From the Amazon to Belém: the fight for climate justice must end corporate impunity

The author, representing the Union of People Affected by Texaco-now Chevron, asserts that the climate crisis is a result of corporate power and a global system that protects polluters. Using Chevron's actions in Ecuador—including the dumping of 60 billion litres of toxic waste and the use of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) systems to evade a US$ 9.5 billion judgment—as a primary example, the text calls for the dismantling of pro-corporate legal frameworks. The author argues that without holding transnational corporations accountable, climate pledges remain hollow, and urges the global climate movement to prioritize justice for affected communities at COP30.

• Chevron caused extensive environmental damage in the Ecuadorian Amazon by dumping over 60 billion litres of toxic waste into rivers and leaving 880 open pits of poison across 480 hectares of rainforest, generating tens of billions in profits.
• Despite an Ecuadorian court order for Chevron to pay US$ 9.5 billion for cleanup and compensation, the company has used retaliatory lawsuits and international arbitration to avoid payment.
• Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) systems are described as secretive, pro-corporate legal mechanisms that allow transnational corporations to sue states over environmental regulations and evade responsibility for human rights abuses.
• The intersection of corporate crime and climate collapse in the Ecuadorian Amazon was evidenced in 2024 by a severe drought that left communities isolated and forced people to drink water contaminated with oil and mining waste.

APA

Fajardo, P. (2025). From the Amazon to Belém: the fight for climate justice must end corporate impunity. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/fight-for-climate-justice-must-end-corporate-impunity/

Chicago

Fajardo, Pablo. From the Amazon to Belém: the fight for climate justice must end corporate impunity. Friends of the Earth International, 2025. https://www.foei.org/fight-for-climate-justice-must-end-corporate-impunity/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Fajardo |first1=Pablo |title=From the Amazon to Belém: the fight for climate justice must end corporate impunity |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=25 June 2025 |url=https://www.foei.org/fight-for-climate-justice-must-end-corporate-impunity/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{fajardo2025from, author = {Fajardo, Pablo}, title = {{From the Amazon to Belém: the fight for climate justice must end corporate impunity}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://www.foei.org/fight-for-climate-justice-must-end-corporate-impunity/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }