Environmentalists are concerned that endangered animals like elephants and chimpanzees will be impacted by the oil pipeline.The East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline is said to create thousands of jobs and boost government revenues.
Opponents, including Ugandan activists, European Parliament members and Western environmental groups, argue that the project — which will involve drilling hundreds of oil wells in and around nature reserves — will destroy delicate ecosystems and increase emissions at a time when the world should be moving away from fossil fuels.
Environmentalists have raised concerns that endangered animals like elephants and chimpanzees will be impacted as the pipeline cuts through four nature reserves. But developers say that because 80% of the pipeline will be underground, the vegetation that will be cleared for construction will grow back, allowing animals to roam free.
TotalEnergies is making efforts to minimise emissions from operations by powering pumping stations along the pipeline with solar energy and has signed an agreement with governments to develop renewable power projects for the local population, a company spokesperson said in a statement.
Arena was among the EU parliamentarians that last September pushed forward a resolution highlighting human rights abuses linked to EACOP, and warning about the project's environmental, social and climate impact, including the risk of displacement of about 100 000 people. "For a while Africa has struggled with an implied trade-off between economic growth and prosperity in one hand, and environmental sustainability in the other," Kenyan President William Ruto said in a speech to the Pan-African Parliament last month.