The International Criminal Court Is Under Pressure to Look at Environmental Crimes

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Ukraine and Russia are in the minority of countries globally that have ecocide in their domestic legislation. The International Criminal Court can prosecute war crimes against the environment, but it has never done so. There's been a long-running campaign to get ecocide reckoned as kind of this fifth crime against humanity. That would mean introducing it into the International Criminal Court - but it's not there yet.

Madeleine Finlay speaks to Doug Weir from the Conflict and Environment Observatory about why the collapse of the Kakhovka dam is likely to be so damaging for biodiversity, access to clean water and levels of pollution. He explains why the environment has become such a central part of the narrative and considers what this increased focus could mean for Ukraine’s eventual recovery. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod