Amazonian Indigenous Peoples reiterate demand to halt fossil fuel expansion at the 4th Amazonian Assembly

By Gisela Hurtado and Martyna Dominiak

The world must urgently draw a plan to leave fossil fuels behind and ensure the future of the planet, warned Indigenous leaders from the Amazonia during the 4th Amazonian Assembly: For an Amazon Free of Fossil Fuels, which took place from April 2 to 4 in Tarapoto, Peru. Organized by Mocicc (Movimiento Ciudadano frente al Cambio Climático) with the support of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, the event gathered representatives of Indigenous Peoples from Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia, along with civil society organizations, to strengthen the regional articulation for the protection of the Amazonia. 

“Across the Amazonia, oil and gas exploration and exploitation—present for decades in the territories of peoples and communities—contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases, which aggravate the climate crisis. As a consequence, our territories are even more vulnerable, threatening the lives of Indigenous Peoples with social, environmental, economic, cultural and spiritual impacts, as well as impacts on autonomy and food sovereignty, among others,” participants stated in the final declaration. 

The Stand.earth team participated in the Assembly, contributing with the facilitation of discussions and technical support to build a roadmap for advocacy with multilateral institutions and banks towards the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in November 2025. This year’s conference is expected to be a key space to define collective global actions to protect the Amazonia rainforest and its peoples, as it will take place in the heart of the Amazonia at a moment when dangers from oil and gas extraction—and extractivism more broadly—are escalating. 

While world governments reached a consensus to transition away from fossil fuels, some countries are going the opposite way, claiming investments in the fossil fuel industry are needed for the energy transition. In Ecuador, despite the majority of the population voting to end oil exploration in the Yasuní National Park, the State failed to meet the deadline to stop oil activities. Peru is promoting 31 oil blocks overlapping with Indigenous territories disregarding Indigenous opposition to the activity. Brazil, the host of the next UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), attempts to position itself as a leader in the climate agenda while showing contradictory signs of oil expansion in the mouth of the Amazon River.

For an Amazon free of fossil fuels

In the 4th Amazonian Assembly, around 30 leaders from different communities shared their experiences with the encroachment of the fossil fuel industry in their territories, and all the stories coincide in severe social and environmental impacts that are extremely hard to remediate. Far from bringing development to the Amazonia, oil and gas projects have increased deforestation and violence, often also violating communities’ right for self-determination. 

Faced with so many negative impacts from the fossil industry, Indigenous Peoples also demand the closure of extraction wells that have not received their consent, as well as the non-expansion of the oil frontier.

Together with their communities, Indigenous leaders are working hard to build resilience, coming up with creative initiatives to monitor water contamination, facilitating legal support to report impacts, and also establishing Indigenous funds to allow direct financing to reach their communities. Their resistance and struggle to protect the Amazonia are not just for those who live in the territory, but for the entire planet.

As we move forward on the road to COP30, the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin are united in the demand for the full protection of the Amazonia and an urgent, concrete commitment by governments to initiate a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels. The Amazonia, home to unparalleled biodiversity and vital to global climate stability, must be at the forefront of this transition—starting with the immediate exclusion of fossil fuel activities from Indigenous Territories. Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva has already acknowledged the need for a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels.

Now is the time for Amazonian states to act decisively and reach a binding agreement at COP30 that prioritizes high-biodiversity regions like the Amazonia as the first step toward a fossil-free future.