“Russian troops are destroying Ukraine's environment leaving behind more than 50 billion in environmental damages. If you believe that
the destruction of our precious Mother Earth should be a crime, join our petition demanding that the EU pass a law criminalising ecocide and let's start a ripple effect to
protect nature in the entire world!
SIGN THE PETITION
Dear ……
Russian troops are destroying Ukraine's environment, with over 320,000 explosive devices neutralised in the past year alone, and a third of the land now unusable for agriculture. Over 600 species of animals and 880 species of plants are under threat.
Taken together, the losses from this destruction amounts to over 50 billion dollars. What is happening in Ukraine is a war crime. But what happens with the
destruction of nature in times of peace?
Not much. In most places of the world,
there is no law against ecocide, the systematic and widespread destruction of nature.
But there's hope things could start to change. In a few weeks,
Europe will vote on a proposal to criminalise ecocide in a directive under revision. And a petition supported by 1 million people will show them what the world wants.
Sign now demanding the criminalisation of ecocide, and Avaaz will deliver our voices straight to the Committee:
EU: Criminalize ecocide now
International law could hold Putin and his cronies accountable for the destruction of the environment in Ukraine because
it is happening during an armed conflict. But there is a huge gap in the law when it comes to times of peace.
That's why an EU law criminalising ecocide would set a huge precedent for all nations around the world on the importance of protecting Mother Nature at all times. And we are close to this historical moment.
Recently,
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) urged all member states to criminalise ecocide. But the Council does not make laws, so countries are not obliged to comply with this recommendation.
But EU law is another story, and would bind all EU countries. So sign now and share it with everyone you know.”