Peru's New Administration Sparks Concerns Over Environmental Policies

Peru's newly sworn-in President Keiko Sofía Fujimori Higuchi has raised concerns among environmentalists and Indigenous leaders with her plans to expand fossil fuel production and mining across the country. Fujimori, who has pledged to tackle insecurity using greater force and militarization, has promised to promote new lots in the Amazon and the northern coast for energy resource exploration and exploitation. This move is at odds with Peru's international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Peru's NDCs aim to diversify renewable energy sources, strengthen sustainable transportation, reduce deforestation, and protect natural areas, among other mitigation priorities. Environmentalists and Indigenous leaders have expressed concerns about the government's plans, citing the potential consequences for the Amazonian peoples.