Bill for ecocide law in Scotland to be introduced at Holyrood after MSPs' backing

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A new law which could send the biggest and worst polluters to jail for up to 20 years is set to be brought forward at Holyrood after it won enough backing from MSPs to proceed. Labour MSP Monica Lennon's proposed Ecocide Prevention Bill could impose harsh penalties and even prison terms on leading execs at firms responsible for major environmental damage.

Lennon has now formally won the support of 30 MSPs for her member's Bill - more than enough to introduce it to the Scottish Parliament - with SNP ministers indicating they won't block it. The Daily Record revealed last month how the public consultation on her plan showed "overwhelming support" from Scots, with 98 per cent backing the legislation.

It comes as campaigners for ecocide laws at an international level have made major progress, with the EU adopting a new offence covering “ecocide-level crimes” last year, while a new crime of ecocide is also being proposed in the International Criminal Court (ICC). We previously told how ecocide laws could be used to capture a wide range of the worst polluting acts - from large-scale sewage dumping in rivers, to new fossil fuels schemes and even eco damage caused by wars.

Lennon said her consultation on the plans in Scotland had been "inundated" with supportive responses. She said the Bill would be focused on creating the crime of ecocide, setting out sanctions and consequences, rather than altering the wider system of environmental regulation.

Ecocide would sit at the "top of the pyramid" of environmental crime, targeted at executives of companies whose actions destroy ecosystems, rather than individual workers. Lennon added: "It's not looking to come after workers or middle managers - hopefully there can be some accountability."

The Central Scotland MSP hopes to formally introduce the Bill before June next year so it has enough time to go through Holyrood's three-stage legislative process before the next election in 2026. She said she is encouraged by the cross-party support for her plans, claiming: "Parliament is speaking with one voice.

"We've had a really positive response to the consultation. We've got a lot of work to do now."

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Members' Bills require at least 18 MSPs from at least two of the larger political parties before they can be introduced, and the government can also stop the proposal if it is going to change the law in the same way. A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "We will consider all legislative proposals brought forward by members of the Scottish Parliament carefully."

Ecocide laws are intended to deter those who may cause widespread damage to the environment. Earlier this year, Belgium introduced a new law on ecocide to its criminal code.

Scottish barrister Polly Higgins led a decade-long campaign for ecocide to be recognised as a crime before she died in 2019.

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