The Dark Sides of Rights of Nature: Transdisciplinary Workshop at the University of Tübingen

Written by: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Riccarda Flemmer
With collaboration from:
Jasmin Podszun - Research Assistant
Niklas Schwarz - Research Assistant
Rosa Collmer - Research Assistant
12 - 13 Februrary 2026 - Tübingen

This workshop was organised by Riccarda Flemmer in collaboration with Matthias Kramm, Chair Ethics, Philosophy and History of the Life Sciences and Léonie de Jonge, IREX (Institute for Research on Far Right Extremism) at the CoF (College of Fellows).

On 12 and 13 February 2026, scholars and practitioners gathered for the transdisciplinary workshop “The Dark Sides of Rights of Nature”. The event provided a space to critically examine how environmentalism and Rights of Nature (RoN) intersect with exclusionary politics, colonial legal systems, and academic practices. Across six sessions, the participants explored RoN and the connections between far-right environmental engagement, colonial legal frameworks, and embodied ecological practices. The workshop highlighted both the transformative potential of RoN and the risks of ideological appropriation, pointing out the importance of critical and contextual engagement.
The workshop concluded that the complexity of RoN and environmental politics addressing two global trends, ecological crisis and democratic backsliding. The discussions emphasized the importance of relational, decolonial, and transdisciplinary approaches to environmental governance. Overall, the workshop successfully fostered critical dialogue and opened new directions for research on the political dimensions of RoN.
 
Session 1: Critical Environmental Education and Far-Right Environmental Narratives
The workshop opened with an interactive session led by Yannick Passeick (FARN – German Competence Centre for Radicalization Prevention and Engagement in Nature Conservation), who introduced FARN’s work in preventing far-right influence in environmental spaces. Through interactive exercises analysing statements and far-right quotes, Yannick demonstrated how far-right actors strategically reframe widely shared ecological concerns within ethnopluralist and exclusionary ideologies, revealing how language around nature, belonging, and anti-capitalism can blur ideological boundaries between progressive environmentalism and ecofascism. Yannick emphasized the importance of critical awareness of language and narrative framing to prevent the normalization and spread of ecofascist ideas.
 
Session 2: Rights of Nature (RoN), Human Rights, and Far-Right Ecologism
Session 2 featured a collective discussion among participants including Riccarda Flemmer, Leonie de Jonge, Harriët Bergman, Martin Hultman, Lise Benoist, Elisabeth Oertel, Matthias Kramm, and Yannick Passeick. The discussion explored how far-right environmentalism is shaped by concepts such as nativism, belonging, and land, and how these concepts vary across regions. Participants noted that while European far-right movements often tie ecology to ethnic identity and territory, such narratives differ in postcolonial contexts. The session also addressed tensions within environmental movements, including concerns about ideological appropriation and the need for clearer conceptual distinctions.
 
Session 3: Ecofascism, Far-Right Environmental Activism, and Legal Critique
Session 3 included presentations by Harriët Bergman, Lise Benoist, Manuela Beyer, and Niels Weidtmann, examining philosophical, empirical, and legal dimensions of far-right environmentalism. Harriët explored how narratives of territorial belonging and self-defence can overlap across progressive and exclusionary movements, highlighting the need for conceptual clarity. Lise presented ethnographic research on far-right activists in France, showing how environmentalism is reframed through localism, cultural identity, and reactionary interpretations of ecology. Manuela analysed the Anastasia movement, demonstrating how emotional narratives of love, purity, and belonging help legitimize exclusionary ecological ideologies. Niels provided a legal critique, arguing that Western RoN frameworks often reproduce colonial assumptions and fail to reflect relational understandings of nature.
 
Session 4: Coloniality, Legal Limits, and Academic Critique of Rights of Nature
Session 4 featured presentations by Laura Santacoloma, Riccarda Flemmer, Martin Hultman, and Usha Natarajan, focusing on legal, political, and epistemological critiques of RoN. Laura examined Colombian RoN cases, highlighting implementation gaps and tensions between legal recognition and local realities. Riccarda analysed risks such as symbolic implementation, depoliticization, and exclusionary environmental narratives in European contexts. Martin critiqued academic engagement with RoN, warning against short-term research trends and emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary and transformative scholarship. Usha examined methodological whiteness in environmental law, arguing that RoN frameworks can reproduce colonial hierarchies if not critically reconsidered.
 
Session 5: Hiking and Far-Right Identity Formation
Session 5 featured a presentation by journalist Timo Büchner, who examined hiking as a key practice in far-right movements in Germany. He showed how hiking functions as a tool for recruitment, identity formation, and community building, drawing on historical traditions and nationalist symbolism. These activities combine physical endurance, emotional bonding, and political messaging, reinforcing collective belonging. Timo emphasized that hiking operates both as a social practice and as a political strategy for strengthening far-right networks.
 
Session 6: Back to nature? Far-right lifestyle and the everyday in Germany and Europe
The final session included presentations by Micha Bröckling, Elisabeth Oertel, and Leonie Singer, focusing on embodied ecological practices and political narratives. Micha analysed hiking and fitness as embodied forms of far-right politics, linking masculinity, nature, and identity. Elisabeth examined opposition to wind energy in Thuringia, showing how far right and conservative actors framed turbines as threats to national landscapes. Leonie explored far-right agricultural narratives, demonstrating how farming and rural identity are used to reinforce nationalist ideas of belonging and sovereignty.
 
Guided Walk on National socialism in Tübingen
The workshop concluded with an optional guided walk, offered by the Geschichtswerkstatt Tübingen. It traced the victims and perpetrators of National Socialism through Tübingen, highlighting the role of the university, perpetrator networks, and continuities even until today.