France writes ecocide into law, in 2 ways

France’s Climate & Resilience Act, passed this week, includes ecocide in not one, but two contexts.  

Firstly, as a “délit” under national law (Article 231-3), providing for up to 10 years in jail for those committing offences which “cause serious and lasting damage to health, flora, fauna or the quality of the air, soil or water.”  Not perhaps the full scope envisaged by the Citizens’ Climate Assembly which aimed for a stricter categorisation of ecocide as a “crime”, but an offence with serious penalties nonetheless.

Secondly, the government is obliged, under Article 296 of the new law, to report back to parliament within one year on “its action in favour of the recognition of ecocide as a crime which can be tried by international criminal courts.”