Catalysing cultural evolution: ecocide law as systemic lever, a conversation with Jojo Mehta
We welcome you to an evening with Jojo Mehta, the key spokesperson for Stop Ecocide International, who will talk about her work in making ecocide the next international crime. Co-hosted with End Ecocide Sweden.
Ecocide refers to large-scale and severe environmental harm and destruction, such as mass deforestation, destruction of endangered species/habitats and severe water and land contamination, to mention a few.
Stop Ecocide International
is the driving force of the global movement to make ecocide an international crime. Since its start in 2017, they have developed recognition of ecocide as a serious crime, working at diplomatic level and across all sectors of civil society to share knowledge and inspire positive legislative change.
Co-founder Polly Higgins giving a talk on ecocide law in relation to migration and refuge at EHL in 2015 in conversation with Marco Armiero, former director of EHL
In 2015 the co-founder of Stop Ecocide, Polly Higgins, gave a talk on ecocide law at EHL. During the decade that has passed, the proposal has gone from radical and visionary to being discussed by governments around the world and, since last year, formally proposed at the International Criminal Court. We are pleased to welcome Jojo Mehta, Polly’s co-founder, who will share how the movement has grown and where we are in 2025 regarding making ecocide law an international crime. After the talk, she will be joined by
Pella Thiel,
co-founder of
End Ecocide Sweden
, for a conversation. After the talk and discussion, all attendees are welcome to join us for a mingle at the Division of History at KTH. The evening is co-hosted with End Ecocide Sweden
Jojo joins us on the International Day of Biodiversity, a day to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. Earlier in the day, we will have a lunch seminar with Alfred Sköld on the
role of emotions in climate activism
Jojo Mehta
Jojo Mehta
co-founded Stop Ecocide in 2017, alongside barrister and legal pioneer the late Polly Higgins, to support the establishment of ecocide as a crime at the International Criminal Court. As CEO and key spokesperson, she has overseen the remarkable growth of the movement while coordinating between legal developments, diplomatic traction and public narrative. She is Chair of the charitable Stop Ecocide Foundation and convenor of the Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide chaired by Philippe Sands KC and Dior Fall Sow. The resulting definition, launched in June 2021, has catalysed legislative developments, recommendations and resolutions at national, regional and international levels.
Pella Thiel
Pella Thiel
is a maverick ecologist, part-time farmer, full-time activist and teacher in ecopsychology. She is the co-founder of Swedish hubs of the international networks Swedish Transition Network and End Ecocide Sweden and a knowledge expert in the UN Harmony with Nature programme. Pella was awarded the Swedish Martin Luther King Award in 2023 and the Environmental Hero of the year 2019. She and Henrik Hallgren have written the book "Naturlagen: Om naturens rättigheter och människans möjligheter" (2022, Volante).
