Punish the polluters and save planet

FOR too long, rogue corporations have been getting way with ecological murder in pursuit of short-term financial gain.

From illegally cutting down forests to poisoning seas and dumping chemical waste, their profiteering vandalism does irreparable damage to our precious planet.

But the owners and executives of these firms sleep easy in the knowledge their actions will never result in anything more than a fine for their lawyers to argue over.

This could be about to change as a result of the rapidly growing international movement to make ecocide a crime which can see individuals punished with jail time.

In November, the EU became the first international body to effectively criminalise wide-scale environmental damage and it has issued a directive for member states to make law over the next two years.

French lawyer and MEP Marie Toussaint has said the policy shift “marks the end of impunity for environmental criminals”.

Scotland could lead the way and become one of the first countries to ban ecocide thanks to a Bill from Labour MSP Monica Lennon which has been receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback, including from the Scottish Government.

Any final draft will need to carefully balance environmental concerns with the need for Scotland to remain a businessfriendly environment for inward investment.

But the principle is a good one and after the shambles of his new hate crime law, First Minister Humza Yousaf should get behind legislation designed to criminalise genuine powerful villains rather than ordinary folk.