Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
Amid soft lights at the heart of Yas Marina Circuit, Casa Ecuador – an initiative showcasing Ecuador’s cultural, artistic and environmental identity – on Friday officially opened its first “Embassy of Nature” in Abu Dhabi, its debut in the Middle East and the fourth edition worldwide.
Speaking at the the inauguration, held during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 weekend, Luis Felipe Fernández-Salvador y Campodonico, Ecuadorian environmental entrepreneur, presented the initiative as “a bridge between South America and the Middle East”, and a platform that transforms nature into a shared asset of culture, economy and global connection.
Fernández-Salvador said that the aim is to show that “economic future is linked to the empowerment of nature as an economic asset for the world”.
He emphasised that Casa Ecuador’s mission is to reconnect people with nature and restore a bond that modern life has increasingly weakened.
This idea, he noted, is rooted in the historical context of Ecuador itself. In 2008, Ecuador became the first country in the world to embed constitutional rights for protecting nature, recognising ecosystems as “right-bearing entities” with the right to exist, regenerate and thrive.
According to this constitutional framework, any person may petition on nature’s behalf and demand action to restore damaged ecosystems.
Fernández-Salvador said that the “Embassy of Nature” aims to encourage “environmental capitalism”, where nature competes economically under sustainable, ethical models rather than exploitation.
He also noted that Casa Ecuador is set to establish permanent “embassies” in several global locations including Switzerland and the United States.
“The goal is to build an international network that unites cultures, economies and societies,” Fernández-Salvador added.
He also highlighted the role of youth in shaping the future.
“It is the youth that care about the future. The future belongs to the skilled and the conscious generation, those who will rebuild our relationship with the Earth.”
