Manual on Prosecuting International Environmental Crimes
A practical guide to identifying, framing, investigating and prosecuting serious environmental destruction under existing international criminal law.
Developed by Climate Counsel and UCLA Law’s Promise Institute Europe, the Manual provides prosecutors, investigators and civil society actors with practical tools for pursuing environmental destruction as an international crime.
From Ukraine to global practice
The Manual grew out of our work supporting Ukraine’s efforts to investigate and prosecute environmental harm resulting from Russia’s aggression.
Since 2022, Climate Counsel has worked closely with Ukrainian prosecutors and other partners to develop legal frameworks, investigative approaches and practical tools for addressing environmental war crimes.
The Manual distils lessons from that experience into a resource that can be applied in any jurisdiction, during conflict or in peacetime.
The Manual was launched in The Hague in June 2026 during an international discussion marking the third anniversary of the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. The event brought together representatives of government, international organisations, civil society and legal practice to examine prosecution strategies, evidence and international cooperation relating to environmental harm during armed conflict.
