The Climate Question - Why did Ecuador vote to stop drilling for oil?

Download Why did Ecuador vote to stop drilling for oil?

The Yasuni National Park in Ecuador forms part of the Amazon rainforest and is one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet.

It also produces 60,000 barrels of oil per day.

In a recent referendum, held as part of Ecuador’s Presidential elections, people voted to stop drilling for oil – including the newly elected President Daniel Noboa.

We visit the town of El Coca – the gateway to the park - where the result thrilled people who are concerned about the climate. But many, especially those whose livelihoods depend on the oil industry, feel the opposite.

Presenter Sophie Eastaugh speaks to:
Lisette Arevalo, reporter in Ecuador
Alejandra Santillana, activist with Yasunidos group in Ecuador who campaigned for the vote
Fernando Santos, Ecuador’s Energy & Mining Minister
Tessa Khan, climate lawyer and cofounder of the Climate Litigation Network, UK
Navraj Singh Ghaleigh, Senior Lecturer in climate law at Edinburgh University, UK

Email us: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

Presenter: Sophie Eastaugh
Producer: Greg Brosnan
Production co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Jacqui Johnson
Series Producer: Alex Lewis
Editor: China Collins
Sound mix: Tom Brignell

Published on Saturday, 28th October 2023.

Available Podcasts from The Climate Question

Subscribe to The Climate Question

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the The Climate Question webpage.