This contribution explores ecological literacy as a critical facet of legal inquiry, focusing on expanding knowledge and practices oriented towards nature protection. Evolving to encompass interdisciplinarity and a systems-thinking approach, ecological literacy is crucial for achieving environmental sustainability. The study argues that integrating an approach promoting eco-responsible behaviors is essential for sustainability-centered legal research and education. This necessitates a shift in foundational pillars of legal methodology, moving beyond conventional dogmatic approaches and embracing a participatory and active dimension. The study provides a theoretical foundation for future applications for rethinking legal methodology to implement ecological literacy effectively.

In this paper, it is argued that we are in a ‘postpaternalist’ era for children’s rights, involving grassroots action from children (for the first time, on a global scale) rather than well-meaning adults ‘giving’ children their rights. Child/youth climate action has involved under-18s acting for the environment through grassroots protest, media work and lobbying. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has arguably to date been approached in a paternalist way, whereby children need adults to help them to access rights. Yet, child/youth climate advocates have taken their own action, and demand equality as they enter rights spaces. They are frequently working with adults as equals and allies in litigating climate cases, for example. It is argued that (although there are rights challenges in a postpaternalist time) these young rights leaders have transformed human rights for the better, and adults should facilitate their work in a way that is child- and youth-friendly.

Children and youth have been engaging in climate action in significant numbers in recent years. They have engaged in protests in the streets, as well as dialogue with governments and intergovernmental organisations. In recent years they have been taking climate cases against governments with the aim of decreasing emissions in an effort to mitigate the climate crisis. In this article, we examine this action through the lens of child/youth participation. We begin by examining how the right to a healthy environment has developed. We then consider how participation rights for children have developed since the advent of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and, in particular, how the Lundy model frames children’s participation. Drawing on various examples of child/youth climate action, we apply the concepts of space, voice, audience and influence. We also consider the “postpaternalism” in different types of participation in environmental initiatives.