Guest blog by Prisca Merz, Director End Ecocide Europe

A  short video clip which was produced during a flashmob by the Austrian volunteers set the stage for the press conference of End Ecocide in Europe with fashion designer and activist Vivienne Westwood.

Amelia Womack, leading through the programme, started by outlining that social, environmental and economic problems are intrinsically linked. Prisca Merz, volunteer director of End Ecocide in Europe then explained that the extensive damage or destruction of ecosystems are a crime called ecocide, for which the citizens’ movement requests criminal liability for both, decision-makers in business and government, as well as companies. To that end, 1 million signatures must be collected until 21 January 2014, so that the EU is legally obliged to consider the initiative and adopt a response. Contrary to an ordinary petition, there is thus a legal obligation for policy-makers to listen to and evaluate the citizens’ demands.

A first success was that the initiative was actually accepted for collection of signatures which means that the EU has the power to introduce such a law. All that is needed is political will. The volunteers have already collected over 100,000 signatures. Given the extensive data requirements by the EU, such as date of birth and ID number, many potential supporters are hesitant to sign. As Vivienne explains “It’s a real commitment, you have to be really committed. So 100,000 is a wonderful achievement”.

She herself had only heard about ecocide a couple of years ago. She immediately thought “What a brilliant word. That’s really true. We are practising ecocide on a terrible scale. Bit by bit, area by area. I didn’t know there was a legal possibility of making that a concrete crime. It’s very interesting, it is a very, very good idea. Everything counts and everyone helps. And it’s definitely a crime”

Vivienne Westwood showed a shocking map: With 5 degrees of global warning (which is what the International Energy Agency, World Bank, and Price Waterhouse Coopers predict), more than half of the planet will be un-inhabitable. Once 2 degrees of warming are reached, further warming will be inevitable and unstoppable, so that a world of 5 degrees warming looks realistic. “That map means mass extinction”, she says.

The concept of ecocide was discussed extensively during the 1970s and 1980s and included in the draft of the Rome Statute establishing the international Crimes Against Peace, but then withdrawn at the 11th hour. The only remainder is the “widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment” as a war crime. So today, ecocide is illegal during war but allowed in peace. It’s time to update the law!

Award-winning author and lawyer Polly Higgins re-discovered the concept of ecocide in 2007 and proposed it to the UN Law Commission in 2010. Prisca heard Polly speaking at a conference in April 2012 and had the idea to start a European Citizens’ Initiative as, as she says, “this is an idea that the world needs to know”. Vivienne expressed her admiration ” One person. Trying to do something. That’s what everybody has to try to do. One person. No matter how effective you are. I’m talking to you, if you then go to speak to somebody else, I’ve done my job. I’m helping to save the world.” We can all help save the world and start today by adding our signature to the citizens’ initiative at www.endecocide.eu

Prisca Merz, Director of End Ecocide and Vivienne Westwood