Environment Governance Institute (EGI) has urged developed countries to stop support through Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) for fossil fuel developments and large hydro-power dams in Uganda that undermine the Paris agreement.
Development Diaries understands that this call was made because, according to EGI, the ECA support aggravates climate change, destroys the environment, heightens human rights violations, and leaves local communities disenfranchised.
In a report, titled, A Just Energy Transition for Africa? Mapping the impacts of ECAs active in the energy sector in Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, and Uganda, the EGI revealed that since the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement, rich countries have provided almost 50 times as much support through ECAs for fossil fuel-related projects in the four African countries.
It also revealed that rich countries insured energy projects with a total value of 11 billion US dollars and more than half of this export support is related to fossil fuels.
It was noted that people and nature part of the research was also based on reports from local communities in Uganda that have been affected by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) supported by the UK ECA UKEF.
People had to leave their land and water they depend on to pave way for this fossil fuel project and they were hardly compensated for this, with many ending up living in poverty, according to the report.
‘Such projects have left people worse off than they were, these are communities that already have to deal with impacts of climate change such as food insecurity’, a member of EGI, Samuel Aede, said.
‘These developed countries must rethink their ECA-related support towards sustainable energy projects’.
For his part, Senior Policy Advisor at Both ENDS, Niels Hazekamp, said, ‘Despite international climate agreements and national climate ambitions, export credit agencies continue to support fossil energy projects abroad on a large scale.
‘This undermines the Paris Climate Targets. Export credit agencies hardly play a role in ensuring green, sustainable projects.
‘This report once again makes us wonder whether ECAs are able to make the changes that are urgently needed’.
Source: PML Daily
Photo source: Gerard
