How two friends tried to make ecocide an international crime

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Jojo Mehta was living a pretty normal life in England. She had a job, a couple of kids and did a bit of 'armchair activistism.' But in 2011 she had a moment of outrage that turned her into a fully-committed environmental campaigner. That decision put her on a path to meet the lawyer Polly Higgins, who would not only become her best friend but would change the course of her life. Polly was looking at ways to establish ecocide as an international crime on a par with genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression, so she and Jojo spent the next few years trying to make it happen. There were push-backs and roadblocks along the way, but in 2019 the entire project was placed in jeopardy as a shock diagnosis gave Polly just weeks to live. Now Jojo, as CEO of Stop Ecocide International, is hoping that this once seemingly impossible task is moving a step closer to reality. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Anna Lacey Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707 (Photo: Jojo Mehta; Credit: Ruth Davey Look Again Photography)