Proposals for a new law which could see the bosses of major polluters jailed for up to 20 years is to be introduced next year.
Monica Lennon's proposed Ecocide Prevention Bill has the backing of enough cross-party members to be brought forward and the Scottish government has indicated that it will not intervene to stop it. This would clear the way for the bill to be formally introduced in the Scottish Parliament next year.
Ecocide refers to mass damage and destruction of ecosystems – severe harm to nature which is widespread or long-term. Examples could include oil spills, mass deforestation, air or ocean pollution, mining damage and emissions.
Scotland would be the first part of the UK to have such a law which could impose harsh penalties on executives responsible for major environmental damage. Earlier this year, Belgium became the first European nation to recognise ecocide under both national and international law.
Campaigners believe the crime should come under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, which can currently prosecute just four crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. Many believe that ecocide should be recognised as a fifth crime under the jurisdiction of the ICJ.
"There is real momentum growing around the ecocide law conversation at every level currently," says Jojo Mehta, CEO and co-founder of Stop Ecocide International. "We’ve seen a growing list of states take concrete steps towards establishing new domestic crimes of ecocide in the last year, including the Netherlands, Scotland, Mexico, Brazil, England, Italy and Spain. I have no doubt we’ll see international recognition in the near future."