In May 2025, Scotland joined a growing global movement by introducing a bill to criminalise “ecocide.”1 Twelve countries have already criminalised ecocide, with Belgium becoming the first EU member state to do so in 2024.2 This followed a revision of the EU environmental crime directive, which now requires EU countries to criminalise conduct “comparable to ecocide.”3 Other countries that have introduced ecocide bills include Argentina, Dominican Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, and Peru.4567 By contrast, ecocide would criminalise harm to natural elements, independent of the effect on humans, and affirm the intrinsic value of the natural world.1112 Under the ICC framework, states remain primarily responsible for investigating and prosecuting core crimes, and a case is admissible before the ICC only if states fail to do so. In an Ipsos survey conducted in 2024 among 22 000 participants from G20 countries, 72% of respondents supported the criminalisation of ecocide.13 In the UK, this figure was 78%.13 Embracing the campaign for the criminalisation of ecocide is an opportunity for the UK to act on this consensus and position itself as a global leader, inspiring other nations to protect our planet and ultimately ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
Author: Philippe Sands, Catherine Savard
Published at: 2025-08-20 22:30:46
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