French Polynesia Proposes Legislation to Criminalise Ecocide

Summary:
On 26 May 2025, Assembly Member Teremuura Kohumoetini-Rurua, of the Tavini Huiraatira party, introduced a bill in the Assembly of French Polynesia—with the support of 20 colleagues—that aims to criminalise ecocide. The bill seeks to strengthen the territory’s legal framework by establishing comprehensive protections for nature and imposing stricter criminal penalties for serious environmental harm.

Context:
Since France introduced the concept of ecocide as an environmental crime in 2021, debate has continued over the effectiveness of existing laws in preventing serious environmental damage. French Polynesia’s Environmental Code already includes several offences related to pollution and ecosystem degradation, but it does not yet contain a specific offence for severe ecological destruction. The proposed legislation, aims to introduce such an offence, linked to the notions of common heritage and ecosystem services, while adapting the legal approach to the unique insular context of Polynesia.

This initiative forms part of a broader and ambitious effort to enshrine nature as a common good of the Polynesian people. It also reflects a growing global movement that seeks to advance ecological protection through legal frameworks capable of holding perpetrators accountable for irreversible damage.

Teremuura Kohumoetini-Rurua, elected representative in the Assembly of French Polynesia and initiator of the bill said:
“As an island people deeply connected to the land and ocean, we cannot remain passive in the face of environmental destruction. If adopted, this law would send a strong signal from French Polynesia: our ecosystems are not expendable. Recognising ecocide means protecting our natural heritage, our identity, and the future of generations to come.”

Patricia Willocq, Francophone Countries Coordinator at Stop Ecocide International said:
“It is very encouraging to see that the definition of ecocide adopted by French Polynesia draws directly from that proposed by the international expert panel convened by our foundation. This approach signals a clear intention to align with emerging international legal standards, while tailoring the law to the environmental realities of island territories. It strengthens the consistency of the global movement to recognise ecocide and lends additional credibility to local initiatives.”

Jojo Mehta, CEO and Co-Founder of Stop Ecocide International said:
“This initiative is all the more powerful as it builds on the momentum driven at the international level by other island states such as Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa, which formally proposed an amendment to the Rome Statute last September to recognise ecocide as an international crime. Together, these island voices are leading the way toward global environmental justice.”

Emma Marc, Stop Ecocide France Coalition said:
“The bill introduced in French Polynesia is already more ambitious than the current French legislation — both in the scope of its definition of ecocide and in the clarity of its legal criteria. It shows that it is possible to create a real tool to protect nature and its rights. This progress should inspire France to strengthen its own legislation and to fully seize the opportunity presented by the new European directive on environmental crime to go further in its transposition.”

You can read the full Bill submitted to the Assembly of French Polynesia here.