UNESCO World Heritage Sites under Threat by the Ambitions of the Fossil Fuel Industry, Report finds

These initiatives are projected to unleash approximately 11.9 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide worldwide in the coming decades, with the number of such developments expected to surge by over 70% over the same period.

“Fossil fuel projects in UNESCO-protected areas are indefensible in 2024 and represent a blatant affront to conservation efforts worldwide. While UNESCO’s mandate is clear, its power as a UN convention is limited in preventing the fossil fuel industry’s violation into these areas. It’s alarming that state-owned companies are preparing to drill in protected regions beyond 2030. If countries are serious about decarbonising their economies, then there is no justification for allowing these projects to continue.”

Alice McGown, Lead Author and Policy and Data Specialist

The report ‘Extraction at Any Cost’ highlights the urgent need for stronger protections, particularly in Biosphere Reserves. It also underscores the vulnerability of World Heritage Sites, which remain at risk from fossil fuel extraction despite UNESCO’s 2013 ‘no-go’ commitment, calling on nations and industries to cease such activities in these globally significant areas.

Key findings:

• The largest oil and gas project planned within a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is the Hail & Ghasha mega-project situated in the Marawah UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, host of next year’s World Conservation Congress.
• At least 23 UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserves and 13 UNESCO World Heritage Sites across 27 countries are under threat by fossil fuel projects, either planned or ongoing.
• The number of fossil fuel extraction projects is expected to increase by over 70% for both UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserves and UNESCO World Heritage Sites within the next few decades.
• Nearly one-third of these projects are being developed within G20 nations, including in notable sites such as the renowned Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest in Brazil, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and the Rocky Mountain National Parks in Canada.
• South Africa is the country with the biggest potential emissions from fossil extraction projects in UNESCO areas: a complex of four coal mines in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve that could emit more than 6.2 billion tonnes of CO2, fifteen times the country’s annual emissions.