TotalEnergies to face European Parliament on controversial pipeline project
Total Energies will appear before the EU Parliament to address the development of the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline.
The highly controversial pipeline expected to run from Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania threatens to displace thousands of locals. Environmental groups charge that the project will have devastating impacts on wildlife as well as critical water resources including the Lake Victoria Basin. In September, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the project, angering Uganda’s government as well as the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), a key stakeholder.
The project has seen resistance from activists, who are concerned that 40 million people in East Africa will lose access to water for drinking and farming. Protesters in Uganda were arrested last week after demonstrating against the pipeline. On the corporate front, Barclays, Credit Suisse and Allianze have all announced that they will not provide financing for the project, citing their interests in transitioning their holdings away from fossil fuels.
Uganda’s government, and the CNOOC have announced that the project will go as planned. Uganda has stated that if Total Energies backs out following today’s session with the EU, they will seek out other partners. The EU will likely recommend an alternate route that avoids Lake Albert in the hopes of reducing environmental and human damages incurred by the pipeline.
