A growing number of leading scientists, from a broad range of scientific disciplines all over the world, are calling on governments to make ecocide a crime within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) - to deliver a future in harmony with nature.
It is widely recognised that humanity stands at a crossroads.
There is clear scientific evidence that the emission of greenhouse gases and the destruction of ecosystems at current rates will have catastrophic consequences for our common environment. Along with political, diplomatic and economic initiatives, international law has a role to play in transforming our relationship with the natural world, shifting that relationship from one of harm to one of harmony.
The inadequacies of current global environmental governance are widely acknowledged. National and international laws are in place to contribute to the protection of the natural systems upon which our well-being depends, yet it is apparent that such laws are inadequate and more is needed.
The inclusion of ecocide in the Rome Statute¹ would add a new crime to international criminal law which could contribute to a change of consciousness, in support of a new direction, one that enhances the protection of the environment and supports a more collaborative and effective legal framework for our common future on a shared planet.
It offers a new and practical legal tool, one that has been developed by a team of internationally recognized legal experts².
Scientific knowledge provides a firm foundation for this amendment, and thus the scientific community can support our colleagues from legal professions in this endeavour.
We, the undersigned scientists, call on governments to collaborate internationally to make ecocide a crime within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
##INLINE0##The Rome Statute is the founding document of the International Criminal Court
##INLINE2##For more information, see ‘Independent Expert Panel Commentary and Core Text’. This document is the source of the legal reasons for adding ecocide to the Rome Statute. Cf. the Introduction to the document.
Endorsing scientists include:
Professor of Chemical Meteorology, Stockholm University
Professor in Transport Policy and Transport planning. Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
Agroecology, agroecosystem management, pollination biology and natural pest regulation
Full Professor of Ecology Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Spain)
Professor at Biology Department. University of La Serena of Chile and researcher at Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity (CASEB) at Catholic University of Chile
Professor of Epidemiology. University of York
Researcher specialized in holistic, integrated and sustainable agriculture and food systems. Winner of the Right Livelihood Award
Director of climate reporting and adaptation at the Icelandic Met Office. Former assistant professor at University of Iceland
PhD in experimental physics from Harvard, former co-chair of United Nations Environment Programme’s International Resource Panel (UNEP-IRP) and former Chair of the Club of Rome
Professor of Energy and Climate Change, University of Manchester
Professor of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland. Member of Academia Europaea since 2012, member of the sustainability think tanks the Balaton Group and the Club of Rome
Award-winning geneticist, broadcaster, world leader in sustainable ecology, and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation
PhD in Biological Sciences from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Research professor at the CSIC
