Publications
Losing Ground: Fossil Fuel Extraction Threats to Protected Areas around the World
December 2023 – A new report, released at COP28 in Dubai, spotlights fossil fuel expansion threats to protected areas around the globe and calls for a global moratorium on all fossil fuel development and expansion — as well as a phase-down of current fossil fuel infrastructure — in the world’s protected areas. Produced in cooperation with IUCN, WCPA, and Earth Insight.
Available in English
Global Brief: Unburnable Carbon in Protected Areas
May 2023 – The global brief summarises our analysis of oil, gas, and coal extraction projects within the world’s protected areas. With trillions of dollars in damages at stake and millions of lives in the balance, the need to defend these areas from dirty fossil fuel projects is more urgent than ever.
Available in English
Low Hanging Fruit: The Case for Stopping Fossil Fuel Projects in Protected Areas
November 2023 – A brief on declaring protected areas as no-go zones for fossil fuel extraction. 50 Gigatons of potential CO2 emissions are located under the world’s protected areas, mostly in economically marginal oil, gas and coal fields. Pledging to keep these in the ground constitutes an accessible additional mitigation measure that adds millions of tons of avoided CO2 emissions to a country’s climate commitments with significant biodiversity co-benefits.
Available in English
Case Study: Marawah Biosphere Reserve (UAE)
May 2023 – The Hail and Ghasha offshore oil and gas fields in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) lie within the boundaries of an important UNESCO programme site: the Marawah Biosphere Reserve. Existing oil extraction operations in the Hail field are still increasing in capacity and are expected to peak in 2033.
Case Study: Laguna de Terminos (Mexico)
May 2023 – This report addresses the case of Laguna de Términos, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche. Oil activity in the area has been present in recent decades. Since its decree in 1996 as Natural Protected Area Laguna de Términos, three onshore oil wells, seven development wells, and four gas pipelines have been constructed, as well as the Xilacalango gas gathering station and a gas pipeline to the Atasta compressor station.
Case Study: Wadden Sea National Parks and the Mittelplate Oil Field (Germany)
May 2023 – Mittelplate is Germany’s largest oil field. The field is currently undergoing extraction and has been since 1987, with permits lasting until 2041. Extraction is taking place in the Southern part of the Wadden Sea National Park, which is part of a complex belonging to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Wadden Sea.
Country Brief: Russia
May 2023 – Russia has over 13,000 “Specially Protected Natural Areas” (State Natural Reserves, National Parks, Nature Parks, State Natural Sanctuaries and Natural Monuments), which occupy more than 13% of its territory. LINGO analysis has identified 1.4 billion tonnes of CO2 in 171 oil & gas extraction projects inside Russia’s protected areas.
Country Brief: Canada
May 2023 – Canada has 54 sites that are managed to protect wildlife, and 12.6% of Canada’s landmass is under different levels of protection. LINGO analysis has identified 1.3 billion tonnes of potential CO2 emissions from oil and gas and 1.4 billion tonnes of potential CO2 from coal across 77 extraction projects inside Canadian protected areas.