Stop Ecocide Campaign

stopecocide.earth

Stop Ecocide International is driving the global conversation on recognition of ecocide as an international crime and its potential for deterring destructive practices, protecting vital ecosystems and catalysing positive systems change.

Stop Ecocide is an international campaign calling on States Parties to the International Criminal Court (the ‘Rome Statute’) to add ecocide as a crime that could come under the jurisdiction of the Court.

The campaign defines ecocide 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.’

Making ecocide a crime creates an arrestable offence. It makes those individuals who are responsible for acts or decisions that lead to severe environmental harm liable to criminal prosecution.

The rules of our world are laws, and they can be changed. Laws can restrict or they can enable. What matters is what they serve. Many of the laws in our world serve property - they are based on ownership. But imagine a law that has a higher moral authority… a law that puts people and planet first. Imagine a law that starts from first do no harm, that stops this dangerous game and takes us to a place of safety….
Polly Higgins
Co-founder of the Stop Ecocide campaign
Photo: Ruth Davey

Stop Ecocide network

The Stop Ecocide campaign is led by Stop Ecocide International in cooperation with Stop Ecocide Foundation and Ecocide Law.

The network includes 3 regional branches, 21 national branches and 6 international affiliated networks.

Actions

Stop Ecocide has a number of actions that can be taken in support, including sign-on letters for different constituencies:

Defining the crime is a first step on a path of discussion, debate, and, one day, ratification. The hope is that the process will energize states to think about how to use international criminal law to target the most grave environmental crimes while at the same time deploying domestic criminal and regulatory law to address a broad range of environmental harms that threaten our planet.
Alex Whiting
Former International Criminal Court prosecutions coordinator
Professor, Harvard Law School (US)

More information

For more information visit Stop Ecocide International and subscribe to their newsletter.