On April 22, Earth Day is observed across the globe – a stark reminder of our shared responsibility to protect the natural world on which our entire economy depends.
One vital step is to make mass environmental destruction – ecocide – an international crime within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. We urge the Swedish government to take a clear stand on this issue, and in doing so, contribute to five key values for Sweden and Swedish business.
Mass environmental destruction is a global problem and requires legislation with global reach. The method is well-known, and well within reach: to make ecocide an international crime, prosecutable by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Swedish businesses are already at the forefront when it comes to sustainability, and a growing number of influential voices from the business community are expressing their support for an international ecocide law. Furthermore, seven out of ten Swedes believe that severely damaging nature should be a crime.
It is time for the government to take a clear stance on this issue. Making large-scale environmental destruction an international crime contributes to important values for Sweden:
- A level playing field for Swedish businesses and the Swedish economy. Many of the actions that fall within the definition of ecocide are already criminal under Swedish law. In the spring of 2026, when member states implement the new EU Environmental Crime Directive, large-scale environmental destruction will be criminalised in the EU. To ensure fair competition in the global market, similar legislation is needed at the international level.
- Curb organised crime. Environmental crime is the fourth most common criminal activity in the world, according to the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation. It is also one of the largest sources of income for organised crime. Recognising mass environmental destruction as a serious criminal offence would help disrupt and deter organized crime.
- Preempt harm and avoid societal costs. The primary aim of ecocide legislation is not to punish, but rather at preventing serious environmental destruction before it happens. Criminal law encourages decision-makers to keep a wide margin of safety. This helps avert suffering—for both people and nature—while also avoiding considerable costs for society.
- Protect nature. WWF’s Living Planet Report 2024 shows a stark decline in the health of nature since 1970. Populations of wild vertebrate species have dropped by an average of 73 percent. Human well-being depends on thriving ecosystems, and strong protection for the natural habitats of wildlife is important.
- Protect human health. The more nature is destroyed, the greater the risk of infectious diseases spreading between species. Unsustainable deforestation, for example, has been linked to the spread of viruses like COVID-19 and Ebola. As habitats are lost, wildlife moves closer to human settlements. Protecting nature through international criminal law at the highest level is also a way of protecting ourselves.
Advocating for international ecocide law also sends a clear and welcome signal to Ukraine—that the Swedish government has heard and supports Ukraine’s call to recognise ecocide as an international crime at the highest level.
A panel of experts in international criminal law, environmental law, human rights, and related fields has proposed a legal definition of ecocide based on concepts already well established in international law.
“Start with the worst” is a good guiding principle when addressing an unsatisfactory state of affairs. Recognising mass environmental destruction as a crime within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court is to do exactly that: to begin by addressing the most atrocious violations.
We urge the Swedish government to advocate internationally so that mass environmental destruction becomes a criminal offence with global reach.
Robert Dackeskog, CEO, Duni
Ellen Einebrant, CEO, The Swedish Recycling Industries’ Association
Johanna Lundgren Gestlöf, CSO, SPP
Karin Bodin, CEO, Polarbrödsgruppen
Malin Ljung Eiborn, CSO, Rejlers
Maria Erdmann, CEO, GodEl
Christian Heger, CEO, GodFond i Sverige
David Ekelund, CEO, Icebug
Eva Karlsson, Creative Lead, Houdini Sportswear
Maria Flock Åhlander, CEO, Ekobanken medlemsbank
Fredrik Emilson, CEO, Scandinavian Enviro Systems
Jacob Steen, CEO, Brukspecialisten
Mikael Boström, CEO and founder, Glimja
Misha Istratov, CEO and founder, Elithus
Johan Falk, CEO and co-founder, Exponential Roadmap Initiative
Ingmar Rentzhog, CEO and founder, We Don’t Have Time
Anders Enetjärn, founder, Ecogain
Nina Macpherson, chair, Ecocide Law Alliance
Op-ed in Aktuell Hållbarhet, in Swedish
