The coronavirus pandemic has reinforced the hunger to urge world leaders to take consistent action to fight climate change. The yearning for a profound change and not a “back to normal” has been seen in the past months with the open letter signed by 200 scientists and celebrities published in Le Monde and the open letter signed by 200 organizations representing 40 million health workers and presented to G20 leaders. But a radical change can only occur if one of the main causes of pollution, deforestation, and wildlife extinction is given the importance that it deserves – environmental crimes.
Environmental crimes, also known as green crimes, are a true global industry which Interpol estimates to be worth roughly $250 billion a year. Often perceived as “victimless,” as it involves no humans, and with more focus on the gains than on the damages that it causes, it is not viewed as a priority in many countries. This has led to numerous lax and insufficient laws to tackle the problem.
The blind eye turned toward these types of crimes has created a snowball effect that is complicated to stop. It is estimated that green crimes grow between 5% to 7% yearly, which is approximately 2 to 3 times the rate of the global economy.
What constitutes an environmental crime?
There are no international agreements that give a clear definition of what constitutes an environmental crime.In the United States, title 5, ENRD, section 5-11.000 of the Justice Manual, divides environmental crimes into four categories: pollution crimes, wildlife crimes, animal welfare crimes, and worker safety crimes.
The European Directive 2008/99/EC on the protection of the environment through criminal law, adopted on the 24th of October 2008, and transposed by EU Member States in December of 2010, describes the following offenses in the chart below.
What is the driving force behind environmental crimes?
There are three main factors that are the driving force behind environmental crimes. The first of these is the high gains associated to such acts. Most of the definitions listed above are highly profitable to many companies and individuals. Crimes associated with wildlife are estimated to make around $23 billion annually, making it the 4th most profitable crime just after illegal drugs, human trafficking, and weapons trafficking.
The second factor is the modest recognition of said breaches and the punishments correlated to them. The fact that there is little awareness towards such crimes in many countries facilitates and encourages criminals to continue carrying out their destructive schemes. The risks are also considered to be lower as penalties in certain countries are much inferior than those of illegal drugs or human trafficking.
The second factor is the modest recognition of said breaches and the punishments correlated to them. The fact that there is little awareness towards such crimes in many countries facilitates and encourages criminals to continue carrying out their destructive schemes. The risks are also considered to be lower as penalties in certain countries are much inferior than those of illegal drugs or human trafficking.
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Such on interesting post, Thank you for compiling the financial legislation related to environmental crime.