This petition is for all of us who have watched the recent rise of Extinction Rebellion and who viewed David Attenborough’s ‘wake up call’ Climate Change the Facts on BBC One. People who have felt utterly powerless about this issue until now.

Right now we need two things. Action and hope.

Extinction Rebellion is hope in action and what an amazing thing to witness unfolding. But we need another action.

Legal action.

Did you know that a UK lawyer, Polly Higgins, has already drafted a law of Ecocide, which is ready and waiting to be added to the Rome statute alongside the five existing international laws: the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crime of aggression?

What is Ecocide?

Ecocide is serious loss, damage or destruction of ecosystems, and includes climate and cultural damage.

Establishing a crime of Ecocide would ensure that those responsible – eg CEOs and government ministers – would be individually criminally responsible for the damage they recklessly cause or contribute to.

Putting an end to the state-sanctioned immunity currently enjoyed by industrial polluters.

Who can propose Ecocide?

Any member state, including the UK, can propose an amendment to the International Criminal Court's governing document, the Rome Statute. Once tabled, it cannot be vetoed. When two thirds of ICC members sign up to it, it becomes law.

If enough of us band together I believe we can convince the UK Government to propose this amendment.

Let's do this for Polly

Polly sadly passed away on Easter Sunday. Her dying wish was to see a million Earth Protectors standing for her law of Ecocide.  

As the mother of two beautiful boys, I am starting this petition to get the UK Government to debate and support changing the law to make Ecocide a crime at the International Criminal Court.  

I speak to all the UK and international law-makers as mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters first and politicians second. Please let’s hold the giant corporations and governments to account that are destroying our planet by changing the law.

And to everyone else, you can find out more about how to make Ecocide a crime at www.stopecocide.earth