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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.
Sinikka Henry, Sherlina Nageer and Andriska Thorington v Environmental Protection Agency and Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd., 2022
The case is brought by three women who claim that the EPA acted unlawfully when it ‘modified’ Esso’s environmental permit to allow Esso to flare gas. They ask the court to quash the ‘modified’ permit and to order the EPA to enforce the provisions of the previous permit to stop Esso from flaring and to require Esso to provide information about greenhouse gas pollution, venting, and various reports regarding the safety of Esso’s operations.
$55 billion
worth of fossil gas was squandered through flaring 2021
Methane is 80 times
more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas
139 billion cubic meters
of gas was flared worldwide in 2022
$18.74 million
worth of gas was flared in Guyana during 2022
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.
