CRIMINALIZING CLIMATE DESTRUCTION: THE CASE FOR CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY IN ENVIRONMENTAL HARM

Climate change is a crime against our collective future, and it isn’t just an environmental issue. Environmental destruction is often treated as a regulatory offence rather than a serious criminal act, from unchecked industrial pollution to illegal deforestation and corporate negligence. But should it be? Why shouldn’t corporations and governments face criminal liability for actions that devastate entire ecosystems and displace communities if an individual can be prosecuted for harming another person? Whether existing legal frameworks are strong enough to hold the real culprits accountable is what is being questioned by this paper, and it also explores the evolving role of criminal law in tackling environmental crimes. While fines or administrative penalties may be imposed by many laws, for corporations profiting from environmental harm, these often amount to nothing more than a slap on the wrist. While “ecocide,” which is referred to as widespread, irreversible environmental destruction, has begun to be recognized as a potential crime under international law by the global legal community, its enforcement remains a major challenge. This research examines whether criminal prosecution can be an effective tool in the fight against climate change through real-world case studies and legal analysis. Can international corporations, corporate criminal accountability, and stricter liability provisions serve as deterrents? What lessons can be drawn from jurisdictions that have begun to treat environmental harm as not just a regulatory violation but rather as a criminal offence? The law must evolve to meet the crisis at a time when climate change is already causing irreversible damage. This paper argues that in ensuring that those responsible for climate harm are not just fined but held truly accountable, treating environmental destruction as a crime, on par with human rights violations, could be a turning point.