🌱 What is ecocide and is it a punishable offence?
In June 2021, an expert panel – established by the Stop Ecocide Foundation – proposed an amendment to include ecocide in the International Criminal Court’s statutes. The panel defined 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”. On 29 March 2023, the European Parliament supported a proposal to codify ecocide within EU law. The proposal seeks to include ecocide in the revised EU directive on environmental crimes. It also seeks to impose stricter penalties and sanctions (incl. fines and imprisonment) on individuals and companies, who are found guilty of committing environmental crimes. A series of interinstitutional negotiations on the proposal must now be held. If codified, the crime of ecocide would likely impact the decision-making and practices in transition mining.
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