On 30th October 2025, Colombia’s Congress approved the so‑called Empathy Law, a measure that will make education on animal protection compulsory in every school in the country, both public and private, by embedding concern for other animals and nature in the national curriculum. The initiative, formally known as Law 010 of 2024 and authored by Green Alliance senator and animal advocate Andrea Padilla, is framed as a cultural and educational shift to raise new generations of empathetic citizens who respect all forms of life.
The new law requires that animal protection and welfare be integrated into existing environmental education structures, namely the School Environmental Projects (PRAES), the Citizen Environmental Education Projects (PROCEDAS), and the Inter‑institutional Environmental Education Committees (CIDEAS), across all Colombian schools. Environmental education in classrooms will, therefore, need to include a stronger ethical focus on how humans relate to other animals and biodiversity, instead of treating them as expendable resources.
According to the Senate’s press office, the Ministry of Education now has six months to issue the curricular guidelines that will define how this new transversal focus is applied in the education of children and adolescents. These guidelines must include content on ethical treatment of animals, responsible guardianship, protection from cruelty, and the conservation of biodiversity, all aligned with a vision of animals as sentient beings rather than consumable commodities.
The law also opens the door for students to complete their mandatory social service in public or private organisations dedicated to animal protection and animal welfare, reinforcing hands‑on learning and civic engagement around defending other animals. In addition, the Ministry of Education must create a National Network of Teachers for the Protection and Welfare of Animals, intended to share successful pedagogical experiences and to consolidate an education community committed to respectful coexistence with all sentient life. Senator Andrea Padilla welcomed the approval of her initiative in emotional terms, highlighting its transformative potential, as she said, “Educating saves lives, educating changes the world and that is what you are doing today with the vote on this bill that is now law, the Empathy Law. It could not have a more beautiful name, because what we are looking for is that children, boys, girls, adolescents become empathetic human beings, empathetic, fair, compassionate citizens with all forms of life.”
