Brazil's Controversial Fossil Fuel Auction Sparks Global Outcry
Brazil's National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) held a controversial fossil fuel auction on 17 June 2025. Despite warnings from environmental groups and procedural flaws, the government pressed ahead with the sale of 172 oil and gas blocks, including 68 in the Brazilian Amazon. The move has sparked criticism both domestically and internationally.
The auction, which saw multinational giants like Chevron, China's CNPC, ExxonMobil, and Petrobras acquire blocks, was condemned by environmental organizations. Greenpeace criticized the involvement of companies like RWE and Uniper, which plan to buy gas, urging the protection of ecosystems and opposing fossil fuel exploitation in the Amazon. Gisela Hurtado of Stand.earth labelled it the 'Auction of Death', threatening Indigenous territories and defying the Paris Agreement principles.
Critics argue that the auction undermines Brazil's credibility as host of COP30 and sends contradictory signals to the international community regarding climate action. Ilan Zugman of 350.org Latin America stated that the auction contradicts the environmental protection promises made by the Brazilian government. Carolina Marçal of Instituto ClimaInfo warned that the auction fuels the climate crisis and puts the world at risk of extreme weather events.
Procedural flaws and insufficient environmental and social impact analysis led Brazil's Federal Public Prosecutor's Office to file for an injunction to suspend the auction. Despite recommendations from Brazil's environmental regulator Ibama and the Ministry of Environment, no Environmental Assessment of Sedimentary Area (AAAS) was conducted prior to the concessioning of the blocks. Among the auctioned blocks, 47 were situated in the mouth of the Amazon, with 19 successfully concessioned, covering 16,312 km2 of marine territory. The auction proceeded without the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous and traditional communities in the region, violating ILO Convention 169.
The ANP's auction has raised serious concerns about Brazil's commitment to environmental protection and climate action. As the country prepares to host COP30, the international community watches closely to see how these issues will be addressed. The successful acquisition of blocks by major multinational corporations further intensifies the debate around fossil fuel exploitation in the Amazon and its impact on Indigenous communities and the global climate.
Read also:
- Aiming to simplify the move towards cleaner automobiles, the newly established ministry plans to take direct action with Pannier-Runacher, Létard, and Vautrin at the helm.
- "The imperfect yet essential documentary, "Planet of the Humans," raises challenging and uncomfortable inquiries"
- Exciting Escapades of Tintin
- More than half of British homes adhere to insulation standards established during the 1970s.
