ABSTRACT
The concept of ‘ecocide’ refers to extensive damage, destruction or loss of the ecosystems of a given territory and includes both natural (for example, pest infestation of an ecosystem) and anthropocentric (that is, as a result of human activity) causes for the harm. From a legal and criminological perspective, it is argued that if such harms occur as a result of human agency, then these acts or omissions should be defined as a crime against humanity (Higgins, 2010, 2012). The reason why detailed descriptions, definitions and histories of ecocide are once again emerging – and why the efficacy of the concept is currently being debated in various forums at the international level – is due to the sheer scale of environmental degradation now occurring worldwide. The concept of ecocide has been around since at least the 1970s (Gray, 1996; Teclaff, 1994) and for a time was under consideration for inclusion in the Rome Statute as a ‘crime against humanity’ (Higgins et al., 2013). But the impetus for ecocide to be officially recognised as a bona fide crime at the present time has been heightened by the current inadequacy of government responses, individually and collectively, to global warming.
