An Indigenous village in Yasuni National Park in Ecuador with trees in background and low grass in foreground.

Ecuador ordered to protect uncontacted Indigenous groups from oil drilling

An international human rights court has ruled that Ecuador must halt oil operations on lands inhabited by uncontacted Indigenous peoples, reinforcing a national referendum that called for keeping oil in the ground.

Katie Surma reports for Inside Climate News.


In short:

  • The Inter-American Court of Human Rights found Ecuador violated the rights of uncontacted Indigenous groups by permitting oil drilling in Yasuni National Park.
  • The ruling mandates Ecuador to prevent oil expansion in these territories and take steps to protect uncontacted peoples from external threats like illegal logging.
  • The decision is the first by an international court on the rights of Indigenous communities living in voluntary isolation.

Key quote:

"The government keeps sending oil companies deeper into the forest. We live here, too. This forest is here because we have protected it for generations.”

— Penti Baihua, a traditional leader of the Baihuaeri Waorani of Bameno

Why this matters:

For decades, oil extraction has encroached on Indigenous lands, particularly in Ecuador’s Yasuni National Park, home to uncontacted tribes and thousands of unique species. Pollution from drilling operations has poisoned waterways, deforestation has accelerated, and entire communities have been displaced. The ruling, which upholds Indigenous sovereignty, signals a shift in legal recognition of these threats, setting a precedent that could influence similar battles across Latin America and beyond.

At the heart of the debate is Ecuador’s heavy reliance on oil revenue, which funds government programs and infrastructure but comes at a high environmental and social cost. The decision challenges the nation’s extractive economic model while reinforcing global efforts to curb fossil fuel dependence in the face of climate change. For Indigenous leaders and environmental advocates, the ruling is a rare win in the fight to keep oil in the ground.

Community activists plead to be heard through “closed doors” outside nation’s top energy conference

Community activists plead to be heard through “closed doors” outside nation’s top energy conference

“It is our communities that are being harmed and hurt.”

HOUSTON — Climate activists expressed concern that discussions behind closed doors at the nation’s largest energy conference, CERAWeek by S&P Global, will further contribute to environmental health risks.

Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
Climate scientist Michael Mann speaks at a podium with a porjection of the famous hockey Stick climate graph.
Credit: Oregon State University/Flickr

A climate scientist’s legal win just got flipped on its head

Michael Mann, the climate scientist famous for his “hockey stick” graph, won a $1 million defamation case — but a judge has now slashed the award, sanctioned his lawyers, and ordered him to pay over $500,000 in legal fees.

Dino Grandoni reports for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
A NOAA research boat at sea with a coastline and mountains in background.
Credit: NOAA Photo Library/Flickr

NOAA layoffs threaten U.S. leadership in ocean science

The mass firings at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Trump administration are crippling the agency’s ability to conduct vital ocean and climate research, raising fears that the U.S. will fall behind in global science.

Madeline Ostrander reports forbioGraphic.

Keep reading...Show less
The Environmental Protection Agency sign at the side of a glass door with ornate lanterns on either side.

EPA’s deregulatory push faces legal roadblocks but could still delay action

The Trump administration’s effort to dismantle environmental regulations may not survive court challenges, but the attempt alone could create enough disruption to slow climate policy for years.

Pamela King, Niina H. Farah, and Sean Reilly report for E&E News.

Keep reading...Show less
Refinery lit up at night.

Fossil fuel industry seeks legal shield from climate lawsuits

Nearly 200 environmental and legal groups are urging Congress to reject any efforts by the fossil fuel industry to secure immunity from lawsuits over climate-related damages.

Dharna Noor reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
Green and white stencil of an electric vehicle on pavement.

California regulators push back against car dealers' campaign on emissions rule

California air quality officials are challenging a new-car dealer ad campaign that warns the state’s zero-emission vehicle mandate could hurt the economy.

Sharon Udasin reports for The Hill.

Keep reading...Show less
River at sunset with green trees on each bank.

Trump administration halts Columbia River Treaty talks, raising tensions with Canada

The U.S. has suspended negotiations on the Columbia River Treaty, a decades-old water management agreement with Canada, as trade disputes escalate under President Donald Trump.

Shannon Waters reports for The Narwhal.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

Agents of Change in Environmental Justice logo

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.