Amazonia Day: How can the international community contribute to the protection of the world’s largest rainforest?

As Brazil commemorates the Amazonia Day, the country is facing the worst drought on record since measurements began in 1950, and has seen the highest rate of fires in 14 years, with hundreds of cities in emergency situations. These figures are a reflection of climate change, driven by the destruction of the world’s largest rainforest, as well as other biomes in the Brazilian territory, such as the Cerrado and Pantanal, which have also been highly affected by degradation. 

Although the current scenario is not one of celebration, for every challenge in the Amazon, there is a reason to continue fighting for it – and it is not necessary to be in the territory nor in an Amazonian country to contribute. The international community can (and must) join forces for an Amazon where the forest stands and its peoples have their rights fulfilled. 

Here are some actions to take and contribute from anywhere in the world: 

Endorse the Amazonia for Life declaration

The Amazonia for Life – an Indigenous-led initiative which Stand.earth is proud to be part of – calls for a global pact to protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025 as an urgent measure to prevent the tipping point. Colombia has adopted the goal as an official position and the initiative is supported by over 1,200 organizations and leaders across the world. 

Among the commitments proposed are: accelerating the processes of demarcation and sustainable financing of Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities’ territories; ensuring their inclusion in decision-making processes related to public policy in the Amazonia; and ensuring they have direct access to financial and technical resources for the implementation of their own territorial management models and livelihood plans. 

Read and endorse the declaration here.

Call on banks to stop financing oil and gas extraction in the Amazon

Stand’s Amazon Banks Database indicates that banks have allocated $23.65 billion dollars in direct financing to the oil and gas sector in the Amazon over the past 15 years. While claiming to defend human rights and the protection of the environment, these financial institutions continue to fuel an extractive activity that has a history of environmental contamination and threats to the territories and lives of Indigenous Peoples. 

Our latest report Greenwashing the Amazon reveals that the environmental and social risk management frameworks of the five largest Amazon oil and gas financiers – Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, Itaú Unibanco, Santander, Bank of America – fail to protect 71% of Amazonian territory.

Sign our petitions calling on Citibank and Santander to stop financing oil and gas in the Amazon.