- As TotalEnergies announced over $16 billion in profits this morning at their 2021 results presentation, the highest of any company in France’s history, climate activists and community members called out the oil giant for putting profits over people, due to its involvement in the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project.
EACOP has faced continued opposition from communities and climate activists, citing threats to the environment and livelihoods of communities in the area. TotalEnergies and its partners recently announced that they had reached a Final Investment Decision on EACOP, indicating willingness to go ahead with the project, but climate activists are optimistic that it will not secure funding to see the project through.
This scenario is seemingly more likely, as 4 more banks pulled out of the EACOP this week, bringing to 15, the number of banks that have distanced themselves from the project. Activists and affected communities are piling pressure on financial institutions that are yet to take a clear stand on EACOP, to stop the flow of funding into the project that has already displaced thousands.
Landry Ninteretse, 350Africa.org Regional Director, said,
“TotalEnergies has been associated with opaque contracts, lack of accountability and violation of basic rights of grassroots communities across Africa and beyond. Total continues to invest heavily and almost exclusively in oil and gas across the world, causing unbearable suffering and injustices to communities living near operation sites in Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Nigeria, etc, making efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees almost impossible. TotalEnergies should immediately halt any new oil and gas projects, starting with EACOP, a project that not only poses a threat to sensitive ecosystems in East Africa, but has also resulted in widespread displacement, loss of livelihoods and human rights violations.”
Omar Elmawi, #StopEACOP coordinator said,
“TotalEnergies is putting profits over people and it shows. Communities in Uganda and Tanzania have been fighting tirelessly against the planned EACOP pipeline and the trail of destruction it is already leaving in its wake. At a time when scientists call for the phasing out of fossil fuel projects, to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, it is ill-advised and irresponsible to go ahead with this project, while ignoring the cries of those most affected.”
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
Source: 350Africa.org
