Will Ecocide soon be Considered a Crime Against Peace? Created on May 31, 2025. There is progress in recognizing ecocide as a crime against peace. And more needs to be done! Share

Making progress toward the recognition of ecocide as a crime against peace, or even better, a crime by it very nature, would provide the means to hold countries and companies that commit ecocide accountable. There is a growing movement to include ecocide in the list of crimes delt with by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The treaty that established the ICC, the Rome statute, included four international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.

The article “What is ecocide and could it become a crime under international law?” by Damian Gayle published in the Guardian today provides details on the history of the movement and the reasons why not just intentional but also foreseeable ecocide needs to be recognized as a crime.

In June 2021, the Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide convened by the Stop Ecocide Foundation concluded its groundbreaking drafting work and launched a proposed consensus definition of ecocide as an international crime.

For the purpose of paragraph 1:
“Wanton” means with reckless disregard for damage which would be clearly excessive in relation to the social and economic benefits anticipated;
“Severe” means damage which involves very serious adverse changes, disruption or harm to any element of the environment, including grave impacts on human life or natural, cultural or economic resources;
“Widespread” means damage which extends beyond a limited geographic area, crosses state boundaries, or is suffered by an entire ecosystem or species or a large number of human beings;
“Long-term” means damage which is irreversible or which cannot be redressed through natural recovery within a reasonable period of time;
“Environment” means the earth, its biosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, as well as outer space.