By Tina Amanda
Oilwatch International and Oilwatch Africa have called for democratizing and decolonizing energy frameworks as keys to achieving equitable and socialized access to energy, as to
prioritize people’s needs and the planet’s integrity.
This call was made in a communique reached at the end of a global retreat on Friday, 23 and Saturday, 24 August 2024, in Durban, South Africa, themed “Beyond Colonialism and Extractivism: Energy Democracy and the Imperatives of a Just Transition.”
The retreat brought together representatives from Oilwatch country members across Latin America, Southeast Asia, Ghana, Mozambique, South Africa, Nigeria, and their allies from the United States and Norway.
The gathering provided a critical platform to analyze the ongoing trends in extractivism and the global shift towards hydrogen amid the broader energy transition discourse. Participants shared struggles and synergies to develop pathways that promote sustainable futures while halting the dispossession and exploitation driven by fossil fuel industries.
A significant portion of the discussions centered around the protection of the Yasuni National Park in Ecuador, a campaign that has spanned three decades. Victory in protecting Yasuní was heralded as a triumph of resilience by Ecuadorians, following a landmark referendum in which citizens voted to halt oil drilling in the region.
The retreat urged a global movement to “Yasunize the world,” focusing on protecting vulnerable ecosystems and communities from extractive.
The retreat recognized the struggles of fisherfolk in Durban and worldwide, emphasizing the deep historical connections between colonialism and extractivism, which have shaped both local and global energy systems. Participants highlighted that these practices have not only led to environmental degradation but have also entrenched social and economic inequalities on a global scale.
Oilwatch members emphasized the necessity of shielding communities in the Global South from being used as experimental grounds for unproven energy solutions, often backed by collusive governments. These solutions, they argued, frequently masquerade as environmental progress but perpetuate old systems of exploitation and inequality.
The retreat condemned the persistent neocolonial exploitation of natural resources in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Attendees warned that while the global shift to renewable energy could help curb carbon emissions, new forms of extractivism—such as mining for rare earth minerals and the promotion of hydrogen—threaten to recreate the same social and environmental injustices.
To combat these injustices, Oilwatch International called for a comprehensive rejection of environmental racism, climate imperialism, and further fossil fuel expansion.
Their demands included: “Immediate cessation of fossil fuel exploration and infrastructure project. Rejection of false environmental solutions like REDD+, carbon offsets, and geoengineering.
“Respect for the rights of communities and nature, prioritizing the well-being of people and ecosystems over profits. A transition away from corporate-controlled energy systems towards equitable and just energy frameworks.
“Rejection of gas and nuclear as clean or renewable energy sources. An end to the commodification and extraction of natural resources without regard for local ecosystems or communities”.
The retreat ended with a call to democratize and decolonize global energy systems, emphasizing the need for socialized access to energy that prioritizes both human and environmental well-being.
The communiqué was endorsed by over two dozen organizations, including the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (South Africa), Health of Mother Earth Foundation (Nigeria), Accion Ecologica (Ecuador), and Oil Change International, among others.
