Document Type

Research Project

Publication Date

Fall 9-29-2025

Abstract

The escalating climate crisis increasingly intersects with profound issues of justice, human rights, and planetary survival, bringing urgency to the concept of ecocide. Despite mounting ecological degradation, transnational corporate actors frequently evade accountability, often shielded by mechanisms like Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) systems that prioritize profit over people and the planet. This policy paper argues for the formalization of judicial accountability in global climate governance and the advancement of ecocide law under international frameworks. It highlights the critical role of the judiciary in safeguarding environmental and human rights, particularly in the face of political inertia. Building on the ethical imperative emphasized by the COP30 Presidency and the proposed Global Ethical Stocktake (GES), this paper recommends concrete legal and institutional mechanisms, including the codification of ecocide under international law and the establishment of a specialized international judicial body for climate crimes, to ensure robust enforcement and uphold climate justice globally. Such measures are necessary to translating symbolic commitments into actionable tools for protecting vulnerable communities and promoting international solidarity in compliance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs).

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