Argentina: a bill on ecocide introduced in the Chamber of Deputies
Summary
A bill on ecocide law has been introduced in the Argentine Congress at the Deputies Chamber.
On April 1st, 2025, MP Margarita Stolbizer presented a comprehensive bill dedicated to environmental crimes, which includes a Chapter on the crime of ecocide, using the definition developed by the Independent Expert Panel convened in 2021 by the Stop Ecocide Foundation.
The new bill follows a series of devastating fires in Argentina, most of which are suspected cases of arson. Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact causes and hold those responsible accountable. Many scientists argue that the fires have been exacerbated by a combination of factors, including poor woodland management practices and prolonged drought conditions linked to climate change.
According to Jojo Mehta, Co-founder and CEO of Stop Ecocide International (SEI), ‘this is undoubtedly another important step on the path to making ecocide a serious crime throughout the world, both nationally and internationally, in order to protect the environment and prevent completely avoidable environmental disasters.’
Rodrigo Lledó, SEI Director for the Americas, echoed this sentiment, noting that ‘this achievement has been the result of collective effort’, and acknowledged that ‘the new bill has been only possible thanks to the collaboration between the International Association of Environmental and Climate Criminal Law (AIDPAC) – and especially its President, Miguel Angel Asturias – Argentina Sin Ecocidio, MP Margarita Stolbizer and her assistant Micaela Sol Giubilato, and Stop Ecocide International.’ Lledó also emphasized that SEI is actively working with other Latin American states, aiming to build support for ecocide law not only at the national level but also at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Constanza Soler, SEI Coordinator for the Americas, reflected on the domestic political context, stating that ‘although the current Argentine government does not have the environmental agenda among its priorities, the National Congress is aware of the need to adopt concrete measures to protect the environment, especially after the fires that have devastated large areas of Argentine Patagonia.’
You can read the Argentinean ecocide law Bill here (see Chapter VII, Articles 337 – 341)