It is with deep respect and profound sadness that we share this unpublished letter from Rachel Youngman, CEO of the Environmental Law Foundation, written shortly before her untimely passing. In this deeply personal message—originally composed for our supporters ahead of the Summer Solstice—Rachel reflects on the values that shaped her lifelong commitment to social and environmental justice, and outlines her vision for ELF’s continued evolution.
Although Rachel’s tenure with ELF was brief, her clarity of purpose, strategic insight, and unwavering belief in community-led environmental advocacy have already left an indelible mark on our organisation. We share her words now not only in tribute to her legacy, but as a reaffirmation of the mission she so passionately embraced: that access to environmental justice must be equitable, inclusive, and rooted in lived community experience.
We invite you to read Rachel’s message in full, and to stand with us as we carry forward the work she so powerfully championed.
As we celebrate this Summer Solstice, I’d like to start with a personal reflection. Many years ago, I had the incredible opportunity to spend time with a local Peruvian family in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. There, and as I travelled into the Amazon and Bolivia, I learnt about the powerful essence of Pachamama— and the profound connection between nature and humanity, the importance of mutual respect and harmony.
The experience not only changed the path of my career upon returning to the UK but continued to inspire my advocacy for a more sustainable and compassionate world, always reminded of our interconnectedness with nature.
From my years working with lawyers, then in social justice and for the past decade in science, stepping into my role at the Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) feels like a good fit. What immediately struck me is ELF’s unwavering commitment to the many dedicated local communities who are fighting to protect their environment.
But we also see the frustration people feel when their voices go unheard in the complex mix of laws, policies and processes. At ELF, we see this as a social justice issue. Our simple yet powerful message is clear: access to environmental justice must be equal for all communities. Ignoring this principle undermines democracy.
Since joining ELF, I’ve been working with the Board and team to look at where we can bring most value over the next few years. What we have shaped is not a revolution and nor should it be. I’m a firm believer that the best organisations stick with what they do best and is still relevant, avoiding the trap of spreading themselves too thin. Good organisations take what they are good at to build scale and greater pace and are open to new ways of working. So I’d describe the coming months as our period of sustainable evolution, finding creative ways to deliver efficiently and effectively on our message of equal access to environmental justice for everyone.
Support from our pro bono lawyers and university networks is essential, and we hope to encourage more to join us and widen participation from other disciplines, as demonstrated earlier this year at the multidisciplinary event led by Exeter University. Our networks enable us to reach more communities, providing support through our casework, advice, and guidance while creating valuable learning opportunities for the next generation of environmental experts. To enhance our casework, we are going to collaborate with different types of communities to create an online environmental law resource network for easy access to knowledge, sharing and learning. The first resource network of its kind designed by and for local communities.
It’s an ambitious plan but very necessary. Nature is fragile and no matter how many times and how loud we say it, the fragility still exists. We can’t keep expecting nature to look after and repair itself. We need to look at the human behaviours that damage our natural world. We must find ways to live with – not off – the planet. Through my travels, particularly in Africa, I have witnessed the decline and often irreparable damage to biodiversity, nature’s raw energy being dimmed, and the impact on livelihoods, conflict and migration of local populations away from their homes. Sometimes the challenges can feel overwhelming. But I have also seen tremendous hope often in local communities and we don’t need to travel far to see that in action as I’ve found since joining ELF.
Our work on Rights of Nature, most recently with community groups successfully championing the rights of the River Ouse in Sussex, is a great example of shifting how we all think about nature and our respect of its rights. We will be doing more to bring our expertise to creating a strong and diverse community led movement that shows how humans and non humans can co exist in the context of nature’s rights and ecological restoration. I’m delighted that our co sponsorship of a Rights of Nature event during London Climate Action week later this month will bring together experts from many different sectors, adding to our own knowledge and building partnerships.
We recognise that the environmental laws and processes are far from perfect both nationally and internationally. Taking a community led approach, gives us an important evidence base to impress upon policy makers and the legislature, the reality of what’s happening across the UK and where change is needed.
None of our work would be possible without your support and we are incredibly grateful. As a small national charity relying solely on funders, supporters, and our dedicated pro bono lawyers and university partners, we hope you will continue to be part of our work and share our messages with others in your networks.
I am looking forward to visiting communities and our network members over the coming months and learning more about the challenges you are facing and how ELF can continue to support you all.
Until then, a very happy Summer Solstice!
Thank you,
Rachel