In her thesis, Zampedri sheds new light on the role the recognition of ecocide as an international crime can play in reshaping global power dynamics and promoting environmental justice.
Zampedri's research highligts the need for a more inclusive legal framework on ecocide, providing valuable insights for the debate on the future of international environmental law. Her analysis examines how the legal elements of the Independent Expert Panel's (IEP) proposed definition of ecocide might contribute to a fairer world order, or have the opposite effect.
Reinforce power inequalities or promote justice?
In her thesis, Zampedri questions whether recognising ecocide as a crime would compel wealthy countries and their companies to handle environmental damage in poorer countries more equitably, or whether it could, on the contrary, exacerbate existing power inequalities. 'During my Sustainability and Economics minor, I became fascinated by environmental law and saw how climate change affects communities,' Zampedri said. 'In the Climate Change Law course, we discussed ecocide, which inspired me to investigate this further.'
Key findings
Zampedri's analysis reveals that terms such as "unlawful" and "wanton" - key components in the IEP's proposed definition of ecocide - allow for interpretation that may benefit large corporations. She concludes that these legal criteria risk reinforcing existing power inequalities. Her work contributes to the ongoing debate on the need for a legal framework that contributes to fair environmental justice.
A special moment and future plans
In addition to her thesis award, Zampedri was also on stage as valedictorian. 'Winning this award is a huge honour,' she says. 'This recognition affirms my passion for empirical legal research and my choice to study Law in Society.'
Zampedri is currently pursuing two master's programmes at the VU: 'International Business Law: Climate Change and Corporations' and 'International Technology Law'. She is also working on sustainability education at the Centre for Teaching and Learning and has been nominated for the VU Student Talent Prize 2024-2025.