Three Pacific island nations have proposed [16] that ecocide become a crime under international law, which would see the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecute cases of environmental destruction alongside war crimes and genocide. The Sept. 9 move by Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa is unlikely to see fast results but is expected to force ICC member states to at least consider the problem. The initiative could one day lead to company leaders, or even nations, facing prosecution. However, ICC member states notably those do not include China, Russia, India or the United States.
Ecocide has had little focus from policymakers, despite the severe environmental emergency facing the planet. Defending the environment is a risky business in many places, as new research [19] from the Global Witness campaign group shows: 2,000 environmental activists—often from indigenous communities—have been killed since 2012, with 196 murders in 2023. There were 79 such killings last year just in Colombia, which was by far the deadliest country for green activists, as environmental struggle intersects with the dynamics of te country's long-running armed conflict. Environmental activists are, however, making inroads in another conflict zone, with Greenpeace opening an office in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.
From The New Humanitarian [20], Sept. 13.
See our last report on the initiative to make ecocide an international crime [21], and our feature, "Environmental War Crimes in Ukraine [22]."
Global Witness also found last year [23] that Colombia led the world in slaylings of environmental activsts. The record has also been held in recent years by Brazil [24] and Honduras [25].
