---
name: earth-charter
version: "2000"
date: 2026-07-29
category: philosophy
title: The Earth Charter (2000) — a restatement
language: en
kind: creed
type: restatement
license: CC-BY-4.0
source_url: https://earthcharter.org/read-the-earth-charter/
accessed: 2026-07-29
notes: "Restatement per IFP-22 Section 2.3. The Earth Charter's text is published under copyright by Earth Charter International (\"All Rights Reserved\" as of the accessed date), so it cannot be republished here in full; this entry is the registry's own prose describing what the instrument holds. A declaration citing this entry is a declaration of the Charter as restated here, not of the Charter's own text."
---

# The Earth Charter (2000) — a restatement

This entry restates, in this registry's own words, what the *Earth Charter* holds. The Charter was finalized in 2000 after a decade-long, worldwide, cross-cultural drafting process that grew out of the unfinished business of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, and is stewarded by Earth Charter International. Its own text is published at the source URL in this entry's frontmatter. What follows is a description of the instrument, not the instrument; anyone taking the Charter seriously should read the original.

## What the instrument is

The Charter presents itself as an ethical foundation for a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society — a declaration of interdependence addressed to all humanity rather than to any profession, nation, or faith. Its preamble frames the present as a critical moment in which humanity must choose its future: it declares that we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny, that the protection of Earth's vitality, diversity, and beauty is a sacred trust, and that the choice between forming a global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risking our own destruction and the destruction of the diversity of life is ours to make. It pairs a candid account of the situation — environmental devastation, depletion of resources, mass extinction of species, widening inequity — with a confidence that humanity possesses the knowledge and technology to provide for all while reducing impacts, and it grounds everything in universal responsibility: accountability of each person to the whole, at every scale from the local to the global.

## What it holds

The Charter's sixteen main principles (each elaborated by supporting sub-principles in the original) are organized under four pillars.

**Respect and care for the community of life.** Respect Earth and life in all its diversity; care for the community of life with understanding, compassion, and love; build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable, and peaceful; and secure Earth's bounty and beauty for present and future generations.

**Ecological integrity.** Protect and restore the integrity of Earth's ecological systems, with special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life; prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, where knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach; adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction that safeguard Earth's regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being; and advance the study of ecological sustainability, sharing the knowledge gained openly.

**Social and economic justice.** Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social, and environmental imperative; ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner; affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development; and uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a natural and social environment supportive of human dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities.

**Democracy, nonviolence, and peace.** Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, providing transparency and accountability in governance and inclusive participation in decision making; integrate into formal education and lifelong learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life; treat all living beings with respect and consideration; and promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and peace.

**The Way Forward.** The Charter closes by calling for a new beginning requiring a change of mind and heart, a new sense of global interdependence and universal responsibility — commitment to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations. Its associated action guidelines counsel focusing on root causes, remaining committed but flexible, being resourceful, and using technology wisely.

## Standing of this restatement

This restatement was prepared from the instrument as published at the source URL, read as of the accessed date in the frontmatter. If Earth Charter International revises its presentation of the Charter, or objects to this characterization, the correction will appear as a new superseding version of this entry; this version remains published because citations to it remain outstanding (IFP-22, Sections 2.3 and 4).