Scotland Ecocide Bill

Summary

On 5 February 2026, the Scottish Parliament voted to progress the proposed Ecocide (Scotland) Bill in the next stage of the parliamentary process to decide if it will become an Act. The proposed bill seeks to deter mass environmental damage and destruction taking place in Scotland, and aims to protect the environment, habitats, and natural resources by introducing the crime of ecocide into Scots Law.

Legal Framing
The legislation expressly draws from the legal definition of ecocide proposed by the independent expert panel of Stop Ecocide International: “unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or longterm damage to the Scottish environment being caused by those acts.”

Legislative Process
A draft proposal was first introduced in November 2023, which then entered a public consultation period that ran until February 2024. Following two years of drafting and public consultations, the final proposal for legislation was formally introduced into Parliament in May 2025 by Monica Lennon MSP. This marked the first stage of the legislative process.

Stage one of the process includes a vote by all MSPs on the general principles of the bill. If the general principles are not agreed to, the bill fails and can’t become law. The first stage debate took place on 5 February 2026, where the parliament voted 90 to 26 (with 4 abstentions) in agreement of the bill’s general principles—progressing the Ecocide Bill to stage two.

However, the proposed legislation was unable to continue its journey through parliament due to the Scottish elections in April 2026. The bill is expected to be re-introduced in 2026 by MSP Monica Lennon.