The Right to be Forgotten: Balancing Privacy and the Public's Right to KnowS Know

The September 2025 Carbon Minefields monitor reports that while licensing activity may decline slightly compared to 2024, significant global expansion continues. In August 2025, 8,700 square kilometers of acreage were awarded, with oil and gas volumes reaching their highest point for this stage of the year in five years. Over the past 12 months, 492 new licences were awarded, which could emit 1,777.8 MtCO2 if fully combusted. National oil companies (NOCs) are key drivers, acquiring over one third of these licences and accounting for half of global production. Future outlooks indicate 77 licences currently open or under evaluation and 454 additional blocks in planning, with China having the largest planned block emissions at approximately 2,670.4 MtCO2.

• Global oil and gas licensing volumes in 2025 have reached their highest levels for this point in the year over the last five years, despite a projected slight decline in overall activity compared to 2024 due to auction delays.
• National oil companies (NOCs) are central to global expansion, holding 40% of industry investment and producing half of global oil and gas; they acquired more than one third of the 492 new exploration licences awarded in the last 12 months.
• Recent licensing activity continues to conflict with the 1.5°C climate target, with 492 licences awarded in the last year potentially emitting 1,777.8 MtCO2. In August alone, new offshore licences in Trinidad and Tobago and Côte d’Ivoire could unlock 15.1 million barrels of oil and 493.0 billion cubic feet of gas, releasing roughly 35.8 million tonnes of CO2.
• Industry investment in exploration remains high, with USD 26.5 billion in CapEx attracted by projects awarded over the last 12 months. Major contributors include ONGC, Eni, and Shell, who together committed USD 7.2 billion.
• Future expansion plans involve 77 licences currently open or under evaluation and 454 blocks in planning, which could collectively release over 20,000 MtCO2. China has the highest planned block emissions at approximately 2,670.4 MtCO2.

APA

Rossi, E. (2025). The Right to be Forgotten: Balancing Privacy and the Public's Right to KnowS Know. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/newsletter/september-2025-carbon-minefields

Chicago

Rossi, Elena. The Right to be Forgotten: Balancing Privacy and the Public's Right to KnowS Know. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/publications/newsletter/september-2025-carbon-minefields.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rossi |first1=Elena |title=The Right to be Forgotten: Balancing Privacy and the Public's Right to KnowS Know |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=25 September 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/newsletter/september-2025-carbon-minefields |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rossi2025right, author = {Rossi, Elena}, title = {{The Right to be Forgotten: Balancing Privacy and the Public's Right to KnowS Know}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/newsletter/september-2025-carbon-minefields}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }