Ecocide in the Court of Justice Lessons from Ukraine on addressing Global Environmental Challenges

Amid the escalating global climate crisis, there is a growing consensus among national governments and various stakeholders – including international organizations, civil society, and businesses – that ecocide should be recognized as a crime under international law, alongside genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.

Ukraine has emerged as a trailblazer in advocating for the acknowledgment of ecocide acts within the realm of justice, particularly in the context of warfare. The insights gleaned from Ukraine’s experiences are therefore invaluable for regions worldwide grappling with environmental devastation amid armed conflicts, climate disruptions, and other crises.
This panel will feature esteemed environmental, climate, and energy experts including Marjukka Porvali from the European Commission (Environmental policy expert, Ukraine Service), Jojo Mehta from Stop Ecocide (Co-founder), Bart Gruyaert from Neo-Eco Ukraine (Project Director), and Anna Ackermann, a climate and energy policy analyst. Together, they will engage in a discussion about the profound implications of Russia’s environmental war crimes in Ukraine within the broader context of global environmental justice. Topics covered will include precedents for criminalizing the worst crimes against nature, fostering a cultural shift towards taking environmental discussions seriously, and navigating a just transition while utilizing critical raw materials for reconstruction.

Event sponsored by the Climate Action Program and United for Ukraine.

Any questions? Please reach out to Mariia Dzholos (mdzholos@middlebury.edu), Minna Brown (mbbrown@middlebury.edu), and Andrés Oyaga (aoyaga@middlebury.edu).