CHE Environmental Colloquium – Should Ecocide be an International Crime?

Speaker: Carmen G. Gonzalez, Morris I. Leibman Professor of Law, Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Lawyers, scholars, and activists have long sought to amend the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to include the crime of ecocide. This proposal was motivated by the desire to end corporate and governmental impunity for massive and severe ecological damage, including the harms caused by climate change.

In 2021, the Stop Ecocide Foundation convened an independent panel to develop a definition of ecocide for inclusion in the Rome Statute.

Using the framework of racial capitalism, this presentation will examine whether international criminal law could or should be used to address severe environmental degradation.

About the Speaker

Gonzalez’s research focuses on international environmental law, environmental justice, human rights and the environment, and global food justice. Professor Gonzalez holds a BA from Yale University and a JD from Harvard Law School.

Date

September 24, 2025    

Time

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Location

140 Science Hall
550 N. Park Street, Madison