DAVOS, SWITZERLAND: Ecuadoran climate activist Helena Gualinga is taking the fight against fossil fuels to the elite gathering of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland with a clear message: companies must stop new fossil fuel projects.
The 20-year-old spokesperson for her Kichwa Sarayuku indigenous community has joined fellow young climate activists Greta Thunberg, Vanessa Nakate, and Luisa Neubauer in launching a petition billed as a “cease and desist notice,” which demands energy CEOs “immediately stop opening any new oil, gas, or coal extraction sites”.
The online petition, which warns that citizens around the globe will consider taking legal action to hold companies accountable, has garnered more than 800,000 signatures since its launch earlier this week. As Gualinga and her fellow activists demand urgent action to combat climate change, they are sending a powerful message to the world’s business leaders and policymakers that it’s time to about fossil fuels.
Landmark victory for climate struggle
A decade ago, the Sarayuku community won a landmark decision at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which ruled against the Ecuadoran state for violating the indigenous community’s rights to be consulted by granting oil exploration rights on their land.
Gualinga, who has become a leading voice in her community’s struggle against oil companies in the rainforest, believes that the rights of indigenous communities are vital in the fight against fossil fuels.
Despite her efforts on fossil fuels, she is unsure if she will see results in forums such as the UN’s COP climate talks. She hopes that her community will one day obtain autonomy with territories with clear borders. — APP
