Yasuní-ITT

	Source: Climate Alliance
	Source: Climate Alliance

With the Yasuní-ITT Initiative, Ecuador has made an innovative suggestion to the rest of the world: the oil deposits (approx. 900 million barrels) located beneath the Yasuní National Park in the Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini (ITT) block in the country’s north-east are not to be exploited. Instead, half of the anticipated income is to be supplied by the international community.

The Yasuní National Park is one of the most species-rich rainforest regions in the world and has been named a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. This would be irretrievably destroyed by exploitation of the oil. The associated consequences would affect the region’s people and environment.

After three years of negotiations and preparations, Ecuador’s government and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) signed the agreement for establishment of the Yasuní-ITT trust fund on 3 August, 2010. The atmosphere has thus been spared 410 billion tons of CO2. The living space of several indigenous peoples including the Tagaeri and Taroemanane tribes who live in voluntary isolation will also remain untouched. The Yasuní trust fund will be used to supply renewable energies as well as for social projects and environmental protection.

Ecuador’s government wants to initiate sustainable development of the country with the monies together with the international community. Further investments are to be made in renewable energies, social projects and environmental protection. Over the next 1.5 years, 100 million dollars are to be raised worldwide for the fund and, at the same time, ongoing negotiations about exploitation of the oil fields also permanently halted.

Yasuni-ITT Dokumentary 2009

Yasuní-ITT Trust Fund

The Trust Fund is established for receipt of contributions that support Ecuador’s decision to permanently forego the extraction of the Yasuni ITT oil fields. It has two Windows (Capital Fund Window and Revenue Fund Window) and will be administered by the Multi-Donor Trust Fund Office (MDTF Office) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Trust Fund will be governed and overseen by a six-person Steering Committee chaired by the Ecuadorian Government. The Steering Committee members will include 3 representatives of the Government, 2 representatives of contributing countries and one  representative of the Ecuadorian civil society.

More information:

• Ban Ki-moon commends Ecuador’s efforts on democracy, human rights, environment, 14 February 2011
• Deep in Ecuador’s Rainforest, A Plan to Forego an Oil Bonanza by Kelly Hearn for Yale Environment 360, Yale University
• Yasuni ITT: It’s Worth the Trust! by Liane Schalatek, Associate Director of the Washington Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation for Climate Equity
• Scientists Identify Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park As One of Most Biodiverse Places on Earth by Lee Clippard, College of Natural Sciences, Peter English, The University of Texas at Austin, and Matt Finer, Save America’s Forests
• Paying to keep oil in the ground by Kevin Gallagher for Guardian.co.uk.

Yasunízate!

On Sunday, 20 November 2011, the Yasunizate Campaign was launched in Ecuador and worldwide to mobilize support to the Yasuni ITT Trust Fund. It is a campaign led by Ecuador’s 24  provinces and Yasuni friends world-wide.

During the event national and international musicians, radio and television characters, scientists, academics, thinkers, opinion leaders reaffirming their commitment to save Yasuní were presented.

More information: http://yasunizate.org/web/ 

Further information in German

	Source: Climate Alliance

Yasuní – Two seconds of life

Bundesminister Niebel lehnt Unterstützung der Yasuní-ITT-Initiative ab [German federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dirk Niebel, turns down support for the Yasuní-ITT Initiative]

Resolution: Im Blickpunkt? Indigene Rechte in der deutschen Umwelt- und Entwicklungspolitik

Climate Alliance supports Ecuador’s Yasuní-ITT Initiative

Press conference in Brussels with Claude Turmes, MEP, and guests from Ecuador