Brazil will hold the 30th United Nations Climate Summit this coming November.
Despite this, the Brazilian government is set to auction oil exploration rights for 56,000 square miles, the Guardian reported.
What's happening?
COP30, or the 30th climate change summit for the Conference of the Parties, will be 2025's annual convergence of global leaders in climate change. Scheduled to take place in Brazil from Nov. 10 to Nov. 21, COP30 will bring together representatives from around 200 countries to celebrate climate wins and strategize next steps.
According to the Guardian, ANP, the oil sector regulator in Brazil, is auctioning off the exploration rights to 56,000 square miles, which is more than double the size of Scotland. The sale is going through despite the efforts of activist groups raising their voices for both Indigenous peoples and the environment, with campaigners referring to the event as the "doomsday auction," per the Guardian.
Further advancements in oil production are out of line with the global climate crisis mitigation goals to become carbon neutral by 2050. According to Brazil's ClimaInfo, the pollution from the oil in these auctions would equal six years of Brazil's agribusiness pollution.
Instituto International Arayara, a civil society organization, has filed five lawsuits against the auction. "This auction is posing really serious and grave threats for biodiversity, communities and climate," said executive director Nicole Figueiredo de Oliveira, per the Guardian.
Why is Amazon and offshore conservation important?
Communities in Peru have already suffered from oil exploration, polluting the Amazon River and surrounding areas. In addition to the harm to local biodiversity, Indigenous people living in the Peruvian Amazon river basin have heightened levels of metal in their urine.
The Amazon is also having a harder time recovering from droughts, with 37% of the mature rainforest showing signs of weakened resilience.
Preserving the Amazon is important for the changing climate. For one, it is home to about 10% of all wildlife species, so it is a treasure trove of biodiversity. It also plays a crucial role in global water cycle patterns, influencing rainfall and ocean currents around the world.
Additionally, much of the auctioned area for oil exploration is offshore. Offshore oil drilling contributes to the production of dirty energy that adds heat-trapping pollution to the atmosphere. It also comes with the risk of oil spills, which can wreak havoc on wildlife in surrounding areas.
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Definitely 👍 What's being done about oil exploration?
While officials and oil companies are moving forward with auctions, activists continue to fight against the sale of this land.
"This is an irresponsible move by the National Oil Agency and a very risky one for the companies involved," Nicole Oliveira, executive director of Arayara, told the Associated Press. "We will continue litigating to prevent the contracts from being signed and the blocks from being explored.
"Edmilson Oliveira, a representative from a group of Indigenous leaders, said, "We Indigenous people are being flattened by this process, we're not being seen or heard."
You can reduce your reliance on dirty fuel by installing solar panels, weatherizing your home to reduce energy consumption, and looking into community solar.
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