Land allocated to oil, gas exploration in Africa set to quadruple, threatening forests

• Blocks overlap with 30% of Africa’s tropical forests
• Rainforest Foundation UK, Earth Insight launch report at COP27

Rainforest Foundation UK and Sacramento, California-based Earth Insight used mapping technology to show that gas and oil blocks overlap with about 30% of the continent’s dense tropical forests and more than a third of the Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest rainforest after the Amazon.

“This report lays bare the stark threat that oil and gas expansion poses to the Congo Basin forest and its millions of inhabitants least responsible for the climate crisis,” said Joe Eisen, executive director of Rainforest Foundation UK. The two groups launched the report Thursday at COP27, the United Nations’ annual climate conference taking place in Egypt.