- Health Hazards: Extraction methods like fracking and offshore drilling release a cocktail of pollutants, including benzene, heavy metals, and radioactive materials, driving up rates of respiratory disease, cancer, and neurological disorders in surrounding populations. Refining and transport further emit carcinogenic chemicals, posing serious risks to workers and nearby residents.
- Calls for Exclusion: The report and numerous campaigners recommend an immediate end to global fossil fuel subsidies, which reached an estimated $7 trillion in 2022, and a ban on fossil fuel advertisements. Furthermore, activists are vehemently pushing for the exclusion of industry representatives from future climate negotiations, arguing that their presence constitutes an irreconcilable conflict of interest, similar to the tobacco industry. Analysis by the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition revealed that fossil fuel lobbyists at COP30 outnumbered the delegations of the 10 most climate-vulnerable nations combined.
The Land Gap and the Risk of Delay
Another significant concern raised at COP30 is the tendency of countries to rely on land-based carbon removal projects, such as forestry and farmland initiatives, instead of committing to rapid cuts in fossil fuel use. The Land Gap 2025 report warns that many national climate pledges (NDCs) rely too heavily on future land projects, potentially allowing about 20 million hectares of forest loss and damage each year this decade. This over-reliance risks hiding weak near-term fossil fuel cuts and industrial pollution, slowing the necessary energy transition away from coal, oil, and gas. The report stresses that protecting and restoring forests must complement—not substitute—the urgent mandate to cut fossil fuel emissions.
The Road Ahead: Justice and Practicality
The consensus among activists is clear: COP30, held in the Amazon region, must mark a turning point grounded in both justice and practicality.
- No New Projects: World leaders must agree to an immediate halt to the construction of new coal, oil, and gas projects, particularly in fragile ecosystems.
- Just Transition Mechanism: Developing countries are pushing for a Just Transition Mechanism to provide the technical and financial support needed to ensure the shift from fossil fuels to clean energy is equitable, protecting workers, fostering social justice, and respecting Indigenous rights. This is vital, especially since a significant portion of global fossil fuel infrastructure is sited on Indigenous territories.
The message is a desperate plea for survival: The world is at a critical juncture. Continuing to extract and burn fossil fuels means choosing a path of self-extermination. The only viable future lies in a rapid, equitable, and complete transition to clean energy.