Danish Parliament discusses ecocide

The subject of ecocide was debated in the Danish parliament today.  The debate followed a question submitted by Susanne Zimmer from the green party (Frie Grønne), to the Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod (Social Democrats). 

While the concept of ecocide was new to many, the spokespeople for all parties, without exception, condemned the destruction of nature and climate.  

The discussion lasted over an hour and concluded with the government proposing a decision text for the parliament (see 15:22 Annette Lind), declaring that destruction of ecosystems and nature is very serious; that Denmark should follow the ecocide conversation internationally and engage in discussion with colleagues from other countries.  This decision was supported by a large majority (85%).

The resolution roughly translates as follows:
The Danish Parliament expresses continued support to the ICC and its work to end impunity for the most serious international crimes. 

The Danish Parliament emphasizes that Denmark contributes to the increase of global ambitions for climate, environment, and nature.

The Danish Parliament furthermore recognizes the need for thinking out of the box in relation to protection of the environment and encourages the government to participate in discussions in relevant international forums about criminalizing ecocide.

The Danish Parliament finds that it is crucial for the trust in institutions of international law that acts characterized as international crimes can be sanctioned effectively and lead to sentencing.
Finally, the Danish Parliament recognizes that the ICC has limited capacity and already has a substantial task investigating and prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide that are already criminalized in the Rome Statute.

We’re really excited to see that Denmark has resolved to engage in the growing global conversation on criminalising ecocide.