Pacific islands submit court proposal for recognition of ecocide as a crime

Above: An aerial view of the shoreline was captured in Port Vila, Vanuatu on December 7, 2019. Vanuatu's government is considering suing the world's greatest polluters to battle global warming and curb emissions. Image copyright: Mario Tama / Staff / Getty Images News via Getty Images***PLEASE REPLACE WATERMARKED IMAGE***

The Spin

Ecocide—nature destruction—should be a global crime. Revising the Rome Statute of the ICC would criminalize environmental devastation, the fourth most lucrative unlawful activity in the world, which costs $258B annually. It would enable the Paris Agreement to force nations to reduce emissions. A global climate emergency requires us to modify the laws; existing regulations will not save the climate.

It is admirable to devote so much time and effort to developing the notion of ecocide, but it is far from acceptable to everyone. The definition needs additional work. However, the exercise has always had a symbolic nature because it is unlikely that two-thirds of state parties will approve an ecocide amendment. Those states most prone to ecocide would likely reject the amendment. Additionally, the US, China, India, and Russia, which are not signatories to the ICC, further complicate the situation.


The Controversies



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All rights reserved.

Version 6.17.0