Ecocide: It’s finally a crime!

December 11, 2023

By Giulio Carini

This is a big win for nature. The EU will introduce rules that hold those who destroy our environment on a mass scale accountable, with penalties including fines and jail time!

In mid November the EU struck a deal to punish damage to the planet “comparable to ecocide.”[1] Like the illegal logging that’s happening in Romania’s forests. [2] Or the destruction of the Donana, one of Europe’s most important wetlands that’s home to millions of migratory birds. [3]

More than a year ago, this community teamed up with Stop Ecocide and Avaaz to create a movement for change. Together we demanded to make destroying the planet on a mass scale a crime. Now, we can all celebrate!

More than 600,000 people signed the petition. And thanks to small donations pouring in from members of this community, we were able to plaster hundreds of posters all across Brussels calling on the EU to make ecocide a crime. This was a major turning point in our campaign.

EU lawmakers couldn't get into their offices without seeing our message. And our message hit the headlines on the first day of EU negotiations.

As the negotiations heated up in September, we sent thousands of emails and tweets to lawmakers to punish the most serious crimes against the environment.

Our pressure worked: this agreement is a huge step from the EU to take environmental protection seriously. It’s one of the most ambitious legislations in the world. Companies will be hit by massive fines and even lose their ability to operate in Europe. Even more importantly, this could prevent environmental disasters in the future. [4]

All of this wouldn't have happened without the signatures, donations, social media posts and emails from the thousands of people from this community. This truly shows that people-power works!