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Protecting life and vital ecosystems in Guyana & beyond
Melinda Janki is the recipient of the 6th Commonwealth Law Conference Rule of Law award. She is an international lawyer opposing dangerous deep sea oil and gas exploitation offshore Guyana.
Stopping these projects is non-negotiable for the ocean, the atmosphere, and life on earth — the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The practice
Challenging
Oil & Gas
Greenhouse gas pollution causes global overheating, climate system breakdown and ocean acidification. Enough is enough. Fossil fuels cost the earth.
Protecting the
natural world
We are part of an intricate natural system. For millennia, the natural world has provided us with: air, water, food and meaning. We must live in harmony with the earth and our more than human companions.
Defending indigenous
& native rights
From Guyana to West Papua and beyond, indigenous and native peoples have the right to self-determination and land ownership
Meet Melinda
Opposing a desperate and reckless fossil fuel industry in Guyana; writing national laws to protect nature and indigenous and local people; and winning victories in landmark court cases.
Court Cases
Browse the case files here for the top-line details. Click through to learn more. View all cases here.
Radzik and Henry v Environmental Protection Agency and Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd., 2022
Radik and Henry claimed that the EPA acted… They asked the court to quash the Esso’s renewed permit, to issue an order to the EPA to stop Esso from carrying out petroleum operations, to make declarations of law that the renewal of a permit requires a new EIA and that the EPA is in breach of its public disclosure obligations. The matter was heard on 20th April 2023. The judge did not give a decision until 26th February 2024 when she dismissed the case. The matter is now on appeal to the Court of Appeal.
Double
the number of climate change related cases since 2015
95% reduction
in global coal use needed by 2050 to limit global overheating to 1.5°C
$55 Billion
worth of fossil gas was squandered through flaring 2021
$295 billion
per year needed in developing countries by 2050 to adapt to climate change
Media
German documentaries, American podcasts, Guyanese newspapers; fighting fossil fuels, defending the planet and upholding the rule of law has sparked interest across the globe. Browse publications related to my work below.
Read
Watch
Janki blogs
When time allows, which is occasionally, I write longer format articles. For my fellow Earth dwellers sharing these challenging times, I hope these stories will enliven and enlighten you; for the bad actors among my website visitors, learn to live with love! Please view the full blog index here.
