Ecocide Bill of France

The French National Assembly recently approved the bill that makes “Ecocide” an offence.

Key Features

• Under the law, the transgressors are liable up to ten years in prison and a fine of 4.5 million Euros (that is 5.4 million USD). Transgressor is person who violates a rule or law or has done something unacceptable.
• The law mainly punishes those who endanger the environment or commit a general crime of pollution. Such persons will be punished with three years in prison and a fine of 300,000 Euros.

Background

In April 2015, the French President Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of Citizens Convention for Climate. The convention aimed to reduce the Green House Gas Emissions by 40% as compared to their levels in 1990.

The convention proposed the idea of making ecocide a crime.

Apart from creating a law against Ecocide, around 149 proposals were made in the convention. Some of them were cutting VAT in train tickets, banning domestic flights, regulating advertising on polluting products, banning domestic flights on journey that can be done by train in less than four hours.

The Convention was launched as result of Gillet Jaunes Crisis. It is also called the Yellow Vests Movement.

Yellow Vests Movement

The movement mainly began condemning the fuel price rise in France. According the French President the fuel tax was imposed to discourage the use of fossil fuels to combat climate change.

The movement called for redistributive economic policies such as increased pensions, wealth tax, higher minimum wages and reduced salaries for politicians.

Definition of Ecocide

The Citizens Convention for Climate defined Ecocide as “Any action that causes serious environmental damage by contributing to overstepping the limits of the planet”.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2021