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25% of the world's population dwells within three miles of operational oil, gas, and coal facilities, likely risking the health of over 2bn individuals as well as critical environmental systems, based on first-of-its-kind analysis.

Worldwide Presence of Fossil Fuel Operations

In excess of 18.3k oil, gas, and coal facilities are currently distributed across one hundred seventy nations around the world, occupying a vast expanse of the planet's surface.

Closeness to wellheads, refineries, transport lines, and additional coal and gas installations increases the danger of tumors, respiratory conditions, cardiac problems, preterm labor, and mortality, while also causing serious dangers to water supplies and air cleanliness, and damaging terrain.

Close Proximity Dangers and Planned Growth

Approximately half a billion people, encompassing 124 million children, now dwell less than one kilometer of coal and gas locations, while a further 3.5k or so upcoming projects are now planned or under development that could require over 130 million more people to endure fumes, burning, and accidents.

Most active operations have established pollution zones, turning nearby communities and vital environments into so-called disposable areas – heavily polluted locations where low-income and vulnerable groups shoulder the unequal load of contact to pollution.

Health and Ecological Consequences

This analysis outlines the devastating medical toll from drilling, treatment, and movement, as well as illustrating how leaks, burning, and development destroy irreplaceable natural ecosystems and undermine civil liberties – notably of those living in proximity to oil, natural gas, and coal facilities.

This occurs as world leaders, excluding the US – the biggest past producer of greenhouse gases – gather in Belém, the South American nation, for the thirtieth global climate conference during growing disappointment at the slow advancement in phasing out coal, oil, and gas, which are leading to global ecological crisis and civil liberties infringements.

"Oil and gas companies and their public supporters have argued for decades that economic growth requires coal, oil, and gas. But we know that in the name of prosperity, they have rather promoted greed and earnings without red lines, violated liberties with near-complete exemption, and harmed the air, natural world, and oceans."

Global Talks and Global Demand

Cop30 occurs as the Philippines, Mexico, and the Caribbean island are suffering from extreme weather events that were intensified by warmer atmospheric and ocean heat levels, with nations under growing pressure to take decisive steps to regulate oil and gas companies and stop extraction, government funding, permits, and demand in order to adhere to a significant decision by the international court of justice.

Recently, reports revealed how more than over 5.3k coal and petroleum advocates have been given access to the UN global conferences in the past four years, blocking emission reductions while their employers drill for historic volumes of oil and gas.

Research Approach and Data

The quantitative analysis is derived from a first-of-its-kind geospatial effort by scientists who cross-referenced data on the documented positions of coal and gas operations projects with population information, and collections on essential habitats, climate releases, and tribal land.

A third of all active petroleum, coal mining, and gas facilities coincide with one or more key ecosystems such as a marsh, forest, or aquatic network that is abundant in wildlife and critical for carbon sequestration or where environmental deterioration or calamity could lead to environmental breakdown.

The real global scale is likely higher due to deficiencies in the recording of fossil fuel projects and restricted census records across countries.

Environmental Inequity and Tribal Peoples

The findings reveal deep-seated ecological inequity and racism in exposure to oil, gas, and coal industries.

Indigenous peoples, who comprise 5% of the global people, are unequally vulnerable to life-shortening fossil fuel operations, with one in six facilities situated on tribal territories.

"We're experiencing multi-generational resistance weariness … Our bodies won't survive [this]. We have never been the starters but we have taken the force of all the conflict."

The spread of fossil fuels has also been linked with property seizures, traditional loss, population conflict, and income reduction, as well as violence, internet intimidation, and court cases, both penal and non-criminal, against community leaders peacefully resisting the development of transport lines, mining sites, and additional operations.

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