Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

Stop Ecocide is the driving force behind the growing global movement to make ecocide an international crime in order to:

- deter, prevent and sanction the worst harms to nature;
- strongly reinforce existing environmental regulations;
-support fulfilment of multilateral environmental agreements, pledges & goals 

Our core work is activating and developing global cross-sector support for this. 
Mass damage and destruction of ecosystems or ecocide has been committed relentlessly and repeatedly over decades in pursuit of economic development, and is a root cause of the global climate and ecological crisis. Existing treaties, agreements and civil lawsuits have all failed to prevent this, and for the most part no-one is held responsible. It‚ time to change the rules. Stop Ecocide‚ position is that once political and corporate decision-makers understand that they hold personal responsibility for endangering ecosystems - and as a result, personal agency in creating healthier solutions - systemic change will rapidly become not only possible but actually appealing.

Stop Ecocide International was co-founded in 2017 by pioneering barrister Polly Higgins (1968-2019) and current Executive Director Jojo Mehta.

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How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

Implementing an international ecocide law is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating the pressing issue of climate change. It would have several significant effects on emissions reduction:

- Deterrence: The prospect of legal consequences for ecocidal acts, such as large-scale deforestation, polluting rivers, or oil spills, would serve as a powerful deterrent. Corporations and individuals will be less likely to engage in environmentally destructive activities.
- Innovation: Ecocide law will encourage innovation in renewable energy, carbon capture, and sustainable agriculture, driving down emissions.
- Restitution: ecocide law will require those responsible for environmental damage to bear the cost of repair and remediation, thus encouraging responsible behaviour and reducing emissions.
- International Cooperation: ecocide law at the International Criminal Court will  be global in scope, encouraging nations to collaborate in the fight against environmental destruction, which is essential for reducing emissions on a worldwide scale.

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Recognition of ecocide is profoundly aligned with indigenous cultural practices and custodianship of the living world, and has been strongly called for by many indigenous spokespeople to help protect their communities and ancestral lands. It is aligned with the natural understanding of reciprocity, respect for Mother Earth and consideration of future generations inherent in indigenous ways of life. Indigenous community leaders have spoken publicly in support of this solution at key international diplomatic events such as COP 26 and 27.

Much of our focus is specifically on climate vulnerable states,  and we work closely with the government of one such state, Vanuatu. Many of our national teams (particularly in Africa and Latin America) are led by and heavily involved with women, people of colour and other underrepresented communities. We have created a youth-led Youth for Ecocide Law movement, which is expanding rapidly with young people from all continents, and their voice is becoming louder in the international call for ecocide law. Indeed the youth is becoming one of the loudest voices in this field and our Youth for Ecocide Law network have arranged events at many international conferences eg COP27 and 278 New York Climate Week.

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Mission Statement:

Our charitable fundraising Foundation is based in the Netherlands, however operational and strategic decision making at a global level is held by our leadership team who are part of Stop Ecocide International Ltd based in the UK. We are 2 organisations that work together as 1 entity. We have a growing global network, mainly focussed on ICC member and climate vulnerable countries, and we currently have teams in over 40 countries, which is constantly expanding. The teams are all raising awareness, advocating, engaging civil society, politicians, environmental NGOs, diplomats, grassroots, faith leaders, etc in raising awareness and building support for ecocide law. We have teams across Latin America, Africa, Europe and Australasia.

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@EcocideLaw

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@EcocideLaw

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@EcocideLaw