A news report by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies published on 6th February 2026
The Institute of Commonwealth Studies has welcomed a landmark vote yesterday (5rh February 2026) by the Scottish Parliament to advance the Ecocide (Scotland) Bill, placing Scotland on track to become the first nation in the UK to criminalise severe environmental destruction.
MSPs voted decisively to progress the Bill, which was introduced by Monica Lennon MSP and will now move to Stage 2 for detailed scrutiny by the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee. The vote reflects growing recognition, in Scotland and internationally, that the gravest forms of environmental harm must be addressed through robust criminal law.
Professor Damien Short, Professor of Human Rights and Environmental Justice at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, was invited in spring 2025 to join the Expert Advisory Group on the Ecocide (Scotland) Bill, advising Monica Lennon MSP on the basis of his two decades of research on ecocide, human rights, and environmental justice.
In October 2025, the Institute hosted the Ecocide, Human Rights, and Environmental Justice Conference, co-organised with UCLA Law’s Promise Institute Europe. The conference brought together global scholars, activists, diplomats and lawmakers to examine how international law and human rights frameworks can respond to ecological destruction, with a particular focus on perspectives from the global majority. Monica Lennon MSP and Jojo Mehta, Co-founder and CEO of Stop Ecocide International, were among the speakers in the evening session. A conference report is now available online.
Commenting on the parliamentary vote, Professor Damien Short said:
“This vote marks a pivotal moment for environmental justice in Scotland and beyond. Treating ecocide as grave criminal wrongdoing recognises that the most serious harms to ecosystems are also profound violations of human rights. Scotland’s leadership sends a powerful signal internationally that severe environmental destruction must be met with strong legal accountability, not impotent regulatory disfunction.”
Introducing the Ecocide (Scotland) Bill, Monica Lennon MSP said:
“This is a historic win for Scotland’s environment. By advancing the Ecocide Bill, we are making it clear that eco-criminals will not be tolerated here. MSPs have got the message that we must protect our communities and Scotland’s future. It’s a powerful deterrent that puts polluters on notice to clean up their act. I look forward to working with the Scottish Government and cross-party MSPs to finalise the Bill.”