What is the significance of Yasuní in the context of the proposed Fossil Fuels Non-Proliferation Treaty?
The clear victory of Yasuní represents a significant milestone on the road to leaving fossil fuels in the ground. It is a hopeful example of citizen mobilization that reinforces both the possibility and the need for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Ending the extractivist economic matrix and transitioning to an economy that protects biodiversity, indigenous peoples and the climate requires unprecedented levels of international cooperation. Neither Ecuador, nor any country in the world, can implement alone its decision to say NO to oil....
First, the 10 years of constant and massive mobilization that culminated in the “Yes to Yasuní” is an inspiring example that demonstrates the key role of civil society in pressuring governments to find effective solutions to protect life. It is evident that the voices of local communities and social organizations can be decisive in political decision making. For the Non-Proliferation of Fossil Fuels Treaty, the Yes to Yasuní has generated great hope because our proposal also comes from civil society. After four years of work and thanks to the support of more than 2,000 civil society organizations, we have achieved the support of a block of twelve countries from the Pacific, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. Knowing that it was possible for Ecuador inspires us to continue mobilizing until the implementation of this new international legal mechanism that complements the Paris Agreement becomes a reality.
Second, by proposing to bury the park's oil reserves in exchange for international financial compensation, the Yasuní proposal not only alerted the international community to the incalculable value of Amazonian ecosystems to the world, but also highlighted the importance of international cooperation to protect them. Since the Fossil Fuel Treaty initiative, we share the same principle of global cooperation as a non-negotiable condition both to save key regions such as the Amazon and to tackle the source of the climate crisis. To replicate victories such as Yasuni in other areas of the world, it is necessary to implement this new innovative legal framework proposed by the Treaty, which is based on a fair and equitable collaboration among the nations of the world to define a concrete exit plan from our addiction to oil, gas and coal.
At COP28, the need for a “transition away from fossil fuels” was mentioned for the first time. But it took 30 years for governments to agree on a weak mention that does not go beyond extractivist logic. The Paris Agreement was instrumental in setting the 1.5°C target, and the UNFCCC will remain a critical forum for negotiating international climate policy. However, the UNFCCC's focus on emissions reductions and its consensus model is not adequate for countries to negotiate phase-out dates for fossil extraction that are based on science, fair quotas, historical emissions, economic capacity and production dependence.
Finally, the Yes for Yasuní highlights the need to reverse the logic of debt imposed by an international financial system based on predation that forces the countries of the Global South to sacrifice their territories and communities. The referendum victory does not conclude the conversation on how to build a fossil-free economy and world. However, it does give us a clear indication of the way forward: in order for countries like Ecuador to stop being forced to exploit oil to pay off an illegitimate debt, generating more destruction and more emissions, Yasuní proposes that the countries of the North - primarily responsible for the climate crisis - be the ones to finance the energy transition in a more consistent manner.
The Yes to Yasuni has buried the myths about people's support for the fossil economy, and catalyzed global attention to what the great challenge of the post-extractivist world to come requires. Since the Fossil Fuels Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative, we will continue to mobilize to achieve the missing framework that paves the way for a just transition that leaves no community, no country, no region behind. Today there are 12 nations as well as the European Parliament, 101 Nobel laureates, the World Health Organization and hundreds of health professionals, 9 Peruvian indigenous nations, a Vatican cardinal and thousands of religious institutions, more than 3,000 scientists and academics, 100 cities, more than 600 parliamentarians from around the world, a growing number of grassroots movements, thousands of young activists, and inspired by the example of Yasuní, we hope to continue to grow to preserve life together.