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A quarter of the international residents lives inside 5km of active fossil fuel facilities, likely risking the physical condition of more than two billion human beings as well as critical ecosystems, according to pioneering analysis.

International Presence of Oil and Gas Infrastructure

Over 18.3k petroleum, gas, and coal mining sites are presently spread throughout over 170 states around the world, occupying a vast territory of the world's land.

Nearness to wellheads, refineries, conduits, and additional oil and gas facilities raises the danger of cancer, lung diseases, cardiovascular issues, premature birth, and fatality, while also posing grave threats to water supplies and air cleanliness, and harming terrain.

Nearby Residence Dangers and Proposed Development

Nearly over 460 million people, including over 120 million minors, presently live within one kilometer of fossil fuel locations, while a further three thousand five hundred or so new sites are currently planned or under development that could compel 135 million more residents to face emissions, flares, and leaks.

Nearly all active projects have created contamination concentrated areas, turning surrounding communities and critical environments into so-called disposable areas – heavily toxic areas where poor and disadvantaged populations bear the disproportionate burden of proximity to toxins.

Health and Ecological Consequences

The report describes the harmful physical toll from extraction, processing, and movement, as well as illustrating how seepages, ignitions, and building destroy priceless natural ecosystems and undermine human rights – particularly of those dwelling near petroleum, natural gas, and coal mining facilities.

It comes as world leaders, not including the USA – the greatest past producer of greenhouse gases – meet in Belém, the South American nation, for the thirtieth global climate conference amid rising concern at the slow advancement in eliminating oil, gas, and coal, which are causing planetary collapse and civil liberties infringements.

"Oil and gas companies and their government backers have claimed for a long time that economic growth depends on oil, gas, and coal. But it is clear that under the guise of prosperity, they have instead served self-interest and earnings without limits, infringed liberties with almost total impunity, and harmed the atmosphere, ecosystems, and oceans."

Global Talks and Global Urgency

The climate conference is held as the the Asian nation, the North American country, and the Caribbean island are reeling from major hurricanes that were strengthened by higher air and sea temperatures, with states under growing demand to take decisive action to control coal and gas firms and stop extraction, government funding, licenses, and consumption in order to adhere to a significant decision by the international court of justice.

Recently, reports revealed how more than 5,350 oil and gas sector lobbyists have been granted admission to the international climate talks in the last several years, hindering environmental measures while their employers pump unprecedented quantities of oil and gas.

Study Approach and Findings

This data-driven research is derived from a first-of-its-kind geospatial exercise by researchers who cross-referenced data on the known locations of fossil fuel facilities sites with census data, and records on essential environments, climate releases, and tribal land.

33% of all active oil, coal mining, and gas sites overlap with several critical habitats such as a wetland, forest, or river system that is abundant in species diversity and important for CO2 absorption or where ecological deterioration or catastrophe could lead to habitat destruction.

The real global scale is likely larger due to omissions in the recording of fossil fuel projects and incomplete census data across nations.

Environmental Inequity and Native Communities

The data reveal deep-seated environmental unfairness and discrimination in contact to petroleum, natural gas, and coal mining sectors.

Indigenous peoples, who represent five percent of the world's residents, are unfairly vulnerable to health-reducing coal and gas facilities, with a sixth sites located on Indigenous lands.

"We're experiencing multi-generational struggle exhaustion … We physically will not withstand [this]. We are not the instigators but we have endured the force of all the violence."

The growth of oil, gas, and coal has also been linked with land grabs, heritage destruction, community division, and economic hardship, as well as force, digital harassment, and legal actions, both illegal and civil, against local representatives calmly resisting the development of pipelines, drilling projects, and additional facilities.

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