The campaign, co-ordinated by JA! aims to bring an end to the gas industry in Mozambique and all over the world. We are focusing on the regions of Cabo Delgado, Inhambane and Nampula provinces in Mozambique, fighting an industry whose tentacles are spreading out around country, the African continent and the world.

We are working on the ground in Mozambique, and supported by an international coalition that challenges the impunity of the gas industry, exposing its violations and threats to human rights, environmental destruction and climate impact everywhere in the world, fighting the culprits in their own countries.

The website is a rich depository for anyone who wants to learn about the gas struggle, the devastating impacts, the facts about gas, companies, financiers and governments fuelling the industry, reports and regular updates.

www.stopmozgas.org

Aluta Continua!

For more information visit the website  contact

Anabela Lemos

JA!FOE Moçambique

anabela.ja.mz@gmail.com

As part of the project to strengthen the African region to end impunity of transnational corporations (TNCs), Friends of the Earth Togo organized on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 at the Entente room of the Administrative Center and Economic and Financial Services (CASEF), a capacity building workshop for 28 people from human rights and environmental organizations.

The overall objectives of the project are: to document cases of corporate impunity around the world, particularly in Africa, in order to demand policy changes to dismantle corporate power and challenge the current model of development driven by multinational corporations; to denounce harmful trade agreements; and to promote binding rules for TNCs and other businesses.

 Specifically, these are:

1. Document and present concrete examples of human rights impacts of TNC activities
2. Train 25 human rights structures (NGOs/associations and public administration) on the UN binding treaty and its negotiation process
3. Establish a coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) in favor of the fight against TNC violations and for human dignity, with a roadmap.

Two presentations were made during the workshop by two experts from Friends of the Earth-Togo:

Presentation 1: Documented concrete examples of human rights impacts of TNC activities, by KPONDZO Kwami, Campaign officer

Presentation 2: The United Nations binding treaty and its negotiation process, AMEGADZE Kokou, Deputy Executive Director

These presentations generated a lot of interest and questions that were answered by the presenters.

When interviewed about the need to train CSOs to document cases of human rights violations by TNCs, Mr. AMEGADZE Kokou Elorm, said that : TNCs are companies with offices in several countries, under different jurisdictions, with a single decision-making center. The activities of these companies are associated with many injustices, he noted. It is a question of human rights violations, land grabbing and ecological damage. It is therefore a question of seeing how this can be reversed so that the affected populations no longer suffer from the perverse effects linked to the activities of TNCs. Since the CSO movement supports communities affected by human rights abuses, it is important to educate and train them on the ins and outs of TNC activities. That is why we want these CSOs to understand the issues related to TNC operations so that the abuses we see can be stopped.

The workshop ended on a high note by establishing a coalition for the fight against TNC violations and for human dignity, bringing together the participating organizations, with a roadmap for its activities.

For more information

Friends of the Earth-Togo

 +228 97 12 44 96

 adt-togo@amiterre.org

The Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower dam project, mooted more than two decades ago, has re-emerged as a solution for increasing power exports to South Africa to enable Mozambique to increase its capacity for earning foreign currency. The project is now being promoted at a cost of USD 4.5 billion comprising USD 2.4 billion for the dam and power plant, plus USD 2.1 billion for transmission lines. This essay discusses the merits of the Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower project and its socio-economic and development benefits in the face of climate change impacts, at a time when the world is facing energy challenges that require rethinking the most sustainable types and sources of energy for the future.

The Mphanda Nkuwa Dam would be the third largest dam to be constructed on the main stem of the Zambezi River and one of many other dams in the basin when the Zambezi tributaries are considered. Its location in the lower Zambezi River basin, in Mozambique, gives it unique features and makes it vulnerable and also crucial in determining the health of the downstream ecosystems. As currently designed, the hydropower plant has a 1500 MW generation capacity, with 60% (900 MW) of this capacity committed for export to South Africa and the balance of 600 MW (40%) reserved for domestic consumption in Mozambique. Currently, over 60% of Mozambicans, most of whom live in widely dispersed settlements in remote rural areas, do not have access to modern electricity and are out of reach of the existing national electricity grid. Far much more than 600MW would be required to enable Mozambique to reach 50% access to electricity by 2030.

The project is planned for commissioning in 2030, with about 2 years of this needed for planning and design, while construction is expected to take 6 years. The touted benefits of Mphanda Nkuwa are doubtful in the face of climate change and the fact that the dam will be detrimental to downstream ecosystems, as well as human health and safety while leading to the loss of livelihoods for downstream communities. As is the case in most similar large infrastructure projects, the Mphanda Nkuwa dam and hydropower project is drawing favor from international financial institutions such as the Africa Development Bank which view it purely from a macro-economic viewpoint as an avenue for spurring economic growth in the country through increased foreign currency earnings. The proponents of the project, however, overlook the several risks that are associated with the project and, thus, do not discuss how these risks will be addressed.

Of major concern among the risks is the issue of climate change. Following some detailed analysis, the IPCC found that, out of the 11 main river basins in Africa, the Zambezi Basin is the most vulnerable to climate change impacts. The Zambezi basin is predicted to experience severe extreme weather events in the form of prolonged drought periods, and extreme flooding events in the future, the worst of all other basins on the continent. Furthermore, the Lower Zambezi is directly affected by developments upstream, with the negative impacts of upstream developments being compounded at Mphanda Nkuwa and downstream. In the past decade, Mozambique has been the worst climate change-affected country among all the SADC countries with numerous extreme weather events of cyclones and flooding being experienced. The operations of the upstream dams at Kariba, Kafue, and Cahora Bassa, with their large combined storage capacity, will be key to the performance of Mphanda Nkuwa.

Being located downstream of the large dams, the major risk for Mphanda Nkuwa will be during drought periods when the upstream dams may not release water as the upstream countries may prioritize their own needs. The high risk of droughts in the Zambezi basin, wrought by climate change, will have a direct negative impact on the financial and economic viability of the project, as the projected revenue generation and foreign currency earnings will be severely curtailed by prolonged droughts. The withholding of water in upstream dams during droughts will also endanger the ecological flows of the river below Mphanda Nkuwa, with further detrimental effects to prawn fishing in the delta region.

Similarly, in the event of large floods, upstream dams will release water downstream, thereby creating risks of dam failure at Mphanda Nkuwa as well as worsening human safety downstream in the Zambezi valley. The risks to dam safety as a result of flooding may necessitate more expensive design features and higher construction costs. The high risk of loss of human lives and threat to human livelihoods in Mozambique due to floods has been fully demonstrated by numerous catastrophic flood events in the lower Zambezi valley in the past two decades. It, therefore, follows that Mphanda Nkuwa is highly susceptible to climate change impacts with respect to both droughts and floods.

Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower is touted as clean energy. However, emerging studies worldwide are indicating that dams emit considerable amounts of methane, with methane as a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. At a time when the world is facing huge global warming and climate change risks, the decision to proceed with Mphanda Nkuwa is unfortunate and flies in the face of conventional wisdom.

Mphanda Nkuwa is premised on power being sold to the Southern African countries, with South Africa’s power utility company Eskom being the principal customer for the electricity. It is important to note that over the past 15 years Eskom has been experiencing serious long-standing governance and structural challenges resulting in a chronic debt problem amounting to over ZAR 500 billion, which is equivalent to USD30 billion at the time of writing. Thus, the South African power utility is facing serious financial viability challenges which render it a risky customer on which to base a huge investment of USD 4.5 billion. As a result of its worsening financial position, Eskom has been progressively increasing domestic electricity tariffs in the past decade, with the result that some of its major customers, especially the wealthy ones, have been moving off the grid, thereby creating risks to its revenue collection and also worsening the power utility’s financial viability. Clearly, this issue is a red flag that the proponents of the Mphanda Nkuwa dam project need to seriously interrogate in their market analyses. The delicacy of the viability of Mphanda Nkuwa becomes even starker when viewed against the background of the current power purchase agreement of Cahora Bassa power to South Africa, whose electricity pricing is highly unfavourable for Mozambique.

Other concerns regarding Mphanda Nkuwa include the claimed increase in energy access for Mozambicans. While on paper the claim is made that 40% of the Mphanda Nkuwa power will be availed to Mozambicans, in reality, the impact on access to power for Mozambicans will be insignificant. The dispersed, extensive rural settlement pattern of most of the Mozambicans who currently do not enjoy access to clean energy, and the absence of an extensive grid network renders the claim that Mphanda Nkuwa will increase access to electricity a fallacy. Mozambique lacks an extensive transmission and distribution network and, even with the proposed transmission line, the majority in the rural areas will still remain unconnected to modern electricity. Grid electricity will not be enough to increase access and spur development in the country. At any rate, the cost of electricity, without subsidy, is unlikely to be affordable for the majority of the citizens.

The Mphanda Nkuwa dam development pays very little attention to the basin ecosystem health and social wellbeing of downstream communities. The operations of the Mphanda Nkuwa dam will significantly alter the flow regime of the downstream area, creating daily fluctuations that will affect aquatic biota as well as the livelihoods of over 200.000 inhabitants who live in the delta and who, to a large extent, rely on the natural resources of the basin. The livelihoods of the communities that reside in the area that will be inundated should not be discounted. Based on what has already transpired and been experienced in other mega infrastructure projects in Tete province and across the country, these people will likely be subjected to forced displacement, curtailed livelihoods, inadequate compensation, State violence, and repression, and other human rights violations. The people in the basin will be the main losers from this development.

In conclusion, the investment is unlikely to significantly increase industrialization and spur economic growth in Mozambique. Very limited direct permanent employment can be expected to emanate from this hydropower development. No gains will be made in terms of climate change GHG emissions, and sadly more emissions will result from the hydropower dam. The revenue from the electricity sales may not cover the costs of production with a potential of failure to service the debt for the dam. Several studies have been done for South Africa and Mozambique that demonstrate that clean energy can be harnessed through wind and solar to reach the widely dispersed rural population at a much faster pace, creating jobs and comparatively having fewer negative social and environmental impacts. Against this backdrop, Mozambique has a huge potential to turn to renewable energies, and change its energy trajectory for energy development, distribution and generation. If implemented, the Mphanda Nkuwa will be a millstone around the neck of Mozambique for many generations to come.

*This study was launched in Maputo on July 21st, 2022. To get a copy of the study please go to Justiça Ambiental’s office on Rua Willy Waddington, 102, Bairro da Coop, Maputo, or download it from this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FXkv0z4PzdOT6yhueYhPqXVCo_9di4Qz

For more information:

Justicia Ambiental / Friends of the Earth Mozambique

+258 84 3106010 / jamoz2010@gmail.com

www.ja4change.org

 Friends of the Earth Africa (FoEAfrica) on Saturday 18^th June 2022 called on the ECOWAS Parliament to intervene in the exploitative activities and human rights violations by industrial plantation companies whose operations in the region is causing untold impacts on indigenous peoples and local communities with increased climate and biodiversity crisis.

In a presentation made before the ECOWAS Parliament at the 1^st Ordinary ECOWAS Parliamentary Session held in Abuja Nigeria, Rita Uwaka FoE Africa/ERA FoE Nigeria Forest & Biodiversity Programme Coordinator who spoke on behalf of the organization said:

“Our struggle against the corporate takeover of our forest and land for industrial plantation expansion by corporations is not a fight against development but a struggle to prevent further human rights violations, environmental damage, biodiversity and livelihoods loss; as well as promote the development of millions of indigenous peoples and local communities, with a focus on women and youths, who depend on forests and farmlands for their day-to-day well-being’’

Apart from exposing the adverse social, environmental, and gender impacts of agribusinesses on African communities. It also highlighted the role of some Governments in promoting the private interests of corporations over the public interest in Africa.

In 2020 Lagos Nigeria, Friends of the Earth Africa organized the First African Peoples Tribunal on Industrial Plantations on Industrial Plantations. The Tribunal recognized how deforestation and the rush for African land for large-scale agro-commodities expansion is causing systemic oppression, human rights violations with devastating impacts on indigenous peoples and local communities, including women who depend on forest and land for wellness, food, income and spiritual connection.

There were ten cases of industrial plantation company’s human rights abuses across Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. The ten countries were Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Almost two years after the first African Peoples Tribunal, we still witness land grabbing and violations associated with the activities of industrial plantation companies in West Africa and community territories across the continent. Breaches like the militarization of communities that play host to these companies, the use of slap suits to silence the voices of environmental human rights defenders, intimidation violence and harassment of community rights activists, pollution of surface and underground water bodies as a result of the over-reliance of these companies on agro-toxins, more cases of labour exploitation and workers’ rights violations, accident and death of workers including pregnant women that were transported in open trucks to their workplaces in these plantations.

 As part of policy recommendations to the ECOWAS Parliament during the face to face session with the parliamentarians in June, 2022, FoE Africa requests the parliament to:

1.       Support Economic Partnership Agreements that respect the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples in Africa and protect and restore the environment.

2.       Build policies and finance that promote people-powered solutions like Community Forest Management & Agroecology, which are built on peoples sovereignty and participation in decision making.

3.       Reject false solutions such as voluntary certification schemes and nature-based solutions for the climate crisis, that commodity nature greenwashes bad practices, license forest destruction, and violate human rights.

4.       Halt the criminalization and harassment of environmental human rights defenders and provide access to justice for defenders and affected local communities.

5.       Support policies that install a moratorium on expanding monoculture industrial plantations.

6.       Redirect investments from large-scale agro-commodities expansion in Africa by shifting government and private finance, research, and technical support towards community-based forest management and agroecology.

7.       Stop trade deals that empower companies to influence legislation through special rights and provisions at the detriment of the public interest.

8.       Work with foreign governments and institutions to halt the international trade and finance of forest and ecosystem risk commodities, including the recent European Commission anti-deforestation proposal.

9.       Promote access to justice with a strong UN Binding Treaty for business and human rights.

10.   Protect women’s rights and access to land.

11.   Ensure to have a periodic forest dialogue with forested countries on policy intervention they can take to halt deforestation and land grabbing for large-scale plantation expansion in Africa, especially within the ECOWAS member states.

 In 2021 FoE Africa had organized a pre-lobby visit to the ECOWAS Parliament and was received by the Secretary General of the ECOWAS Parliament Mr. John Azumah as well as the Director of Parliamentary affairs Mr. Betim Some.

The aim of the first visit was to help the regional body understand FoE Africa thematic work areas, its campaigns against land grabbing, deforestation for agrocommodities business in West Africa as reflected in the outcomes of the African Peoples Tribunal on industrial plantations in 2020 held in Lagos Nigeria. It also highlighted the role of international financiers, investment and pension funds in controlling and financing controversial oil palm, rubber, eucalyptus and timber plantation companies.

These policy engagements including the presentation before the ECOWAS Parliament have strengthened FoE Africa’s relationship with the ECOWAS institution for future lobby, advocacy and collaborative work as well as in upcoming parliamentary sessions. The ECOWAS parliamentary session was facilitated by A Speaker of the parliament Hon. Adja Satu Camara Pinto (Mrs).

FoE Africa advocacy materials including the APT publications were handed to the ECOWAS Parliamentarians, officials and journalists during the session.

Meanwhile, FoE Africa delegation to both engagements included Sustainable Development Institute SDI/FoE Liberia, Environmental Rights Action/FoE Nigeria and Friends of the Earth Togo. Others include allies and community representatives from: JVE Ghana, MALOA (SOCFIN impacted communities) Sierra Leone,  SIAT impacted communities in Ghana and Nigeria,  Wilmar impacted communities in Nigeria, plus a representative of Association of Women Farmers of Nigeria.

The delegation had a press conference with media professionals across the region.

At a Press conference with community representatives from Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

World leaders came together at the climate talks in Bonn, Germany which ended last week Thursday, 16th June 2022 with very poor outcomes, especially on loss and damage. This was another wasted opportunity for climate action as the discussions at the different tables were void of actions that would have moved the world, especially the Global South further away from climate catastrophe.

Kwami Kpondzo of Friends of the Earth Togo, represented Africa on the delegation from Friends of the International, made this comment about the session:

“Offsets and nature base solutions narratives are being used to commodify the nature. Many corporation are using them to promote large scale monoculture plantations and conservation projects as a compensation schemes to the emission they have produced. The commodification of nature through these schemes has a dramatic impacts on communities. Monoculture plantations lead to the destruction of communities’ livelihood by land grabbing, communities’ displacement, and use of chemical pesticides.

I call on the Governments of the world to act now and fast to phase out oil, gas and coal and enter effectively into a just transition process, a transition rooted in justice that will create the conditions for everyone to live a dignified life. They must prioritize Climate finance to help the global south adapt and mitigate against climate change.”

Contact us for more information;

Kwami Kpondzo , Friends of the Earth Togo

kwadodzi@gmail.com

Photo credit: FoEI

Chima Williams, ERA/FoE Nigeria Executive Director, Six others Win Goldman Environmental  Prize

Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) Executive Director, Barrister Chima Williams, and a member of the steering committee of Friends of the Earth Africa has been named among the seven winners of this year’s prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize.

A statement released by the Goldman Environmental Foundation listed other winners to include Niwat Roykaew from Thailand; Marjan Minnessma, the Netherlands; Juliet Vincent, Australia; Nalleli Cobo, United States and Alex Luciatante and Alexandra Narvaez, Ecuador.

The Goldman Prize is awarded annually to environmental heroes from each of the world’s six inhabited continental regions.

“The Goldman Environmental Prize honours the achievements and leadership of grassroots environmental activists from around the world, inspiring all of us to take action to protect our planet”, the statement said.

The Prize was founded in 1989 in San Francisco by philanthropists and civic leaders Rhoda and Richard Goldman. In 33 years, the Prize has had an immeasurable impact on the planet. To date, 213 winners have been honoured including 95 women from 93 nations.

“While the many challenges before us can feel daunting, and at times make us lose faith, these seven leaders give us a reason for hope and remind us of what can be accomplished in the face of adversity,” said Jennifer Goldman Wallis, Vice President of the Goldman Environmental Foundation.

She added: “The Prize winners show us that nature has the amazing capability to regenerate if given the opportunity. Let us all feel inspired to channel their victories into regenerating our own spirit and act to protect our planet for future generations.”

Chima Williams who became ERA/FoEN Executive Director in October 2020 won the award based on his work with two Niger Delta communities to hold Royal Dutch Shell accountable for environmental damage caused by a spill from its facilities into the communities between 2004 and 2007.

 On the 29th of January 2021, after 13 years of legal proceedings, the Court of Appeal sitting in The Hague, Netherlands, the home country of Shell, ruled in favour of three Nigerian farmers from two communities in two States of the Niger Delta – Eric Barizaa Dooh of Goi Community of Rivers State; Fidelis Oguru and Alali Efanga both from Oruma Community of Bayelsa State.

The Court ruled that not only was Royal Dutch Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary responsible for the oil spills, but, as parent company, Royal Dutch Shell also had an obligation to prevent the spills.

The ruling was the first time a Dutch transnational corporation has been held accountable for the violations of its subsidiary in another country, opening Shell to legal action from communities across Nigeria devastated by the company’s disregard for environmental safety.

Previous Nigerian winners of the Goldman Environmental Prize include the late Playwright and environmentalist, Ken Saro-Wiwa and Cross River-based environmentalist Odiga Odigha.

Normally,  the Prize award is conducted  in-person at a ceremony at the San Francisco Opera House, United States, but this year, in the light of the COVID 19 pandemic, the Prize will be awarded virtually and broadcast online on May 25, 2022 (1 am Nigerian time).

The event will be streamed on YouTube and Facebook. Guests can register for the event here: rsvp.goldmanprize.org/2022.