Two NGOs have officially launched a protest aiming to derail TotalEnergies’ plans to develop gas fields offshore South Africa.
The Green Connection and France’s Bloom announced the launch of OceanTotalDestruction today, in a move that echoes other campaigns led by TotalEnergies, such as StopEACOP. Campaigners held a press conference in Paris today.
Total applied for a production right offshore South Africa on September 5.
The Green Connection’s Liziwe McDaid said developing oil and gas offshore “is incompatible with South Africa’s climate ambitions. Despite abundant solar and wind resources, our oceans are under threat from oil companies like Total, who seem hellbent on ignoring the climate crisis in their determination to extract their last fossil profits.”
“In 2021, Total withdrew their exploration attempt. Why are they back? Given gas shortages in Europe, it seems that it can only be to add to their profits, but coastal fishing communities don’t benefit from oil profits and they bear the brunt of disasters like oil spills,” she said.
McDaid and Bloom’s Claire Nouvian said the Total plan in South Africa was a fraud. It “tries to portray a switch from coal to gas as a ‘green energy transition’”, they said. The two went on to cite the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) net zero report from 2021, which said companies should not develop new fields.
Citizen stop
“TotalEnergies has become the face of evil in the 21st Century,” said Nouvian. “Its obsession for profit is putting humanity at risk. Such irresponsible corporations have to be stopped by citizens.”
Nouvian drew a link from Total’s East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) plans to its work in South Africa.
People should bring pressure to bear on the French company to halt its plans before COP27. This is due to be held in Egypt in mid-November.
The statement went on to cite concerns about biodiversity in the area where Total plans to develop the gas fields.
“Our livelihoods are at stake and we call on the French people to support us,” said a small-scale fisher Christian Adams. “The ocean is in our blood and we believe that oil and gas exploration is incompatible with sustainable fishing for the future”.
Also attending the Paris event this morning was a member of the French legislature François Ruffin. He has criticised the oil industry and Total in particular.
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