Major finance report recommends ecocide law

The Taskforce on Nature Markets, an initiative of Geneva-based non-profit Nature Finance working across public policy and the finance world to “align global finance with climate resilient, nature positive and equitable outcomes”, has issued its in-depth report Making Nature Markets Work.

The topic of Nature Markets is controversial - many of those working to protect nature see such an approach as antithetical to respect for the living world.  Others maintain that unless nature’s services are consciously financially valued, their value will be ignored completely and equated to zero. In this scenario those who do value nature are those illegally profiting from her.

The Taskforce report states that: “The rise of nature markets can play a central role in reshaping our unsustainable economy if, and only if, their design and governance is rooted in a radical and robust commitment to impact and equity.”

In this context, the report directly recommends establishing an criminal offence of ecocide in order to deter, prevent and hold accountable those engaging in illegal nature markets.