Unpacking the politics of ecocide

This introduction will begin with a reconstruction of the history of the term ‘ecocide’, situating it in its broader social and material context. Here, it will pay particular attention to how the term was bound up with the politics of anti-imperialist radicalism, as well as the contested nature of international institutions. Following on from this, it will outline the more contemporary emergence of the legal term, and its enmeshment with a very different international political scene. Finally, the introduction will sketch out some of the key themes of the special issue and how they reflect upon the highly contested and contentious politics of ‘ecocide’.