A sweeping expansion of oil exploration in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has triggered alarm across the global environmental community. With 52 new oil blocks auctioned in 2025 bringing the total to 55 over 53% of the country’s land and inland waters are now covered by oil licenses, according to a damning new report from Earth Insight and local civil society groups.
This aggressive move threatens 124 million hectares of ecologically sensitive land, including the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, one of the planet’s largest carbon sinks. These peatlands hold 30 gigatons of carbon, equivalent to 20 years of U.S. fossil fuel emissions, and their disturbance could release vast amounts of CO₂ and methane, accelerating climate change irreversibly.
“These peatlands take thousands of years to form and can’t be restored if damaged. Once their carbon is released, it’s gone for good,” the report warns.
Oil vs Conservation: A Losing Battle
The new auction blocks overlap with 8.3 million hectares of protected areas and 8.6 million hectares of key biodiversity zones home to endangered gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, and rare plant species. Nearly 63% of all community forests fall within these oil blocks, and 39 million people, almost half of DRC’s population, could face direct impact from the auction’s fallout.
The report also criticizes the overlap of 28 new oil blocks with the Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor a conservation initiative announced just six months ago to protect 54 million hectares of Congo Basin forest. This overlap affects 72% of the corridor, threatening to fragment a critical ecological spine connecting eastern and southwestern DRC.
Civil Society Demands Cancellation
Despite the government excluding Virunga National Park a major win for campaigners activists argue that the broader damage far outweighs any symbolic gains. The report urges the DRC government to cancel the 2025 licensing round and prioritize community-led development over fossil fuel expansion.
“This is not just about DRC,” said Anna Bebbington of Earth Insight. “Destroying the Congo Basin’s forests and peatlands will have global consequences from biodiversity collapse to carbon emissions we simply can’t afford.”
The auction also appears to breach legal obligations under the Paris Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) laws meant to protect Indigenous and local communities.
Global Stakes, Local Frontlines
Spanning six countries, the Congo Basin is a vital lifeline for climate stability, regional food security, and endangered species. As fossil fuel interests clash with conservation goals, experts warn that short-term economic gains could come at permanent ecological and human cost.
Environmentalists are calling on international partners to back DRC’s transition to sustainable development models ones that uphold land rights, preserve biodiversity, and secure the future of one of Earth’s last great carbon frontiers.