From Mexico to Patagonia, the expansion of fossil gas is leaving a devastating footprint: ravaged forests, contaminated seas, and sick communities.
What was once presented as a ” transitional fuel ” is now revealed as a climate setback factor, as warned by The Climate Reality Project Latin America during Climate Week New York 2025.
Four tragedies, one common pattern: fossil gas is destruction
Emblematic cases in Argentina, Mexico, and Ecuador expose the social and environmental impacts of the extractivist model.
- Vaca Muerta: fracking contaminates rivers and soils with toxic waste
- Sonora: a gas pipeline threatens the marine ecosystem known as the “Aquarium of the World”
- Ecuadorian Amazon: gas burning makes communities sick, despite legal rulings in favor of health
- Iztapalapa, Mexico City: gas tank explosion leaves dozens dead and injured
“Fossil gas is not a transition, it is destruction,” states Climate Reality.
Energetic greenwashing: the myth of “natural” gas
The narrative of clean gas hides its true climate and health impacts.
The International Energy Agency warns that to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, no new fossil projects should be opened. However, in the last decade, Latin America has allocated more than 950,000 km² to gas and oil explorations, a larger area than Venezuela, with Mexico and Brazil as the main focuses.
Each new well, each new pipeline, represents:
- More methane emissions, 80 times more potent than CO₂
- Loss of biodiversity and carbon sinks
- Increase in respiratory and chronic diseases in nearby communities
COP30: an opportunity to redefine the regional energy future
The climate summit in Belém will be key to exclude fossil gas as a transition option.
Paragraph 29 of the Global Balance of the Paris Agreement could mark a turning point. Science is clear: each new gas project takes us further away from the 1.5 °C limit.
The region needs political will, community awareness, and binding commitments to halt fossil expansion.
Clean energy and climate justice: the possible path
Uruguay demonstrates that the transition is viable, with 98% of its electricity coming from renewable sources.
The exit from fossil gas must be:
- Fair and equitable, without leaving communities behind
- Based on renewable energies such as solar, wind, and biomass
- Sustained by public policies and citizen participation
“The question is urgent: will Latin America continue to be trapped in the fossil mirage or will it opt for a renewable and just future?”
