Advantages, challenges and limitations of the criminalization of ecocide at the international level

Since the first use of the term “ecocide” to describe the impact of “Agent Orange” on the environment during the Vietnam War, the term has been applied to describe various instances of environmental damage around the world. Among such cases, in particular: Russia’s attacks on nuclear facilities in Ukraine, illegal oil extraction in Canada and extraction of minerals in Venezuela. Unfortunately, some use this term to describe actions common to mankind, such as release of microplastics into the ocean, greenhouse gas emissions, and overuse of pesticides.