Company directors who cause nature damage in Scotland could face jail

New ecocide bill in Scottish parliament aims to criminalise environmental destruction in line with EU directive

Company directors who cause severe or reckless damage to nature could face jail terms or hefty fines under a bill that aims to criminalise environmental destruction in Scotland.

The proposed law, which would be the first of its kind in the UK, is designed to put a class of environment offences known as ecocide on a similar legal footing to other grave crimes such as murder.