Monica Lennon

Why we must press on with law to preserve our precious environment

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WHEN I first started talking about establishing a crime of ecocide in Scotland four years ago, the response in some quarters was lukewarm at best.

For some, it was considered a fringe issue, far from the top of the political agenda. Others simply had no idea what I was on about.

Fast forward to 2025, and that's all changed. In the coming weeks, I'll be laying my draft Ecocide (Scotland) Bill before the Scottish Parliament after a massive, overwhelmingly positive response to my public consultation on the plan.

It will mark the latest big milestone in Scotland's - and the wider world's - journey towards establishing specific laws and deterrents against mass environmental destruction.

Every day, here and around the globe, decisions are made by the powerful - usually in the name of short-term profit - that cause harm to the natural environment.

The lack of accountability is profound. We see it all over the world, from the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, to microplastics polluting our air, seas and soil, to oil and gas companies continuing to ramp up fossil fuel schemes while the planet burns.

Corporations responsible for large-scale environmental destruction are too comfortable with the current system which, at worst, sees them hit with fines they can easily afford.