The hidden impact of the green transition has been exposed by an indigenous leader, who warns that the environmental progress promoted by Western nations heavily relies on the exploitation of resources and communities in regions such as Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Ecuadorian activist Darío Iza Pilaquinga argues that the ecological transition should not be justified if it involves inequality and environmental degradation.
Denouncing the hidden cost in the global south
During a recent tour of Europe, the president of the Government Council of the Kitu Kara people sought support to highlight the plight of indigenous peoples in Ecuador and denounce the social and environmental consequences of the current extractive model.
Darío Iza Pilaquinga demands a change in the global economy, ensuring that environmental protection should not be built at the expense of the intensive exploitation of indigenous territories and natural resources.
Indigenous activism challenges the ecological narrative of developed nations, pointing out that they strive to conceal the plundering of resources in the southern hemisphere. The transition to clean technologies promotes an aggressive mining colonization of ancestral lands, destroying communities.
The demand for metals such as lithium and fossil fuels is devastating vulnerable areas in Latin America. This process perpetuates an unequal decarbonization model, where Western powers clean their skies while harming entire ecosystems on the other side of the world.
For Darío Iza Pilaquinga, the reality of many territories in the global south is dissonant with the international discourse on sustainability, amid the increase in mining and energy exploitation.
The indigenous leader emphasizes that the materials needed for the energy transition are extracted in areas inhabited by indigenous communities that suffer the environmental and social consequences.
In his view, decarbonization should not only measure emission reductions but also respect human rights and preserve ecosystems.
During his visit to Europe, he questioned the origin of materials used in electric mobility and the energy transition.
As an example, he mentioned the lithium from Bolivia and the coal from Colombia, whose exploitation, he claims, affects indigenous and rural communities.
His message highlights the importance of integrating broader social and environmental criteria into international decarbonization policies.
Pilaquinga expressed concern about the political and environmental situation in Ecuador, where the area allocated to mining projects has increased, leading to territorial conflicts and the criminalization of environmental defenders.
The activist finds this situation worrying, especially since Ecuador was one of the first countries to legally recognize the rights of nature.
During his tour, he met with leaders in Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Spain to establish new international alliances.
With an eye on the upcoming COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, he seeks to ensure greater representation of indigenous demands in the global climate debate.
His main demand is that environmental policies include effective protection mechanisms for local communities affected by resource extraction.
Pilaquinga’s statements revive the concept of environmental justice, which assesses how the benefits and impacts of economic development and the energy transition are distributed.
International and social organizations demand that the fight against climate change incorporate human rights, community participation, and biodiversity conservation.
The debate also encompasses the traceability of critical raw materials and the need for more sustainable and transparent supply chains.
In Ecuador, the expansion of mining licenses causes social conflicts and the persecution of community leaders. This increase in environmental violence is paradoxical in a country that legally protects nature.
An international delegation is working to form alliances before the global climate summit in Turkey, the COP31. The goal is to demand binding mechanisms that prevent funding energy projects without indigenous consent.
The call of an indigenous leader on the green transition coincides with a crucial moment for global climate policy, where the transition to a low-carbon economy must also ensure more equitable environmental justice.
Darío Iza Pilaquinga, president of the Government Council of the Kitu Kara people and anthropologist, indigenous rights defender, and environmentalist, states that the Western energy transition depends on intensive extraction in indigenous territories of Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
