Benjamin Ferencz Lecture: Ecocide – Criminalising Serious Harm against the Environment

On 8 June 2026, the T.M.C. Asser Institute hosted the Benjamin Ferencz Lecture: “Ecocide: Criminalising Serious Harm against the Environment” in The Hague.

The event marked the launch of the edited volume Ecocide: Criminalising Serious Harm against the Environment, published by T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer and co-edited by Dr. Laura Burgers, Merle Kooijman MA, Dr. Stavros-Evdokimos Pantazopoulos, and Dr. Christophe Paulussen.

The lecture was organised in cooperation with the International Humanitarian and Criminal Law Platform, T.M.C. Asser Press, and the Sustainable Global Economic Law research project at the University of Amsterdam. Following a presentation by the editors, the event featured responses by Dr. Daniel Bertram and Lammert van Raan, bringing together academic, legal-practitioner, and civil-society perspectives.

The discussion explored the growing legal and political significance of ecocide, including ongoing efforts to criminalise serious harm against the environment at national and international levels. Speakers reflected on the conceptual foundations of ecocide, its possible place within international criminal law, and the practical challenges of prosecution, accountability, and victim protection. These themes align closely with SustaINLaw’s broader interest in the contribution of international law to contemporary global challenges, including environmental protection, accountability, and sustainable development.

A recording of the event is available here: Benjamin Ferencz Lecture: Ecocide – Criminalising Serious Harm against the Environment.