International Criminal Law: Should Ecocide Become the Fifth Core International Crime?

Abstract

In recent years, climate change and environmental damage have had a profound impact on the global ecosystem and human society. Climate change and ecological destruction have become a global crisis, but the current international criminal law system has not yet provided an adequate legal response to large-scale environmental destruction. This paper explores whether ecocide should be incorporated into the Rome Statute as the fifth core international crime after war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity and crime of aggression. By analyzing the legal basis of ecocide and its global impact, the paper assesses the necessity and feasibility of incorporating the crime of ecocide and discusses the future of the topic in the light of existing academic research.