© Aurore Vegas, FoE Europe

This week, a report by the lawyers at Uprights was released, which does an analysis of TotalEnergies’ Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) of the Mozambique LNG Project in Cabo Delgado. The HRDD, done by LKL Consulting in 2020, warned TotalEnergies that the violent conflict would continue, and that they were responsible for the safety of impacted communities in the area. TotalEnergies knew, but did nothing, and when the violent attack on Palma village took place in March 2021, which caused the company to announce a force majeure, it provided no security for the people it has impacted.

The HRDD also shows there is a major difference between what TotalEnergies’ commitments are to upholding human rights and what it actually does in reality, such as not paying adequate compensation.

But the Uprights report explains how the HRDD itself has many problems:
“It is incomplete and flawed in many ways. Even the consultants say that the way they gathered information was ‘insufficient’. It does not prioritise the armed conflict which is unacceptable when the project has been operating in a war since 2017, and does not show clearly the human rights impact of the project on the safety of communities in the conflict, and the impact on women. Civil society and communities waiting to be resettled were not consulted.”

Financiers cannot rely on due diligence reports written by consultants who are paid by the companies. If this project restarts, it will be a disaster for communities, the planet, the climate and the Mozambican economy, and keep fueling the war that has displaced 1 million people and left thousands dead. Banks and governments have the power to stop Mozambique LNG, and they must use it!

You can read the full report here: https://friendsoftheearth.eu/publication/totalenergies-fails-on-human-rights-in-mozambique-lng-project/

 

Conflicts between members of the communities affected by the Mozambique Holdings company’s plantations and its managers and employees in the Lugela district have been ongoing since the company begun its activities in the area. Until today, there is no information on how the land use title was transferred from Madal to Mozambique Holdings Lda, despite the numerous requests for information submitted to Government.

The affected communities claim that there was no community consultation process for the transfer of the land use title, and that they were allowed by Madal to use several areas under Madal’s title for food production. Since Mozambique Holdings Lda started operating, several community members lost their production areas without any compensation, as some of these areas were under Madal’s land title but always used by the communities.

JA! and the community associations have already denounced several situations of intimidation, threats, insults and even aggression against community members and the destruction of fields and stored foods. These situations were publicly denounced, and formal complaints were submitted to the relevant authorities, including the Police. The perpetrators of these acts are well known by all, they are and have been denounced and nothing has happened. Due to the increase and aggravation of conflict situations and the dissatisfaction of these communities, the District Administration intervened with the company in order to convince the company to allow the ommunities to use part of the lowlands for rice production and for the last two years this has been the case.

However, last Sunday, the 14th of May, two peasant women from the Namadoe community were in one of these low-lying areas planting cabbage when Mr. Binua, from Mozambique Holdings, who was driving by saw them there, he stopped his motorcycle and ran towards them. As they say, the two peasant sisters, as soon as Mr. Binua reached one of the peasant women, without saying a single word, he began to violently attack her. The sister ran away, but quickly realized that her sister was still being beaten and returned to defend her. The fear was quickly forgotten and together they defended themselves against Mr. Binua, having attacked him until he bit one of the ladies and fled on his motorbike taking with him the peasant women’s two machetes, but in the escape, he left his cell phone behind. This same man has already assaulted other members of the community, men, women and even a girl, with impunity, and continues to walk arrogantly through the communities as if he was untouchable. Last Sunday, he was not so lucky, and by all accounts he received a brave and well-deserved beating from the two sisters, acting in self-defense.  Read more

 

Never has the shutdown of democracy in Mozambique been more evident than last March 18^th, particularly in the cities of Maputo, Beira, Nampula, and Xai-Xai. It is a reality that we urgently need to resist and fight against. Since 2008 freedom of expression, demonstration, and association have been repressed, but it was in 2020 that the government and its international partners used Covid19 as an almost plausible pretext to restrict citizens’ freedoms, with the announcement of a set of measures that gave rise to restrictions on the mobility of people and goods, restrictions on public and private meetings, and limitations of the right to protest – a right that is constitutionally conferred to us through Article 51 of the Constitution of the Republic.

The last few years have been marked with threats against freedom of speech and association. Activists, journalists and community leaders that stand up against inequality, government abuse or megaprojects have been intimidated, persecuted and some are missing until this day¹.

Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world, while at the same time owning vast natural resources. Coal, gas and oil have been exploited by transnationals, bringing riches to a few economic and political elites. Rural and peasant communities have been displaced, a violent insurgency has been ravaging the North of the country, and the government is focusing on a military strategy to deal with it. People from Cabo Delgado are being sexually assaulted, threatened and murdered by both insurgents and government military forces. On top of this, the government has been openly attacking civil society organisations accusing them of being ‘anti-government’ or ‘anti-development’, and drafting new laws aiming to restrict the freedom of association². Read more

 

THE VOICE OF AFSA is a new online newsletter launched by the AFSA Secretariat with the goal of raising the image and profile of AFSA members by profiling personalities, leaders, and influencers in AFSA and sharing their advocacy journey, life experience, and reflections on the worldviews that shape their work and uplift the lives of the communities they work for. We intend the newsletter to help the general public, the media, and friends of AFSA to learn more about the organisation and the individuals who drive its work. It is our sincere hope that this monthly newsletter will bring you closer to AFSA and introduce you to the wonderful work of our members and their tireless efforts to drive the transition to agroecology and amplify the true voice of millions of smallholder food producers in Africa about their environment and the food systems they want. Read more

 

Montreal – The new Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) announced today fails to lay the groundwork for the transformational change needed to address the biodiversity crisis. The Chinese presidency adopted the text despite clear opposition from the Democratic Republic of Congo, ignoring a process the COP15 president himself had laid out.

Friends of the Earth International is deeply concerned about the way in which the GBF was adopted. The environmental federation warns that the corporate capture of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) blocked the pathways that lead to the system change needed to protect biodiversity. “The text does not stipulate any regulation on corporations and instead promotes greenwashing measures such as “Nature-Based Solutions”, which allow for offsetting for environmental destruction,” says Nele Marien, Forests & Biodiversity Coordinator.

The new GBF does not stop the destructive advance of agribusiness, the main driver of biodiversity loss. Instead, it promotes agribusiness through concepts such as “sustainable intensification” and “innovation”.

Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, Food Sovereignty Program Coordinator for Friends of the Earth Africa and Deputy Director Environmental Rights Action says “Proper oversight of biotechnology developments is becoming harder and harder because of the rising influence of biotech/agribusiness lobbies, specifically Gates money. While the CBD had agreed on the need for a regular and broad mechanism for horizon scanning, assessment, and monitoring, those interests successfully cut down to only agreement on a one-time initial round, narrowed what was supposed to be broad, and gutted the references to biotech in the GBF to the point of meaninglessness – even cutting out references to Precaution. The underlying problem is private money buying influence over this convention- just as it has done in the UNFCCC and elsewhere.”

Hemantha Withanage, Friends of the Earth International’s Chair, says: “We welcome that the new framework to protect biodiversity does not mention “Nature Positive”, one of the proposed greenwashing measures that opened up new possibilities for offsetting biodiversity destruction, rather than halting it. However, the same ideas are still there implicitly. There are also problematic references to biodiversity offsets and credits.”

“Fortunately, the text recognizes environmental defenders, and there is a recognition of indigenous and traditional territories. However, it is a pity that the document does not recognize them as a specific category for the fulfillment of the objective on protected areas.”

Friends of the Earth International will continue to work alongside local communities worldwide and Indigenous Peoples, who are building the system change we need to protect biodiversity.

Contacts:

In Montreal: SP & ENG: José Elosegui, jelosegui@gmail.com, +598 98 846 967

ENG: Shaye Skiff, kskiff@foe.org, +1 202 222 0723 FR & ENG: Caroline Prak, caroline@foei.org , Mariann Bassey Oruvwuje annybassi@yahoo.com

PRESS RELEASE for immediate release – Sunday 20 November 2022, Sharm El-Sheikh

A historic breakthrough in deadlocked COP27 talks means a loss and damage fund to compensate developing countries for the irreversible impacts of climate change has been established, despite consistent efforts by the US and other developed countries to derail it. This fund was one of the key demands of developing countries, and it is a welcome first step that had seemed elusive. However, there is still plenty of scope for developed countries to wriggle out of their responsibilities, and other COP27 outcomes were extremely weak.

Sara Shaw, Friends of the Earth International, commented:

“It is a relief that the loss and damage fund has finally been established, after decades of struggle. But, right now, it is an empty fund, and we have a huge challenge ahead to ensure that developed countries contribute to it, in line with justice and equity. We must not see a repeat of the abysmal performance of rich countries failing to provide the already inadequate $100 billion a year promised over a decade ago.”

While the COP27 outcome includes a welcome nod to the need for a ‘clean and just transition to renewable energy’, there is nothing agreed in Sharm el-Sheikh that would actually deliver this, with finance for emissions cuts stalled and weak outcomes on mitigation. Disturbingly, there was no advance on the language agreed last year on phasing down coal, which will delight the fossil fuel industry.

Babawale Obayanju, Friends of the Earth Africa, added:

“The fact that the outcome only talks about ‘phasedown of unabated coal power’ is a disaster for Africa and for the climate. Oil and gas must be also be phased out, swiftly and fairly. One small word, ‘unabated’, creates a huge loophole, opening the door to new fossil-based hydrogen and carbon capture and storage projects, which will allow emissions to continue. We don’t need more gas extraction in Africa, devastating our communities for the benefit of rich countries and corporations. What we needed from COP27 was agreement to a rapid, equitable phase out of all fossil fuels.”

Last year, COP26 reached agreement on global carbon markets after years of wrangling, despite strong opposition from environmental and social justice groups. At COP27, there were alarming and rushed attempts to insert geoengineering and nature based offsets into carbon market arrangements. This has now been delayed by two years. The final decision has stripped out references to human rights, Indigenous Peoples’ rights and labour rights.

Hemantha Withanage, chair of Friends of the Earth International, said from Sri Lanka:

“The decision on carbon markets is deeply worrying. Whilst COP27 has temporarily delayed moves to put geoengineering, dangerous and untested technologies, and so-called nature-based solutions into carbon offset markets, we know these threats will rear their heads again. Carbon markets give cover for continued emissions by polluters, grabbing of land, forests and water from vulnerable communities, and violations of peoples’ rights.”

COP27 took place in a context of state repression of Egyptian activists and journalists. On this, Sara Shaw concluded:

“While the talks are over and we leave Egypt, we do not forget the prisoners of conscience who remain. Civil society will continue to put pressure on our governments and show solidarity, as there is no climate justice without human rights.”

Spokespeople and media contacts

Sara Shaw, Climate Justice & Energy coordinator, Friends of the Earth International
sara[at]foe.co.uk, WhatsApp/Signal +44 79 7400 8270, @climatemouse, speaks English, Spanish

dipti bhatnagar, Climate justice & energy coordinator, Friends of the Earth International
dipti[at]foei.org, Whatsapp/Signal +258 84 035 6599, @diptimoz, speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish, Hindi

Other spokespeople are available for comment in different languages. To arrange interviews, contact: Madeleine Race, madeleine[at]foei.org, @foeint, speaks English, Spanish, French.

Image:  by babawale obayanju, Friends of the Earth Africa