Professor Boyd – a globally renowned environmental lawyer, scholar, author and advocate – was recognised for his extraordinary contributions to the legal and ethical dimensions of environmental sustainability and the protection of fundamental human rights.
This recognition comes at a time when climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution pose existential threats to humanity, which are all issues that Professor Boyd has long argued are not only environmental but also deeply human rights-related.
“I believe that every person, everywhere, has the fundamental human right to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,” said Professor Boyd during his video acceptance speech.
“This right is the foundation for all human rights, and it’s a game-changer.”
Currently serving as Associate Professor of Law, Policy and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia, Professor Boyd holds a Juris Doctor and a PhD in Resource Management and Environmental Studies.
His dual expertise in law and science has enabled him to become one of the world’s most authoritative voices on the intersection of human rights and the environment.
From 2018 to 2024, he held the esteemed role of United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment. During this tenure, he played a central role in the historic recognition of the right to a healthy environment by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022.
His reports to the UN highlighted how environmental degradation threatens basic rights – such as life, health, food, water and sanitation – and he actively participated in 15 landmark legal cases to affirm these rights globally.
His academic work, including the widely acclaimed book The Environmental Rights Revolution, has shaped constitutional and policy discussions in 164 countries, including South Africa. Professor Boyd’s influence extends beyond the lecture hall as his collaborations with governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community groups have advanced legislative reforms in nations ranging from Botswana to Portugal.
Addressing fellow granduands, Professor Boyd quotes Nelson Mandela, whom he called one of his heroes, saying: “I am fundamentally an optimist. … There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair.”
He also quoted Mandela’s infamous phrase, that “education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”.
He reminded graduands that legal education is not merely a privilege, but a powerful tool for social transformation.
“A legal education is a great privilege, but comes with great responsibility. Lawyers, including Nelson Mandela, Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Mahatma Gandhi, knew how to use the legal system to pursue justice, to make the world a better place,” he said.
“I could tell you hundreds of stories of how lawyers representing vulnerable and marginalized communities have used the legal system to force governments to respect, protect and fulfil human rights; to bring about the end of slavery; to emancipate women; to advance the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and to achieve equality for LGBTQ+ persons.”
He recounted an inspiring example of young Pacific Island law students who, concerned about the climate crisis, launched a campaign in 2019 that led to the United Nations General Assembly adopting a resolution in 2023 to seek an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“By 2024, the proceeding set a record for the highest number of states ever involved, at close to 100,” he said.
“Later this year, the ICJ will issue its Advisory Opinion, likely serving as a catalyst for accelerated climate action.”
In closing his address, Professor Boyd reflected on the privilege of being recognised by a university bearing the name of one of the greatest leaders of our time.
“To be recognised by Nelson Mandela University is both a profound privilege and a call to action,” he said.
“Let’s focus our energy on protecting and restoring life on Earth, this unique Garden of Eden. No matter what you choose to do with your law degree, I hope that you will contribute to eradicating poverty and promoting sustainability. I hope that you will cultivate love and respect for both people and nature.”
In conferring an honorary doctorate on Professor Boyd, the University not only honoured an exceptional scholar, but also reaffirmed its own commitment to the principles of justice, equality and sustainability, which are some of the institutional values, and those that Professor Boyd has embodied throughout his remarkable career.