Individuals should be held to account for environmental damage, say experts

Individuals should be held accountable for “ecocide,” the most serious acts of environmental destruction, argue experts in The BMJ today.

And they say the UK should take on a leadership role by adopting legislation of its own to criminalise ecocide and inspiring other nations to protect our planet.

The term “ecocide” was coined in 1970 by biologist Arthur Galston, who condemned the large scale environmental devastation caused during the Vietnam War, they explain.

Fifty years on, as the world grapples with the escalating consequences of climate change, including sea level rises and biodiversity loss, momentum is building to establish ecocide as a new international crime so that individuals can be held accountable for the most serious acts of environmental destruction.

In May 2025, Scotland introduced a bill to criminalise ecocide, joining other countries including Argentina, Belgium, Dominican Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, and Peru.

A proposal to add ecocide to crimes within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) would also be an important step towards accountability for serious environmental damage.

However, the authors note that under the ICC framework, states remain primarily responsible for investigating and prosecuting core crimes, reinforcing the need for domestic efforts to support international criminalisation of ecocide.

The UK therefore has an opportunity to take on a leadership role by adopting its own legislation, they write, noting that a bill to criminalise ecocide was introduced in 2023 but has not moved forward. 

Criminalising ecocide would bring various benefits, they say. For example, the spectre of personal accountability of decision makers—whether public officials or corporate executives—may provide a powerful deterrent than attributing responsibility to organisations alone.

Moreover, criminal law carries expressive power. “Treating environmental harm not merely as a regulatory issue but also as a criminal act conveys a strong message about societal values and priorities. This can change consciousness and drive meaningful changes in human behaviour and policies,” they add.

And they point out that a domestic prohibition on ecocide in the UK has wide support. In an Ipsos survey conducted in 2024 among 22,000 participants from G20 countries, 72% of respondents supported the criminalisation of ecocide. In the UK, this figure was 78%.

“Embracing the campaign for the criminalisation of ecocide is an opportunity for the UK to act on this consensus and position itself as a global leader, inspiring other nations to protect our planet and ultimately ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come,” they conclude.