Representatives of Indigenous Peoples from different countries are asking that projects using critical minerals or related to the green economy, such as carbon credits, be based on the premise of not affecting Indigenous rights and their territories. Furthermore, they demand a leading role in conferences, not only when proposing solutions, but also when making decisions alongside governments.
Category: Brazil
Scientist argues for the need to cancel fossil fuel contracts and says there is ‘no time’ for transitions at different paces
Part of the Global South, including Brazil, argues that developed countries should move away from fossil fuels before others. For Martí Orta from the University of Barcelona, there is no room for different national paces when phasing out oil, gas, and coal. Furthermore, the researcher states that the opening of new exploration projects ignores the limits defined by science.
In Santa Marta, scientists show that overcoming oil is inevitable
Conference in Colombia considers scientific knowledge as a core factor in guiding nations towards a fossil fuel-free economy; the initiatives announced this week will inform a final agreement among political leaders and create a permanent forum to assist in the implementation of practical actions.
Wait, could this be a climate conference that actually works?
As the war with Iran exposes the risks of fossil fuels, the 1st International Conference on the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels brings together, in the Colombian city, a “coalition of the willing” seeking a global plan to phase out oil, gas, and coal.
Outside the COP dead end, a conference in Santa Marta tests a new path to move away from fossil fuels
A meeting in a Colombian city aims to contribute to a roadmap towards the end of oil, gas and coal, which was proposed at COP30 but should only be presented in November 2026. In addition, the country’s Minister of the Environment promises to discuss actions without the constraints of the oil industry lobby.
Eneva is authorized to drill the only active gas block on Indigenous Land in the Legal Amazon
Over 75% of the Krenyê territory, in the Brazilian Maranhão state, overlaps a block granted for fossil exploration where drilling could begin in 2026. Allegedly to help the energy transition, expansion of production at the Parnaíba Thermoelectric Complex bets on energy generation and the transformation of the MATOPIBA area into a logistics corridor for gas and grains, impacting quilombola territories and protected areas.
Fueling Ecocide: 7,000 protected areas are threatened by oil and gas projects worldwide
The “Fueling Ecocide” investigation, led by Environmental Investigative Forum (EIF) and European Investigative Collaborations (EIC), reveals that oil and gas licences overlap with 7,000 protected areas worldwide. The total overlap is 690,000 km², an area bigger than the size of France — despite existing regulations and ongoing efforts to safeguard key biodiversity zones.
After Belém: The legacy of COP30 for defenders of the Amazon and the Global South
Conference expands participation of peoples and movements and recognizes rights in UN agreements but still has to confront fossil fuels, critical minerals, megaprojects, and violence in the territories.
The Critical Minerals Trade: The Illegal Route Connecting the Amazon with China
A complex network of actors has emerged around the critical minerals of the Amazon. Some operate along contested river corridors, trading with guerrilla groups and corrupt security forces. Others, under a façade of legality, move massive quantities of material through large port cities connected to international trade routes. Together, these operations endanger the environment and the sovereignty of entire nations.
The Price of Progress: The Dark Side of Critical Minerals in the Amazon
Based on extensive fieldwork and an investigation of supply chains, tracing minerals from extraction to international buyers, we reveal how the global race for the inputs of the energy transition is intensifying violent disputes along the Colombia–Venezuela border, where armed groups control the territory, commit systematic abuses, and destroy one of the planet’s most important carbon sinks.