US plans to exploit Venezuela's oil reserves could lead to catastrophic climate consequences by depleting the world's remaining carbon budget by 2050. According to an exclusive analysis, Venezuela's vast oil reserves, if fully exploited, would account for nearly a tenth of the global carbon budget that aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The prospect is alarming as Venezuela's oil reserves are already among the most valuable in the world, with some estimates suggesting they could exhaust the entire carbon budget on their own. However, the reality is far more complex due to Venezuela's deteriorating infrastructure and the country's political instability following the recent kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro.
In a move that has sparked widespread criticism, US President Donald Trump has urged oil companies to invest $100 billion in Venezuela's oil sector, with some projections suggesting the growth of oil production could reach historic levels. However, experts warn that this would not only have devastating environmental consequences but also put pressure on climate goals and risk plunging the world further into climate catastrophe.
A recent analysis by ClimatePartner highlights the carbon intensity of Venezuela's oil reserves, which are classified as one of the filthiest in the world due to their high sulphur content. The analysis found that extracting these oils would consume 13% of the total remaining carbon budget, equivalent to nearly a decade of emissions from the entire EU.
The consequences of such an action are dire, with environmental campaigners labeling it "reckless and dangerous". Mads Christensen, executive director of Greenpeace International, noted that "the only safe path forward is a just transition away from fossil fuels" to protect health, safeguard ecosystems, and support communities rather than sacrificing them for short-term profit.
The decision to ramp up production of Venezuela's most carbon-intensive crude oils would be a major setback in the global effort to address climate change. As experts warn, such an action would not only exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions but also undermine efforts to transition towards renewable energy and low-carbon solutions.
The prospect is alarming as Venezuela's oil reserves are already among the most valuable in the world, with some estimates suggesting they could exhaust the entire carbon budget on their own. However, the reality is far more complex due to Venezuela's deteriorating infrastructure and the country's political instability following the recent kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro.
In a move that has sparked widespread criticism, US President Donald Trump has urged oil companies to invest $100 billion in Venezuela's oil sector, with some projections suggesting the growth of oil production could reach historic levels. However, experts warn that this would not only have devastating environmental consequences but also put pressure on climate goals and risk plunging the world further into climate catastrophe.
A recent analysis by ClimatePartner highlights the carbon intensity of Venezuela's oil reserves, which are classified as one of the filthiest in the world due to their high sulphur content. The analysis found that extracting these oils would consume 13% of the total remaining carbon budget, equivalent to nearly a decade of emissions from the entire EU.
The consequences of such an action are dire, with environmental campaigners labeling it "reckless and dangerous". Mads Christensen, executive director of Greenpeace International, noted that "the only safe path forward is a just transition away from fossil fuels" to protect health, safeguard ecosystems, and support communities rather than sacrificing them for short-term profit.
The decision to ramp up production of Venezuela's most carbon-intensive crude oils would be a major setback in the global effort to address climate change. As experts warn, such an action would not only exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions but also undermine efforts to transition towards renewable energy and low-carbon solutions.
What's next? Are we gonna let China just go wild on their carbon emissions too? 
This is exactly what I said it would come to if we didn't take climate change seriously. The EU's carbon budget is already being stretched thin, and you wanna suck up another 13% of that? That's like trying to put out a fire with gasoline... just not gonna end well 
We need to get real about renewable energy and invest in our future, not the fossil fuel industry's last-ditch efforts to keep making bank 
, and it'd be insane to ignore that, right? But then again, extracting all that oil would basically guarantee the world is toast by 2050 
... like, what's the point of having a trillion bucks if we're just gonna lose everything in the end?
Like, do we really want to sacrifice our future for some quick cash? And it's not even like Venezuela's oil is clean or anything - high sulphur content = bad news 
. The EU's already getting hammered by emissions... can't imagine what would happen if we add more to the mix.
and an environmental activist 
... which one is it, me? 
I FEEL SO APPALLED BY THE US PLAN TO EXPLOIT VENEZUELA'S OIL RESERVES!!! IT WOULD BE LIKE THROWING GAS ON A FIRE 
AND WATCHING IT SPREAD. CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL AND WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION, NOT MAKE THINGS WORSE 
. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES LIKE SOLAR AND WIND POWER 
. THE CONSEQUENCES OF EXPLOITING VENEZUELA'S OIL RESERVES COULD BE CATASTROPHIC AND WE CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE THAT RISK 
. LET'S WORK TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE, NOT JUST FOR OURSELVES BUT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME 
.
13% of the total remaining carbon budget would be consumed just from extracting those oils? that's like, a decade of emissions from the entire EU! 
let's do this, folks! 
. The thought of depleting our entire carbon budget by 2050 is just too much to handle 
. I mean, we're already talking about catastrophic climate consequences... what if the world can't even cope? 
. The country's infrastructure and politics are already in shambles... this just makes me think that it's only a matter of time before something goes terribly wrong 
, but on the other hand, fossil fuels are literally killing us 
. I wish we could find a better solution... like investing in renewable energy or something 
. But until then, it's just us humans being reckless and short-sighted 
. We need to think about the future of our planet and all its inhabitants 
.
, if they really exhaust the entire carbon budget on their own it's game over for us, no way we can keep up with that kinda emissions...we need to switch to renewables ASAP 
can't believe ppl still dont take climate change seriouslly tho the usa is like "we gonna make america oil again" lol meanwhile venezuela is strugglin with politcs and stuff idk why they gotta keep exploitin their resources it's not like they need the money that badly anyway 100 billion investment? like, what's the plan for when we're all drowning in carbon emissions 
. I mean, what's Trump thinking? Does he know what he's unleashing? The whole thing just feels like a recipe for catastrophe