At a UN Security Council open debate on the effects of climate change on peace and security, the Austrian Ambassador suggested that ‘the international community should consider making widespread long-term damage to the environment a crime under international law — referred to as “ecocide”. ‘

On 9 May 2023, the Spanish government officially answered to a written question submitted by Inés Sabanés Nadal, MP for Más País Verdes Equo, on whether the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge intended to support the proposal to recognise ecocide and autonomous crimes against the environment in the framework of the European Council.

Via announcement at a monthly plenary session, the European Parliament officially declared its support of the inclusion of ecocide-level crimes into the European Union’s revised Directive on protection of the environment through criminal law. 

Following the direction of travel established in the 4 previous consultative committees, the last and most important of these in the context of this Directive, the legal affairs (JURI) committee, unanimously voted to include the most serious environmental crimes - widely known as “ecocide” - in its proposed text for the Directive which will be presented in the EU Parliament on 17th April.

Governments of Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, Fiji, Niue, and the Solomon Islands collectively call to phase out fossil fuels, support a rapid and just Pacific transition to renewable energy, and strengthen related legal obligations - including to “prevent Ecocide.”

United for Justice state-hosted conference in Lviv discusses ecocide law in high-level panel ”Prosecuting Environmental War Crimes” featuring Environment Minister, following severe environmental damage suffered in Ukraine as a result of Russian invasion. 

Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe adopts resolution and recommendation calling for recognition of ecocide, based on report from its Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development on the Environmental impact of armed conflicts. 

General Debate, Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib reiterates Belgium’s “willingness to engage in consideration of the introduction of a crime known as ‘ecocide’ into the Rome Statute system.”

General Debate, Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: Aotearoa/New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Hon. Nanaia Mahuta made a strong statement in support of “future discussions around the concept of ecocide as an international crime to address environmental destruction at a global level.”

General Debate, Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto welcomes “every effort to use international criminal justice to respond” to the threats of climate change and biodiversity loss, and notes the Assembly provides a context to “continue discussions on the ecocide initiative.”

At the G20 summit in Indonesia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine set out in a speech to world leaders a 10-point Peace Formula aimed at restoring just and long-lasting peace for Ukraine.  Covering nuclear safety, food and security, ceasing of hostilities and the upholding of the UN Charter, point 8 of the plan addresses the challenge of “countering ecocide.”

UN General Assembly: the Vice President of the Republic of Panama, José Gabriel Carrizo, argued that "the time has come for the world to have an international body to hold accountable all those who cause damage to the planet. […] When is ecocide going to stop?"

UN General Assembly: President Vurobaravu urges statesto support including a crime of ecocide in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), telling the Assembly that “acting with knowledge of severe and widespread or long-term damage to the environment can no longer be tolerated”.

Senator David Shoebridge (Australian Greens), in his first speech to the Australian Senate Chamber on 2nd August, declares he believes it is “time to enact a new criminal offence of ecocide. Ecocide is the mass, widespread damage and destruction of ecosystems in nature”.

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Forests, Mr Keriako Tobiko, revealed a landmark legislation proposal, stating that said proposal "contains critical principles”, which include the “recognition of the right to nature and, most importantly, creation of the crime of 'ecocide’.”

Issue of criminalising ecocide raised during parliamentary speech given by Member of the House of Representatives, Ms. Alexandra Attalides, from Movement of Ecologists-Citizens Cooperation.

Danish parliament discusses ecocide following a question submitted to the Foreign Minister and resolves (see 15.22: A. Lind), by large majority, to follow ecocide conversation internationally.

Ecocide parliamentary resolution submitted to Parliament calling for support for international crime of ecocide as well as national ecocide legislation. With cross party support from Pirate Party, Liberal reformation, Social Democrats and Left Green.

European Parliament Report on Human Rights & Democracy recommends EU member states to support criminalising ecocide at the ICC & also examine relevance to EU law.

Samoa supports the ecocide conversation at the ICC by co-hosting official side event and providing a supporting statement from the Prime Minister.