Summary
On June 5, 2025, Sardinian councillor Francesco Cozzolino introduced a comprehensive bill in the Regional Council of Sardinia titled Norms for the Prevention and Repression of Ecocide.
The bill defines ecocide as acts committed knowingly or with gross negligence that cause serious, widespread, or long-lasting environmental damage—closely aligning with the definition proposed in 2021 by the Independent Expert Panel convened by the Stop Ecocide Foundation.
Inspired by international legal standards, the proposed law treats ecocide not just as environmental damage, but as an existential threat to biodiversity, climate stability, public health, and intergenerational justice - recognising that ecosystem destruction undermines the very foundations of human wellbeing.
Key provisions include:
Mandatory ecocide risk assessments for high-impact projects;
Educational programmes and public campaigns on environmental protection;
Reinforced environmental oversight via the Regional Forestry and Environmental Surveillance Corps (CFVA);
Administrative sanctions, restoration obligations, public procurement bans for offenders, and Region’s participation in civil/compensatory actions.
The creation of a Regional Observatory for Ecological Justice, tasked with monitoring, legal drafting, and interagency coordination;
A formal commitment by Sardinia to promote national and EU-level legal recognition of ecocide as a crime.
The bill also proposes that June 5 each year in Sardinia become ‘Regional Day for the Prevention of Ecocide’.
In Sardinia’s regional legislative system, a bill proposed by councillors must pass the Regional Council to become binding law within the island’s jurisdiction. If the bill is passed, Sardinia would become the first Italian region to formally legislate on ecocide.
Dani Spizzichino, Founder of Stop Ecocidio Italia, said:
“This Sardinian bill represents a profound and timely recognition that the mass destruction of nature is not simply a local grievance, but a matter of justice — legal, ecological and intergenerational. As the Mediterranean faces mounting ecological threats, from extractive industry to climate disruption, Sardinia’s step toward recognising ecocide reflects both regional courage and alignment with a global legal awakening. This initiative brings the vision of ecocide law into sharper national focus. It affirms that protecting ecosystems is not an act of idealism, but of legal and moral necessity.”
Read the full bill (in Italian) here.
