Fraternité, Solidarité & the Tree: A small Quebec municipality, a big idea for the world's trees

Paris: This paper recently published an editorial, 'Trees' Company, Not a Regressive Crowd' (Jun 24), which drew welcome attention to the historic decision taken by the municipality of Terrasse-Vaudreuil, Quebec, in Canada, and highlighted the need to reconsider the place of trees within public policy and our collective understanding of progress.

The editorial stated that citizens of Terrasse-Vaudreuil 'have granted' rights to trees. More precisely, on June 9, municipal council of Terrasse-Vaudreuil unanimously adopted a formal resolution entitled, 'Municipal Commitment to Canopy Protection and Recognition of the Fundamental Rights of the Tree'.

Through this resolution, the municipality recognised four rights adapted to its local context - to life, natural growth, integrity, and regeneration - and formally adhered to the three founding articles of the Universal Declaration of Tree Rights, drafted by myself in 2018 in France and institutionally carried since its origin by the non-profit organisation, La Compagnie des Papillons Bleus (The Company of Blue Butterflies).


It's essential to clarify the legal scope of the initiative. 'When trees become citizens' is evocative, but legally misleading. Neither the declaration nor the Terrasse-Vaudreuil resolution makes trees citizens. The declaration does not confer legal personhood upon trees, or grant them independent standing before courts, or create representatives legally empowered to act on their behalf.

Similarly, the municipality having 'granted trees legal rights' requires clarification. The municipal resolution recognises fundamental rights of the tree within a local ethical, environmental and public-policy framework. It does not transform trees into legal persons, or citizens.

The declaration establishes an ethical, scientific, normative, democratic, cultural, educational and institutional framework intended to guide public authorities and human communities in their responsibilities towards trees. Its 3 founding articles are:

The tree, a sentient living being and source of life, is a common good of humanity.

Life on Earth depends upon the existence of the tree.

Human beings, endowed with reason and conscience, must act with the tree in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity.

In this context, a decision taken by a small municipality in Quebec can contribute to a much wider reflection on the place of trees, protection of the living world and the meaning of progress. The world, India included, could consider the declaration as a template for our relationship and coexistence with trees.

The writer is author and founder,Universal Declaration of Tree Rights