COP28 Press Conference: Oil and gas threats to protected areas worldwide

COP28 Press Conference: Oil and gas threats to protected areas worldwide

Despite their protected status, protected areas face relentless encroachment from fossil fuel exploration and extraction, undermining their conservation objectives. A new report by Earth Insight, LINGO, and IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas emphasizes the need for immediate global action to align with international agreements like the CBD Global Biodiversity Framework and the UNFCCC Paris Agreement, urging an end to all fossil fuel projects in PAs as the “floor” in the effort for a much greater global need. It details the profound environmental impacts of extraction, from irreversible damage to ecosystems to threats to local communities' well-being and economies. This report presents alarming statistics, revealing thousands of ongoing or planned fossil fuel projects within PAs, with projected CO2 emissions that could be avoided by protecting these areas from extraction.