Working Group on Environmental Restorative Justice

The Working Group on Environmental Restorative Justice wants to focus on the question of how restorative justice can be an opportunity to bridge the ineffectiveness of current environmental responses and the pressing need to correct existing harmful practices and prevent future environmental damage. 

The EFRJ Working Group on Environmental Restorative Justice explores and tests the applicability of restorative justice to this new domain and this purpose fits within a pursuit of enlarging the field of restorative justice beyond ‘conventional crimes’. The enormous challenges related to environmental harm and crime worldwide interest many people, and therefore might offer a special opportunity to make a larger public familiar with restorative justice, and also to develop strategic alliances with (in this case environmental) groups in society. Mapping (international) environmental organisations and getting in touch with some of them has been one of the first activities as planned in the group's priorities. However, the main areas of work are:
- Case studies and exploratory research.
- Support to practice.
- Policy making.
- Public awareness/debate/networking.

The challenges of developing meaningful responses to environmental harm that stop damaging the earth and its inhabitants (human and other-than human), that repair and heal the devastating harms already made, and build different systems that respect ecosystems and the rights of future generations, have never been greater. Restorative justice presents an opportunity to bridge the ineffectiveness of existing environmental responses and the pressing need to correct existing harmful practices and prevent future environmental damage.

January 2025 – December 2026

• Carlos Frederico Braga da Silva, Brazil (Chair)
• Mark Hamilton, Australia (Co-Chair)
• Gema Varona, Spain
• Felicity Tepper, Australia
• Ashleigh Dore, South Africa
• Nirson Neto, Brazil
• Carlotta Calemme, Italy
• Dr. Julie Pepper, United Kingdom
• Jorge Ollero, Spain (Board representative)
• Secretariat Representatives: Emanuela Biffi, EFRJ Programme Coordinator and Zsofia Anda, EFRJ Finance and Administration Officer

1. Advancing the integration of environmental restorative justice in legal and policy frameworks

Advocate for the incorporation of environmental restorative justice principles, concepts, and goals into local, national, regional and international policymaking and legal frameworks, including sentencing and rehabilitation approaches. This includes reshaping responses within both extrajudicial and judicial processes and practices. To achieve this, we will undertake networking and collaborating with academics, policymakers, legal professionals and other suitable individuals and groups (e.g., advocacy NGOs, universities, legal aid organisations, etc.) to support the adoption and institutionalisation of environmental restorative justice. 

2. Ensuring inclusive knowledge exchange in environmental restorative justice

Facilitate knowledge-sharing on environmental restorative justice practices, with a particular emphasis on learning from Indigenous communities and other marginalised groups. Recognising that their knowledge and experiences offer valuable insights, we approach this exchange with respect and openness, acknowledging that our own interpretations are not the only lens through which to understand environmental restorative justice. By creating a diverse and inclusive environment, we aim to learn from varied perspectives and experiences to strengthen the field through plural and relational approaches.

3. Prioritising emerging and innovative applications of environmental restorative justice

Explore emerging and innovative topics within environmental restorative justice, particularly its evolving intersections with pressing social and environmental challenges, including how we include the other-than-human perspectives and needs. This includes exploring its application in climate litigation brought by young people and marginalised communities. We will also consider restorative responses to climate change-induced migration, eco-anxiety, biodiversity loss/recovery, and corporate harms—both crimes and other harms that current legal frameworks fail to address. In relation to the penal system, we could examine the role of rehabilitation in post-agreement outcomes, nature-based prisons and restorative policing of environmental crimes. Additionally, we may explore how environmental restorative justice can respond to harms linked to artificial intelligence.

4. Strengthening the links between environmental restorative justice and broader social policies

Develop connections between environmental restorative justice and broader areas of restorative justice and social policies to promote socio-ecological, community-centred approaches to repairing and preventing environmental harm. Specifically, we want to understand how promoting environmental care and addressing climate change and biodiversity issues restoratively can be meaningfully integrated into the practices of restorative cities, businesses, schools, organisations working with children and young people, and others. We also aim to explore how environmental restorative justice methodologies can be applied in these areas.

Developed by members of the Environmental Restorative Justice Working Group in 2025, including practitioners, scholars, community organisations, environmental defenders, regulators, policymakers and individuals, the Practice Guide brings together principles and practical advice, tools and real-world insights to support restorative responses to environmental harm.

Viewing environmental harm broadly, the Practice Guide offers step-by-step guidance, case studies and resources to help communities, facilitators and organisations navigate complex environmental conflicts with clarity, respect and accountability. As well as providing space for local and Indigenous communities to participate, the Guide also makes room for the voices of other-than-human beings and the environment itself - voices often overlooked in conventional approaches to justice.

With a focus on implementation, the Practice Guide marks a significant step in the evolution of environmental restorative justice. It supports those seeking more inclusive, relational and enduring approaches to repairing environmental harm through collaborative, accountable and ecologically informed practice.

We invite everyone to explore the Practice Guide and consider how environmental restorative justice might assist you and your organisation in repairing harm in the places you care about and for the communities - human and other-than-human - who depend on them.