Parliamentarians From Four Countries Simultaneously File Bills to Ban Oil and Gas Exploitation in the Amazon
In an unprecedented show of regional solidarity, parliamentarians from four Amazonian countries (members of the network Parliamentarians for a Fossil-Free Future) have joined forces to simultaneously file bills that seek to prohibit the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in the Amazon region, one of the most biodiverse and climate-critical areas on the planet.
The legislative proposals were submitted in the national congresses of Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador. The bills aim to halt the expansion of fossil fuel extraction across the Amazon (primarily oil and gas) and promote a just and planned energy transition, in line with international climate commitments.
This initiative stems from a global parliamentary inquiry being conducted by the network that examines the extent and impact of oil and gas exploitation in the Amazon biome, along with viable alternatives for countries to declare the region a no-go zone for fossil fuel industry expansion.
In Colombia, Representative Juan Carlos Losada submitted a legislative act to amend the Constitution and prohibit any form of hydrocarbon exploration or production in the Amazon biome. The proposal emphasizes the region’s ecological value, the risk of stranded assets, and the detrimental impact of oil activity on ecosystems and Indigenous communities.
In Brazil, Congressman Ivan Valente introduced a bill that bans the offering of new oil and gas exploration blocks in the Brazilian Amazon, including the coral reef ecosystem at the Amazon River's mouth. The bill also mandates that companies currently operating in the area develop environmental and social recovery plans. Furthermore, it proposes the creation of a National Energy Transition Fund for the Amazon, financed through fossil fuel revenues and international cooperation.
In Peru, Congresswoman Ruth Luque introduced Bill 11220, which seeks to prohibit oil exploration and exploitation in the Peruvian Amazon to enable the implementation of a just and progressive energy transition. This bill is crucial in addressing one of the most critical contexts of environmental and social impacts, as well as the increase in public sector debts, resulting from the expansion of the Talara refinery, which only refines oil extracted from the Amazon region.
Meanwhile, in Ecuador, Legislator Rosa Cecilia Baltazar submitted a bill on July 15 to prohibit not only new oil exploration and exploitation projects but also mining activities in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The proposal is framed within the context of the environmental, cultural, health, and human rights impacts of extractive industries.
“Protecting the Amazon is not just an environmental imperative, it is a matter of political coherence and climate justice. Our countries must lead the transition away from fossil fuels, starting where they do the most damage: in the most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystem on Earth and a key ally in the fight against global warming,” the parliamentarians said in a joint statement.
This coordinated legislative action represents a historic milestone in Latin American environmental policy. It seeks to pressure states to honor their commitments under the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, while upholding the rights of Indigenous peoples and advancing development models that safeguard life and climate stability
Parliamentarians For a Fossil-Free Future
