Clean energy switch must not be excuse to plunder Indigenous lands, say leaders

Global conference told benefits should not come at expense of well-protected environments The energy transition must not be used as a fresh excuse to plunder Indigenous territories, delegates at a groundbreaking global conference on phasing out fossil fuels were warned. High oil prices and war in the Middle East have boosted the attraction of renewable technologies in many parts of the world, but the economic, security and climate benefits should not come at the expense of well-protected natural environments, Indigenous leaders said at the weekend. They were speaking at the first world conference, in Santa Marta, Colombia, on transitioning away from fossil fuels. It aims to “create a coalition of the ambitious” and provide fresh energy to faltering global climate negotiations. More than 50 countries, dozens of subnational governments and thousands of civil society representatives are attending the event, which has been arranged outside a UN process that has become so hamstrung by industry lobbyists that the final declaration of the most recent Cop30 in Brazil could not even mention the words “fossil fuels”. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) published re