Finland's Largest Party Backs Ecocide Law
Summary:
At its 2026 party congress, Finland's Social Democratic Party (SDP) has adopted the criminalisation of ecocide as party policy.
The resolution, adopted at the party congress in Tampere 23–25 May, commits the party to promoting the criminalisation of ecocide nationally, at European Union level, and internationally.
The proposal highlighted the environmental destruction caused by armed conflicts, including in Ukraine and Gaza, and argued that large-scale damage to nature can have profound consequences for human health, livelihoods, natural resources and future food production.
The motion also linked support for ecocide law to the SDP's existing commitment to international criminal law, citing a policy adopted in the party's 2023 programme stating that “ The International Criminal Court (ICC) provides a safe haven for victims of crimes and communities, providing a path to justice and recovery. This role must be actively supported and strengthened.”
Mikko Pyhälä, Ambassador Emeritus of Finland and member of Stop Ecocide International's Advisory Group, said:
“This firm statement of the Social Democratic Party of Finland augurs well for the national scene if it maintains its position as the most voted political party in the upcoming parliamentary elections on April 18, 2027. In such a situation there would be a likelihood of establishing a government with SDP providing the Prime Minister.
Clear statements from the Left Alliance in 2022 and the National Coalition Party in 2024 supporting the criminalization of ecocide under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court are an enticement for other political parties, particularly the Greens and perhaps also the Swedish People’s Party of Finland (SFP). There is now greater political weight behind Finland's presidency of the ICC's Assembly of States Parties, which runs until the end of 2026.”
The full resolution, ‘National and International Criminalisation of Ecocide as an SDP Objective’ (Initiative 470), can be viewed here.