Resolution to Examine California’s Role in Amazon Rainforest Oil Imports

The Associated Press reported last week that California lawmakers are now considering a resolution to investigate the state’s deepening ties to the Amazon rainforest oil industry, following a visit by Indigenous leaders from Ecuador. These leaders, representing communities directly impacted by oil extraction in the Amazon, traveled to California to draw attention to the environmental destruction and human rights violations tied to the state's consumption of Amazon crude. California currently imports 50% of Amazon's oil, more than any other jurisdiction in the world.

The Indigenous delegation's trip coincided with Ecuador’s plan to auction off over 2 million hectares of rainforest for oil drilling in 2026, a move that contradicts a 2023 national referendum banning oil extraction in Yasuni National Park.

State Senator Josh Becker introduced the resolution, commending the Indigenous communities for defending the rainforest, which is crucial for global climate stability. Becker emphasized that California’s climate leadership is undermined by its dependence on crude oil, which is linked to deforestation and cultural destruction.

Environmental groups like Amazon Watch called on California to end its “addiction to Amazon crude,” citing the oil’s contribution to biodiversity loss and Indigenous displacement. The proposed resolution, expected to be voted on soon, would mark the first formal state-level examination of California’s role in the destruction of the Amazon and its complicity in human rights abuses abroad.