Press Releases

Oil Companies Seek to End Clean-up of Amazon Oil Spill Despite Ongoing Pollution

Affected Indigenous communities in Ecuador’s Amazon demand justice and share evidence that pollutants remain in two major rivers after the worst oil spill in the last 15 years

Quito, Ecuador – Ecuador's two oil pipeline operators prematurely halted clean-up operations last week, declaring the remediation complete despite evidence of ongoing pollution in both the Coca and Napo rivers. The companies are now seeking to close the door on the country's worst spill in the last 15 years by convening public meetings with communities to tout the clean-up despite visible evidence of oil in the river and the deterioration of the health of local communities.

Climate Activists Stage Direct Action Against BlackRock's Continued Financing of Amazon Fires

Activists post decals of Amazon fire destruction on BlackRock's San Francisco and New York headquarters calling out financier for climate commitments that fail to address deforestation and Indigenous rights violations

"According to MAAP, as of August 30th of this year, over 1.1 million acres (453,000 hectares) of recently deforested areas have burned in the Brazilian Amazon. Given the urgency of what's happening in the Amazon today, it's encouraging to see that activists are turning out from coast to coast to hold BlackRock accountable for its contributions to climate change and rainforest destruction," said Pendle Marshall-Hallmark, Climate Campaigner for Amazon Watch.

New Report Reveals European Banks Financing Trade of Controversial Amazon Oil to U.S.

Banks in Switzerland, France, Netherlands facilitate trade from Amazon Sacred Headwaters region in Ecuador, where oil extraction contributes to spills, human rights abuses, and climate destruction

"The oil industry has a toxic legacy in the Amazon, further exacerbated by recent spills that have contaminated rivers and disrupted the health and food security of Indigenous communities. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, oil companies continue to pursue expansion, putting Indigenous peoples at even greater risk. These banks cannot claim to uphold their own pledges on climate and human rights while they continue to finance the trade of Amazon oil," said Moira Birss of Amazon Watch

New Report to Reveal European Banks Financing Trade of Controversial Amazon Oil to U.S.

Banks in Switzerland, France, the Netherlands facilitating trade from Amazon Sacred Headwaters region in Ecuador

Geneva, Switzerland – North America-based environmental organizations Stand.earth and Amazon Watch will release a report on 12 August 2020 detailing how European banks are financing the trade of controversial oil from the Amazon Sacred Headwaters region in Ecuador to international destinations like California.

More Than 60 NGOs Demand Moratorium on Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon

The Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples (APIB) and several organizations deliver the proposal ahead of the Amazon burning season

São Paulo – More than 60 NGOs, including Amazon Watch, in partnership with the Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples' Association (APIB) delivered a letter today to the Brazilian Congress, foreign investors, and European parliamentarians demanding five emergency measures to contain the deforestation crisis in the Amazon rainforest, including the establishment of a moratorium on logging for at least five years.

Bolsonaro's Temporary Fire Ban Fails to Implement Real Policy and Enforcement Measures to Combat Fires

"Illegal deforestation is the fundamental precursor to the Amazon fires, and scientists have recorded that June's deforestation levels were 64 percent higher than last year. This spike is a direct consequence of Bolsonaro's dangerous anti-environmental agenda."

Murder of Two Yanomami by Illegal Miners Heightens Fears of Renewed Cycle of Violence in the Brazilian Amazon

The Indigenous Hutukara Yanomami Association demands a rigorous investigation of the murders and reinforces the need for the Brazilian government to immediately expel more than 20,000 miners illegally operating on Yanomami land

"The murder of two more Yanomami by miners must be rigorously investigated and reinforces the need for the Brazilian State to act urgently and immediately remove all the miners who are illegally exploiting the Yanomami Territory and harassing and assaulting the Indigenous communities who live there."

Proposed Gold Mine in Brazilian Amazon Presents Unacceptable Degree of Risk According to New Expert Report

Hydrogeologist recommends that Canadian company Belo Sun’s license be revoked

An expert study released today reveals serious deficiencies in the environmental impact assessment submitted to Brazilian authorities by Canadian mining company Belo Sun. The analysis exposes an unacceptable degree of risk, resulting in a scenario where the tailings dam at the proposed Volta Grande gold mine will fail, contaminate the Xingu River and harm nearby communities, including Indigenous peoples.