What’s going on here?
An investigation from the Environmental Investigation Agency has revealed that Colombia’s biggest oil firm, Ecopetrol, has been polluting the environment whilst deceiving communities and authorities about its environmental track record.
The Iguana Papers, a collection of leaked documents from a former employee, document the breadth the Colombian oil giant went to hide its environmental and social degradation, putting profit and GDP over the lives and wellbeing of people and nature. From underreporting oil spills as low risk, failing to disclose over 600 instances of environmental damages such as contamination of soil and waterways, through to tracking the movements of over 1,200 individuals who live in nature sites near its operations, as one of the ten largest national oil companies in the world by assets, EcoPetrol has a lot to answer for.
What does this mean?
EcoPetrol’s largest oil refinery is situated in the Middle Magdalena, a highly diverse wetland ecosystem, home to endangered endemic species such as the Antillean Manatee, Brown Spider Monkey and the Red-Footed Tortoise, as well as migratory bird species. Oil pollution in this region threatens to disrupt this unique, precious ecosystem. EIA’s investigation uncovered heavy metals and hydrocarbon contamination in the Middle Magdalena wetlands, posing a severe threat to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
Communities who depend on the Magdalena wetland basin for their livelihood have previously stood up to this environmental degradation, however Ecopetrol reportedly responded by implementing a surveillance system to monitor key voices in the community. More alarmingly, cartel involvement was allegedly used to intimidate activists, including issuing death threats.
In addition to unreported environmental degradation, undercover audios revealed that EcoPetrol underreported their Greenhouse gas emissions to the Colombian authorities in 2018. Furthermore, an investigation by the US company Earthworks alongside Colombian activists revealed in March to April 2023 that EcoPetrol illegally released methane emissions going against international commitments and Colombian law.
Why should we care?
The extensive and coordinated cover up by EcoPetrol including an environmental non compliance and liability database, produced to mitigate corporate risk, reveals the extent to which oil companies will go to, to protect their profitable assets, oil and gas.
Ecopetrol boasted in its Integrated Sustainable Management Report of its ‘over five years with zero barrels spilled and zero incidents”, however in its own private database recorded 218 incidents for the year 2018 alone. More worryingly, despite the whistleblower, Andrés Olarte Peña, filing over 100 complaints to Colombian authorities, no action has been taken. On an international scale Colombia has been dubbed as a methane champion due to its commitments in reducing methane gas, having pledged to World Bank and UN-led initiatives such as the Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 Initiative. It was the first country in Latin America to mandate methane emission reductions from the fossil fuel sector. As the biggest oil company, accurate greenhouse gas reporting is central to Colombia’s international commitments and reporting under the United Nations Framework on Convention on Climate Change.
Deceiving authorities about the extent to polluting activities derails global commitments to mitigate climate change, which puts key ecosystems like the Middle Magdalena wetland under immense pressure. Not only this, but there is also the damage to communities who are impacted directly through environmental pollution.
Be Curious!
- Read the full report on the EIA website
- Read People defending land to the death
- Watch Life at 50°C: Water Crisis Colombia
Featured Image by Michaelmep via pixabay
