Sale concludes on coastal Brazil shoreline
In a millennial twist, Brazil, the host of the upcoming UN climate summit, COP 30, is walking a tightrope between preserving nature and becoming a significant oil producer. With ambitious plans to lessen emissions, halt deforestation, and invest in a sustainable economy, President Lula da Silva aims to combat the exploitation of natural resources, targeting economic activities with a lower ecological impact.
However, the oil industry isn't left out of Brazil's expansion plans. According to environmental advocate Heffa Schücking from Urgewald, the country stands to gain a robust oil production footing, rivaling the US, Russia, and Gulf states in short-term growth. This expansion has opened up an astounding 359,000 square kilometers in Latin America alone for oil and gas exploration since 2020, an area larger than Germany.
Over the past year, the Brazilian government has opened up 602 new oil and gas exploration blocks for auction. The Brazilian oil and gas agency ANP is currently auctioning another 172 blocks, mostly offshore, covering a whopping 145,000 square kilometers. Notable participants in the auction include international corporations such as BP, Equinor, Shell, and Total from Europe and Chevron and Exxon Mobil from the USA, right alongside the semi-state oil company Petrobras.
But there's a catch. Scores of environmental activists view this auction as a "doomsday auction," warning of the severe repercussions for biodiversity, communities, and the climate. Nearly 80 percent of the future production zones overlap with priority protected areas for coastal and marine biodiversity, inflicting significant damage on ecologically important locations such as the Amazon Reef, Fernando de Noronha, and the Potiguar Basin.
Controversy over Block 59 is particularly heated. This ecologically sensitive area has been in the licensing phase for over ten years. Critics argue that Block 59 threatens the entire Amazon coast as it serves as the gateway to the Amazon Basin. Furthermore, Arayara, a Brazilian environmental organization, argues that the environmental assessment has not been conducted properly, raising questions about the economic conditions for the survival of the region and potential species at risk of extinction.
Despite the intense criticism, activist Nicole Figueiredo de Oliveira remains optimistic, hoping for the auction's suspension or reversal. She believes that oil extraction is a far cry from the truthful "mermaid's song" used by the government, as oil platforms threaten fishing and tourism, causing significant damage to coastal communities. Join the conversation with our weekly newsletter, nd.DieWoche, to stay updated on the most important topics.
- The oil industry is part of Brazil's expansion plans, aiming to rival the production levels of countries like the US, Russia, and Gulf states.
- Despite the plans to combat climate change and protect the environment, the upcoming auction of 172 new oil and gas exploration blocks, mostly offshore, presents a significant threat to biodiversity and ecologically important areas.
- One of the most contentious areas in this auction is Block 59, which critics argue threatens the entire Amazon coast and endangers the survival of local species, as well as the livelihoods of fishing and tourism-dependent coastal communities.
- Environmental organizations are calling for the suspension or reversal of the auction, viewing it as a "doomsday auction" with severe repercussions for the environment, communities, and the climate.
