosque Protector Nangaritza.

The ELC Latin American team is working also to declare the unconstitutionality of the Environmental Code, which has omitted Rights of Nature for the case of the mangroves and therefore opens the possibility to create infrastructure over them. Mangroves are ecosystems that are fragile and any infrastructure development will destroy them.

I am also working on Rights of Nature proposals in Peru and in Panamá. Earth Law Center is working to provide comments to the national assembly members and we are encouraging countries to recognize the rights of Nature.

What’s Next?

Earth Law Center is proud that Carla is an ELC champion for Nature. You can join in the ELC movement to change how humans interact with Nature as well. Consider joining our mission by donating your skills and time or make a financial donation through our website.