Fossil-free forest zones would protect tropical forests and Indigenous territories from oil and gas expansion across three critical regions.
Fossil-free forest zones emerged as a major advocacy push at COP30 in November 2025. More than 70 international organizations released an open letter urging governments to establish these protected areas. The call addresses growing threats from oil and gas development in tropical forests.
New mapping reveals the scale of the problem. Oil and gas blocks overlap with more than 183 million hectares of tropical forests. This occurs across the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia. The overlaps threaten carbon storage, biodiversity, and Indigenous communities.
COP30 takes place in Belem, Brazil, in the heart of the Amazon. President Lula opened the conference, noting that the eyes of the world turn to Belem with immense expectation. He called for roadmaps to reverse deforestation and overcome fossil fuel dependence. Fossil-free forest zones offer a concrete first step.
The letter comes from diverse groups focused on climate, nature, human rights, and Indigenous communities. Signatories include Amazon Watch, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and Global Witness. Organizations emphasize that stopping fossil fuel expansion into high-integrity forests prevents the roads, pipelines, and infrastructure that lead to deforestation.
Tropical forests absorb about a quarter of all carbon dioxide emitted each year. They store vast amounts in trees and soils as natural climate regulators. Yet oil and gas development threatens 21% of high-integrity tropical forests across three critical regions.
Declaring proven oil, gas, and coal reserves under tropical and subtropical forests off-limits could avoid burning nearly 317 billion tons of carbon dioxide. This equals 1.3 times the remaining carbon budget for limiting warming to 1.5°C. Fossil-free forest zones, therefore, represent climate mitigation on a massive scale.
The Amazon region faces particular urgency as it approaches a tipping point. Currently, 74 million hectares of high-integrity forests overlap with oil and gas blocks. Another 31 million hectares of Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ lands face the same threat. In Peru, oil and gas blocks overlap with 21% of existing and proposed reserves for Indigenous groups living in voluntary isolation.
The Congo Basin loses approximately 3.9 million hectares of forest each year. Yet 72.5 million hectares of high-integrity forests already overlap with oil and gas blocks, representing 40% of such forests. Community forests face 38% overlap.
Southeast Asia shows similar patterns. About 14% of Key Biodiversity Areas overlap with oil and gas concessions. High-integrity forests exhibit a 37% overlap across 36.8 million hectares.
Fossil fuel expansion serves as a gateway to deforestation. Oil and gas roads built in intact forests often become the first cut. Development spreads as far as 10 kilometers from the initial roads. Operations also harm Indigenous communities directly through river pollution from spills and air contamination from gas flaring.
Organizations emphasize that the zones must uphold Indigenous rights. Indigenous Peoples and local communities have stewarded these ecosystems for generations. Their ancestral knowledge provides the most effective conservation means.
Growing momentum supports the concept. Indigenous-led platforms have called for excluding fossil fuels from their territories. The 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress endorsed fossil-free zones for the Amazon and extended this to the Congo Basin.
Coordinated legislative efforts advance fossil-free forest zones in the Amazon region. Bills have been introduced in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia by Parliamentarians for a Fossil Free Future. These measures would ban fossil fuel expansion in national Amazon territories.
Colombia declared the Amazon a Renewable Natural Resources Zone, which would ban new oil and mineral extraction. Other countries can follow this example. The precedent demonstrates that policy mechanisms exist for establishing such zones.
Organizations call the proposal an obvious first step. It prevents the infrastructure that inevitably accompanies drilling operations. Roads enable further forest clearing. Pipelines fragment habitats. Fossil-free forest zones stop this cascade before it starts.
A just transition requires establishing these zones with proper support and resources. The letter calls on developed countries to mobilize resources for developing nations. Communities stewarding forests need backing to continue their work. Alternative economic pathways must accompany protection measures.
The mapping released at COP30 provides visual evidence of threats. Seeing oil and gas blocks overlaid on forest areas makes abstract numbers concrete. Decision-makers can identify specific areas needing protection.
Implementation challenges remain significant. Existing contracts and concessions create obstacles. Companies hold legal rights to explore and extract. Governments face pressure from industry and employment concerns. Fossil-free forest zones must navigate these political realities.
However, the climate crisis demands action despite challenges. Tropical forests provide irreplaceable climate regulation services. Their loss accelerates warming and triggers additional tipping points. Fossil-free forest zones offer a tool for preventing catastrophic outcomes.
The COP30 setting amplifies the message. Meeting in the Amazon focuses attention on forest protection. World leaders gathered specifically to address the climate and nature crises. This moment offers an opportunity for bold action.
Organizations conclude their letter by noting the world is watching. Fossil-free forest zones would demonstrate a commitment matching the urgency. Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and future generations depend on action now. There can be no forest protection without stopping fossil fuel industry encroachment upon forests and their stewards.
