World’s ‘Fossil Fuel Obsession’ Threatens Billions Of Lives — Amnesty

The expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure is threatening billions of lives around the globe, Amnesty International has warned in a new report, urging world leaders to end an “obsession” with energy sources that fuel the climate crisis.

The report, released on Wednesday, found that at least 2 billion people — about one-quarter of the world’s population — live within 5km (3.1 miles) of more than 18,000 fossil fuel infrastructure sites currently in operation.

More than 3,500 new sites are also being developed, which will affect an additional 135 million people, Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnès Callamard told reporters.

“This ever-expanding industry is endangering billions of lives, irreversibly altering the climate system, and destroying critical natural ecosystems,” Callamard said at a news conference on the sidelines of the COP30 UN climate conference in Brazil, where the report’s findings were unveiled.

Living near fossil fuel infrastructure — such as oil and gas extraction sites, coal mines, and power plants — has been associated with elevated risks of cancer, asthma, cardiovascular disease, and other health problems, Amnesty said in its report.

The industry has also been linked to human rights abuses, including killings and enforced disappearances, particularly targeting environmental activists and Indigenous peoples defending their territories from fossil fuel projects.

The report noted that “despite representing less than 5 percent of the global population, at least 16.1 percent of known global fossil fuel infrastructure is sited on Indigenous territories” around the world.

“We are presenting these findings here at COP to warn of the current harm, to highlight the immense damage that the fossil fuel obsession is causing to many communities, and to sound the alarm about what it will do to future generations,” Callamard said.

“The age of fossil fuels must end now. It is a major source of human rights violations — perhaps one of the greatest in history.”

World leaders, human rights advocates, climate experts, and other stakeholders have gathered in the Brazilian city of Belém for COP30, the UN’s annual climate conference.

While countries have pledged to tackle the climate crisis, observers have questioned how they intend to meet commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as fossil fuel projects continue to expand.

Indigenous activists also stormed the summit this week to demand that their voices be heard in the discussions.

Kumi Naidoo, president of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty campaign, called on world leaders to leave COP30 with “a clear statement that you are going to support a roadmap for the phase-out of fossil fuels.”

“It’s high time we recognise that, for 30 years, we’ve been mopping up the floor and treating the symptoms of the problem without turning off the tap,” Naidoo said during Wednesday’s news conference.

“Let’s be very clear — the primary cause of the climate emergency is our addiction and dependency on fossil fuels.”

According to the United Nations, coal, oil, and gas “are by far the largest contributors to global climate change,” responsible for about 68 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Meanwhile, more than 80 percent of people worldwide want their leaders to take stronger action to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis, according to a 2024 UN Development Programme survey.

Seventy-two percent of respondents also said they supported a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, the survey found.