'Cats in Congress or Penguins in Parliament'? Towards the Just Representation of More-than-Humans in Antarctic Environmental Governance

Representation is a core component of Rights of Nature (RoN). While giving a human voice to more-than-humans might be seen as anthropocentric, RoN is one of the best tools available in current legal frameworks and institutions to safeguard the interests of more-than-humans. However, challenges arise when looking at the Antarctic. In particular, the absence of a permanent population, a State, and an Indigenous people makes the designation of an Antarctic representative a delicate matter. More-than-humans are the only permanent residents of the Antarctic while being paradoxically excluded from Antarctic decision-making processes and institutions. This article explores the issue of ‘just representation’ of more-than-humans within the Antarctic Treaty System, based on theories of multispecies justice focusing on recognition and participation. It develops the political, legal, and theoretical frameworks for a just environmental governance in the Antarctic, looking at RoN to support some aspects of the ‘just representation’ of more-than-humans in the Antarctic.