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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/27/clean-energy-switch-must-not-be-excuse-to-plunder-indigenous-lands-say-leaders>
"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
research at the conference showing the vast financial support planet-heating
fossil fuels continue to receive. In 2024, the report says, fossil fuels
globally received $1.2tn of subsidies and other forms of support from the
public purse, in contrast to the $254bn of support that went towards clean
energy.
Angela Picciariello, senior researcher at the IISD, said: “Governments need to
stop making the same mistakes and expecting different outcomes. When energy
prices spike, the instinct is often to spend more public money on fossil fuels.
But that approach is costly, hard to unwind, and leaves people exposed to the
next crisis. The better option is to protect households in the short term while
using public finance to scale up renewables and build more resilient energy
systems over time.”
The debate in Santa Marta has been more liberated, creative and hopeful than
similar previous gatherings, with input and support from a wide spectrum of
international society, including Indigenous participants who spelled out how
they and their lands had been adversely affected by fossil fuels."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
