From military to civil crime: an environmental history of ecocide

From the environmental impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the growing demands of climate and environmental activists, discussions about ecocide – the mass damage and destruction of ecosystems – are in the spotlight. This research project aims to produce the first environmental history of ecocide.

It stems from a key contradiction: while environmental crimes committed during armed conflicts became subject to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court upon its establishment in 2002, environmental crimes committed in peacetime did not.

Building on a comprehensive review of the literature and historical press, interviews and archival sources, the project will proceed as follows.

First, it will analyse discussions about the need to regulate the impacts of warfare on the environment, in the aftermath of the large wars of the 20th century.

Second, it will examine how scientific, activist and legal debates about ecocide in war (and in peacetime) evolved since the concept was coined in 1970, during the Vietnam War. How has the term been interpreted and mobilised by stakeholders throughout its brief existence? When and why did governments start incorporating it in their legislation?

How did ecocide feature in the negotiations leading to the creation of the International Criminal Court?

Overall, the project will historicise debates about the concept of ecocide and provide insights on its potential for fostering more sustainable and just societies.