29th April, 17:30 - 19:00
In-person at The Caird Hall
Committee Room 1, Dundee
The Ecocide (Prevention) (Scotland) Bill positions Scotland at the forefront of a fast-growing global movement to criminalise mass environmental destruction. With momentum building for an ecocide amendment to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court—led by nations such as Vanuatu, Samoa, Fiji, and the Democratic Republic of Congo—and with the European Union now requiring member states to criminalise offences “comparable to ecocide” under its revised Environmental Crime Directive, the case for prosecuting the most serious environmental harms is rapidly gaining international legitimacy.
This panel will explore how ecocide law—designed to hold the most powerful in society accountable—can support workers and communities by reducing exposure to harmful practices, establishing mechanisms for criminal redress when environmental harm occurs, levelling the playing field for sustainable industries, fostering long-term green job security, and securing Scotland’s position as a global leader in advancing legal protections for the natural world—and for all of us who depend on it for our livelihoods and wellbeing.
Chair/Moderator: Richard Hardy – National Secretary for Scotland and Ireland, Prospect Union; Member, Scotland's Just Transition Commission
Speakers:
Jojo Mehta – Co-Founder & CEO, Stop Ecocide International
Monica Lennon MSP – Scottish Labour and Scottish Co-operative Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Scotland Region
Ryan Morrison – Just Transition Officer, STUC
Stephen Smellie – Member of UNISON's National Executive Council
Laura Young – Climate Activist and Environmental Scientist