Research project
Are Humans Killing Their Home? An Analysis and Evaluation of the Crime of Ecocide
Human-driven environmental damage is increasingly recognised as a global crisis. Should large-scale destruction of ecosystems be considered a crime? The concept of ecocide has gained renewed attention, particularly following a proposed definition for inclusion in international criminal law, raising urgent moral, legal, and political questions. This project examines the normative foundations of the proposed crime of ecocide.
- Duration
- 2025 - 2026
- Contact
- Jelena Belic
- Funding
- Kiem grant
About the project
For decades, scholars have argued that large-scale environmental destruction constitutes a distinct international crime. The debate has recently accelerated following a proposed definition by an International Expert Panel to include ecocide in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Since then, the concept has gained traction in political and public debates worldwide.
While much of this discussion focuses on legal and technical questions, this project takes a broader perspective by analysing the underlying moral, legal, and political assumptions. It asks which forms of environmental harm could justify criminalization at the international level, and how such harm should be understood.
Because environmental destruction often results from the cumulative actions of many actors, responsibility is difficult to assign. The project therefore explores when such harm becomes a serious moral and legal wrong, and who or what should be recognised as the victim — ecosystems, human communities, or both.
Finally, the project evaluates whether recognising ecocide as a separate international crime would meaningfully shift norms around environmental responsibility, or whether existing legal frameworks already suffice.
To address these questions, the project team is organizing a two-day interdisciplinary, international workshop on a broader topic of “Ethics of Extinction”, that will take place at Leiden University on 25 – 26 June, 2026. The project team will also develop a co-authored academic publication examining the normative foundations of ecocide.
Aim of the project
The project contributes to the ongoing international debate about the criminalization of environmental destruction. By examining the moral and conceptual foundations of ecocide, it expands the discussion beyond technical legal questions and highlights the broader ethical and political implications of environmental harm.
Through an academic publication and interdisciplinary dialogue, the project aims to inform policymakers, scholars and the wider public about the implications of recognising ecocide as an international crime.
Interdisciplinary character of the project
The project combines perspectives from political science, philosophy and public policy to move beyond narrowly legal approaches to ecocide.
● Dr Belic (FSW) approaches the topic from political theory, focusing on (human) rights and climate change.
● Dr Meijers (Humanities) contributes expertise in moral philosophy, particularly in debates about climate ethics and intergenerational justice.
● Dr Poama (FGGA) works at the intersection of political philosophy, legal theory and public policy, with a focus on the foundations of criminal law and punishment.
Together, the team examines ecocide not only as a legal concept but also as a moral and political challenge.