Page 5 - DMEA Week 38 2022

DMEA COMMENTARY DMEA

The emergency resolution, which was adopted Environment Management Authority (NEMA),
by a large majority on September 15, “seeks to stated that the government had made a point of
deny Ugandans and East Africans the benefits studying the projects thoroughly before giv-
and opportunities from the oil and gas sector,” ing the green light. “I wish to assure Ugandans
he asserted. “This represents the highest form of that [the] environmental and social impacts of
economic racism against developing countries.” Tilenga, Kingfisher and East Africa Crude Oil
Furthermore, he said, “Uganda is a devel- Pipeline projects were assessed by NEMA using
oping country and a sovereign state that has the globally accepted standard approach of
its unique development needs and priorities. I avoidance, minimisation, restoration and offset
therefore call upon the [European Parliament] mechanism,” he said.
to withdraw the motion for a resolution that is Akankwasah also pushed back against alle-
against the UN Charter [and] that provides for gations that studies of the project had not met
Uganda’s right to self-determination and sover- international standards. “The process followed
eignty over its natural resources.” international best practices and global stand-
Tayebwa also blasted the MEPs’ focus on the ards, with [the] technical backstopping of the
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to be gener- time-tested Norwegian Environment Agency,”
ated by EACOP and the Lake Albert Develop- he was quoted as saying by The Observer.
ment Project (LADP), arguing that Europe was Peter Muliisa, head of legal and corporate
taking a hypocritical stance. “It is imprudent to affairs at Uganda National Oil Co. (UNOC),
say that Uganda’s oil projects will exacerbate cli- spoke similarly, emphasising that plans for
mate change, yet it is a fact that the EU bloc, with EACOP and LADP had been examined and
only 10% of the world’s population, is responsi- reviewed thoroughly and carefully. “Envi-
ble for 25% of global emissions, and Africa, with ronmental impact assessments were done,
20% of the world’s population, is responsible for reevaluated and re-audited before the projects
3% of emissions,” he remarked. commenced,” he said.
“The EU and other Western countries are
historically responsible for climate change,” he More PR campaigns to come
continued. “Who then should stop or slow down Were all these public statements truly necessary?
on development of natural resources? Certainly After all, the European Parliament has no power
not Africa or Uganda.” to enforce the resolution.
TotalEnergies, for its part, is siding with Nevertheless, the measure did call upon EU
Kampala. In a statement cited by The Observer, member states and the international commu-
a Ugandan newspaper, on September 19, it said: nity to apply “maximum pressure” on Uganda
“Uganda and Tanzania are sovereign states that – and on Tanzania, which will host the longest
have made the strategic choice to exploit their section of EACOP – regarding claims of human Ugandan
natural resources to contribute to the develop- rights abuses and potential environmental harm
ment of their countries. They chose TotalEner- related to the pipeline project. That is, it invoked government
gies, guaranteeing the implementation of the the European Parliament’s power of the pulpit,
best social and environmental standards with as it were – the power to draw a certain amount agencies have
a project that will emit significantly less carbon of public attention to the matter. sought to play up
than the current average.” That is a matter of concern for Uganda’s
government – and for TotalEnergies and other the safety and
Ugandan officials speak up stakeholders. PR campaigns are the reason
Since the vote on September 15, Ugandan gov- why dozens of major international commercial environmental
ernment agencies have sought to play up the banks and insurers have opted not to participate
safety and environmental protection measures in efforts to secure financing and risk insurance protection
incorporated into EACOP and LADP. for EACOP, and the success they have already measures
The Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), enjoyed ensures that there will be more such
for instance, pointed out that the pipeline would initiatives incorporates into
incorporate leak detection and prevention EACOP is the midstream component of
mechanisms that would make spills less likely. LADP, a $10bn initiative that aims to monetise EACOP and LADP
“To protect the pipeline from external damage, Uganda’s as-yet untapped crude oil resources. It
a fibre-optic cable with intrusion detection capa- envisions the construction of a 1,443-km pipe-
bilities will be installed along the pipeline to pro- line from Hoima in western Uganda to Tanga,
vide a warning to the operators and government a port on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast, at a
in case there is any excavation attempt within the cost of about $4bn. The conduit will carry oil
right of way,” it explained in a statement. from the Tilenga and Kingfisher oilfields, which
PAU also highlighted efforts to minimise TotalEnergies (France) and China National
the GHG emissions intensity of the project, Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) are due to bring
stressing that stakeholders had never ignored online in 2025, and it will be heated to compen-
climate concerns. “To minimise greenhouse gas sate for the waxy nature of the crude.
emissions, EACOP will be powered by hydroe- The Lake Albert fields will eventually see
lectricity from the national grid in Uganda, and yields top 250,000 barrels per day, with 216,000
a solarisation project has been inbuilt into the bpd flowing to world markets via EACOP. The
project in Tanzania,” it noted. remaining barrels will be directed to a refinery
Meanwhile, Dr. Barirega Akankwasah, that will be built in Uganda to serve domestic
the executive director of Uganda’s National and regional petroleum product markets. ™

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