Polluters could face 20 years in prison under plans for UK-first law in Scotland
The Ecocide (Scotland) Bill would make it a criminal offence to cause widespread, long-term or irreversible environmental damage.
Those who fall foul of the law could face up to 20 years in prison while companies could receive unlimited fines, if the legislation is ultimately passed.
The Bill has been launched by Labour MSP Monica Lennon, who said it would deter people and firms from harming Scotland's natural environment.
Scrutiny of the Bill is expected to begin before the summer recess, with a vote on it later this year.
It would create a crime of ecocide, defined as causing severe environmental harm either intentionally or through recklessness, where the harm is widespread, long-term or irreversible.
It would also seek to hold senior executives at companies liable when offences involve their consent, connivance or neglect.
Lennon said her Bill would send a strong message to polluters.
She said: 'I'm delighted to be publishing the Ecocide (Scotland) Bill in the Scottish Parliament today, on a strong foundation of cross-party and public support.
'With ecocide law, Scotland can take bold and necessary action against severe environmental damage.
'Environmental destruction isn't some distant issue for the people of Scotland – it directly threatens health, livelihoods, and the future of entire communities.
'From sewage spilling into waterways to toxic pollution left behind by heavy industry, the damage is real and ongoing.
'Ecocide is a crime against the common good, and those who commit widespread or irreversible harm should be held to account.
'This is a vital opportunity for Scotland to become the first UK nation to criminalise ecocide and signal that the destruction of nature won't be tolerated here.'
Jojo Mehta, chief executive and co-founder of Stop Ecocide International, said: 'This Scottish Bill is a striking example of how national action can drive global change.
'Around the world, ecocide law is gaining ground as a vital tool – not just to punish environmental destruction, but to prevent it.
'While the ultimate goal is to have ecocide recognised as a serious crime all over the world, national laws play a crucial role in legitimising that goal, building momentum, and providing accountability now.
'They help shape legal norms that are increasingly being reflected in international frameworks.
'From the new Council of Europe Convention, which enables states to prosecute acts 'tantamount to ecocide', to the formal proposal by Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa to make ecocide a core international crime, momentum is accelerating.
'Scotland's move adds meaningful weight to this shift, reinforcing the growing global consensus that mass destruction of nature must be treated as a crime, in law, and in principle.'
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