Ecocide Is Also Considered a War Crime

The term “ecocide” refers to illegal or reckless acts committed with the knowledge that they may cause severe, widespread, or long-term damage to the environment. Today, the concept is gaining increasing global attention due to the climate crisis and its impact on ecosystems worldwide.

Although many people believe the term is recent, it has existed since the Vietnam War, when the United States sprayed Agent Orange and other chemicals over Vietnamese forests, causing massive environmental destruction. Since the 1970s, environmental destruction has gradually been recognized as a war crime.

Today, amid a global climate emergency, experts and international organizations are promoting laws that would criminalize the deliberate destruction of the environment even during peacetime.

In 2024, island nations such as Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa formally proposed an amendment to the Rome Statute to include ecocide as an international crime. In addition, the European Union has advanced legislation aimed at incorporating severe environmental crimes into its legal framework.

Source: International Criminal Court