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"[C]limate change is just a very, very expensive form of tax."

"I believe in climate change caused by human beings. What I'm skeptical about is the glib notion that it means the end of the world as we know it."

"The clock is no longer just ticking, it is banging."

"There is no long-term prosperity without action on climate change."

"The time for seeking global solutions [to climate change] is running out."

"The climate crisis is the existential threat. That's not hyperbole; it's a fact."

"[W]e are killing our planet."

Climate change is "above all, an existential crisis."

"Climate change is one of the greatest challenges mankind faces."

"If we don't take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon."

"Humanity is on thin ice — and that ice is melting fast."

"We haven't yet exceeded the bounds of viable human civilisation, but we're getting close."

Is Climate Change an Existential Threat?

Guardian

On Monday, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa presented a court proposal to the International Criminal Court (ICC), requesting the classification of environmental destruction, or "ecocide," as a crime on par with war crimes and genocide.

According to the proposal, ecocide is defined in the proposal as "unlawful or wanton acts, committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment, being caused by those acts."

NZ Herald

Vanuatu was reportedly the first nation to request the ICC ecocide designation in 2019. According to the country's special envoy for climate change, Ralp Regenvanu, legal recognition of ecocide is an important step towards justice and deterring further environmental destruction.

Professor Philippe Sands KC of University College London said that the ICC legislation has a major gap and that ecocide should be included for implementing effective international law.

The Stop Ecocide Foundation argues that individuals should face criminal ICC penalties for creating severe environmental damage, such as oil or chemical spills, rainforest clearcutting, or river system destruction.

The ICC in The Hague has tried genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity since 2002. Beyond 120 states, including the UK and EU, the ICC may have limited influence because major greenhouse emitters like the US, China, India, and Russia are not members.

Guardian #3997

On Monday, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa presented a court proposal to the International Criminal Court (ICC), requesting the classification of environmental destruction, or ecocide, as a crime alongside genocide and war crimes.

According to the proposal, ecocide is defined as "unlawful or wanton acts, committed with knowledge that those acts have a substantial likelihood of causing severe and/or widespread or long-term damage to the environment."

Vanuatu was the first nation to request for ICC ecocide designation in 2019. According to the country's special envoy for climate change, Ralp Regenvanu, legal recognition of ecocide is an important step towards justice and deterring further environmental destruction.

Professor Philippe Sands KC, University College London law professor, and co-chair of an independent expert 2021 panel, said that the ICC legislation has a major gap and that ecocide should be included for effective international law.

The Stop Ecocide Foundation advocates for the inclusion of ecocide in the International Criminal Court's crime list, arguing that individuals could face criminal penalties for severe environmental damage, such as oil or chemical spills, rainforest clearcutting, or river system destruction.

The ICC in The Hague has tried genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity since 2002. In 2010, the Rome Act underwent amendments to encompass offenses involving aggressive and military force. Beyond 120 states, including the UK and EU, the ICC has limited influence because major greenhouse emitters like the US, China, India, and Russia are not members.

Ecocide, the destruction of nature, 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. This designation would enable the Paris Agreement to force nations to reduce emissions. A global climate emergency would require us to modify the laws; existing regulations will not save the planet.

CounterPunch

CounterPunch #18052

Should Harming the Planet Be a Crime? The Case for Ecocide Laws

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.

Opinio Juris

Skeptical Thoughts on the Proposed Crime of “Ecocide” (That Isn’t)

Marcos Reategui / Stringer/ Getty Images News via Getty Images***PLEASE REPLACE WATERMARKED IMAGE***

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

Polynesia

Micronesia

Melanesia

Crime & justice

Environment

Climate change

Ecocide, the destruction of nature, should be a global crime. An ICC designation would enable the Paris Agreement to force nations to reduce emissions. A global climate emergency would require nations to modify laws — existing regulations won't save the planet. For Pacific Island nations like Fiji, Vanuatu, and Samoa ecocide is an ever-present and existential threat — countries on the front lines of environmental crisis especially deserve a legal recourse.

ReliefWeb

Blue Pacific Continent Volume 1 Primer on Pacific Regional Climate Change Action, January 2024 - Micronesia (Federated States of)

"Ecocide" comes from a long tradition of climate change and environmental alarmism, dating to the hyperbolic "eco-catastrophe" rhetoric of the late 1960s. It's one thing to discuss some common-sense adaptation approaches to a changing environment, but it's a slippery slope to indulge in apocalyptic environmental catastrophizing that has real legal and policy implications. It's far more effective to go down a path of thoughtful analysis and pragmatic solutions.

Competitive Enterprise Institute

What Paul Ehrlich’s “Eco-Catastrophe!” Tells Us about Climate Change Alarmism

There's a 50% chance that the Climate Clock will hit zero by Nov. 2028, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Climate Clock Hits Zero?

Mario Tama/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images

Pacific Island Nations Submit ICC 'Ecocide' Proposal

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