COP17: Groups Urge Governments to Keep Extractives Out of Protected Areas

More than 80 conservation, Indigenous, and civil society organizations have signed an open letter calling on governments to keep mining, oil, and gas operations out of protected areas. The letter, released in advance of the COP17 U. N. biodiversity summit in Armenia, warns that meeting a numerical target for conservation will be meaningless if areas designated for conservation remain exposed to industrial activities. According to an Earth Insight report, nearly 62 million hectares of protected and conserved areas in the tropics overlap with oil and gas blocks, while mining concessions overlap with 43 million hectares. World leaders agreed in 2022 to protect 30% of the planet's land and waters by 2030, a commitment known as the "30x30" target. Conservation officials argue that mining has no place in protected areas, with WWF's Congo Basin regional director stating, "Protected areas are protected areas."