SDG-16, which focuses on strengthening institutions, justice, and peace, aims to create policies that encourage greater international concern for issues that have not previously received such visibility. The topic of ecocide, to be published in Djalma Brochado’s book, Ecocide - Massive Damage to the Environment and the International Criminal System, by Springer in 2025, focuses on the criminalization of massive environmental destruction, proposing a robust legal framework to hold those responsible criminally accountable. Brochado, with his extensive academic and practical experience, highlights the importance of recognizing ecocide as an international crime, aligning with the goals of SDG-16 by promoting environmental justice and strengthening institutions. His research and publications aim not only to raise awareness about the severity of ecocide but also to provide legal tools to effectively combat this type of crime, contributing to peace and sustainable development.

This innovative approach by Djalma Brochado is detailed in his interview, where he discusses the nature of his work, short and long-term goals, and the importance of public and academic engagement in policy formulation. Brochado emphasizes how the criminalization of ecocide can strengthen institutions and promote justice, directly aligning with the goals of SDG-16. His practical and academic experience offers a unique perspective on how criminal and environmental law can evolve to address contemporary global challenges.

 1.             Please talk about the nature of your work.

I am a lawyer and professor, working in the areas of criminal and procedural law, environmental law, human rights, and ESG. Thus, I seek to integrate the academic aspect with the practical, aiming to develop more efficient means of protecting the environment and the quality of life for people in general, alongside my colleagues and students. I also participate in groups that work on the construction of public and educational policies, such as Ecoe, for example, which promotes, in partnership with some parliamentarians in Brazil, the Bill on ecocide.

2.             What are the short and long-term goals of your work?

In the short term, I intend to strengthen, through events and academic publications, the network of Brazilian universities that study the interaction between ecocide and the SDGs, especially regarding the promotion of justice through criminal accountability. I also wish to complete, in the short/medium term, another book that deals with climate change mitigation/adaptation and large corporations, using ESG tools. In the long term, I intend to complete a post-doctorate focused on climate change, with an emphasis on the criminalization of ecocide. Thus, I aim to expand my professional legal practice to the international arena.

3.             What do you think is the most productive way for researchers to engage with policymakers? What has been your experience with public policy engagement?

In Brazil, unfortunately, the relationship between research and public policies is somewhat inconsistent. What we see are technical deficiencies in the construction of these policies, whether in the legislative or executive branches, lacking empirical studies to support the best decisions. There is also a brief sense that academia does not have as much influence as it should in policy formulation. This is partly due to a lack of quality research, but also due to a disregard for science, which is still seen in today’s highly polarized political environment. A viable path for a researcher to engage with public policies is to seek out groups that work on their topic or related topics, even outside the university. Collective work has greater reach, inevitably reaching some policymakers. Direct contact with a parliamentarian can also be surprisingly positive if they are open to dialogue. In my case, I followed both paths to become more intensely involved in the subject. First, my academic work on ecocide bills at the international and national levels led me to participate in events with various groups and organizations, such as Ecoe in Brazil, the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA, and Stop Ecocide International. Integrated into these groups, I was invited to discuss bills, including scheduled participation in a Public Hearing in the Brazilian Congress in the next two months. I also made direct contact with Senators in Brazil to discuss the first Brazilian bill on ecocide. My opinion was analyzed by the project’s rapporteur in the Senate, who issued a Technical Note (included in my book “Ecocide”).

4.             How is public engagement in your area, and how important do you think it is for researchers to make a social impact with their work?

Criminal law has always attracted public attention, especially in a violent country like Brazil. Now, with increasingly common extreme weather events, this issue also resonates collectively. It is noted that society yearns for solutions but does not know how to achieve them. Public engagement is therefore essential to draw the attention of those who should promote public policies, as the executive and legislative branches should work in favor of society’s interests. Researchers are, so to speak, the technical voice of society. They condense popular aspirations and translate them into a viable language – science – to produce the expected results. All research should aim to make a social impact, even if to a minimal degree. Research that does not aim to improve any aspect of reality is doomed to failure and irrelevance.

5.             What progress would you like to see in the future regarding the definition of Ecocide as an International crime, and how does this connect to strengthening the institutions that are the focus of SDG-16?

The recognition of ecocide as an international crime is a logical obligation. The Rome Statute recognizes the destruction of the environment as a war crime when disproportionate to military objectives. This same destruction, in peacetime, is not considered a crime. It is a paradox that needs to be resolved. This was attempted by the International Law Commission, without success, back in the 1990s. Now, with the worsening environmental issues, it is essential to make it clear, through a clear definition of ecocide, that the massive destruction of the environment is incompatible with the very existence of humanity. This conduct needs to be named, as genocide and crimes against humanity have been. The connection with SDG-16 is clear. Today, international and – for the most part – national institutions do not have robust enough entities and rules to deal with this type of damage. The definition of the crime will provide a currently non-existent tool capable of promoting justice, or at least attempting to, strengthening the accountability of natural and legal persons at all levels, with international cooperation. This will bring us one step closer to peace, with a more effective fight against crime. Finally, it is undeniable that the establishment of the crime of ecocide will have repercussions on the design of environmental exploitation by States and corporations, reducing the possibilities of massive destruction with impunity, in favor of sustainable development.

6.             How have you been working directly to address SDG 16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions?

My current work is to relate the criminalization of ecocide with the strengthening of institutions, making the judicial processing of the most serious environmental crimes more effective. Today, the legal and physical structure of the Brazilian judiciary and Public Ministry is incapable of dealing with massive damages, as in the cases of the tailings dam collapses in Mariana and Brumadinho. In these two examples, what we see is a succession of mistakes and illegalities in trying to adapt the existing structure to the magnitude of the cases. My focus is to demonstrate that the recognition of ecocide aligns with SDG-16 and should therefore be observed internationally and nationally. Moreover, this recognition directly influences the promotion of sustainable development by revolutionizing the legal treatment of large corporations and States with the environment, through accountability and consequent environmental and climate justice. Thus, my work operates on two fronts: the construction of ecocide and its better utilization in the legal and corporate environment, with the strengthening of institutions.

7.             How can criminal and environmental law policies and practices in Brazil, the main focuses of your research, be improved to strengthen institutions and promote peace and justice, in accordance with the goals of SDG-16?

Criminal and environmental laws in Brazil are not prepared to deal with massive environmental damage. Recent cases demonstrate this. In fact, this is a global problem regarding this type of damage. The recognition of the crime of ecocide represents an important gap-filling step towards more robust justice, through institutions that are technically and administratively adapted to the magnitude of the cases. Of course, it is not enough to simply include ecocide as a crime. In addition to its drafting, it is necessary to provide the necessary equipment, personnel, and structural resources to the institutions to better deal with the new crime. For example, strengthening investigative and forensic bodies; improving knowledge on the subject within the judiciary and Public Ministry; collecting and disseminating information about the environment with criteria and regularity. It is also necessary to develop greater dialogue with the private, financial, and industrial sectors to develop crime prevention tools and, when it has already occurred, effective remediation. SDG-16 can be positively impacted by the enhancement of criminal and environmental law, with direct effects on institutions (public and private), justice, and ultimately, social peace.

About: Djalma Alvarez Brochado Neto is a lawyer, professor, and researcher specializing in Criminal Law, Procedural Law, and Human Rights, with a focus on environmental governance. He holds a Master’s and PhD from the Federal University of Ceará (Brazil) and Università di Pisa (Italy), with studies at the Université de Paris, where he explored the criminalization of large-scale environmental destruction and Climate Change.