Uganda, Tanzania EACOP gets thumb up at
African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries and the European Union (ACP-EC) Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) ended in Maputo, Mozambique on Nov 2, with stern resolutions to global critical challenges including climate change, pandemics, terrorism human rights, and poverty. The Maputo meeting is the 42nd session of the JPA.
The resolution on climate change is timely and expected to raise controversies during the Cop 27 which starts on November 7th to 18th in Egypt, because it is viewed as promoting continued use of fossil fuel and allowing opening new fields.
In Uganda this development gives a thumb up for its oil projects including development of the much opposed East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
Climate change debate stems from a 2015 agreement signed by 196 countries to the Paris Agreement which requires each country to work towards achieving a reduction of temperatures by 1.5 °C.
The Paris Agreement focuses on human activities and obliges developed countries to provide financial, and technical support and to build the capacities of developing countries to reduce emissions.
But as the leaders begin the discussions at COP27, there is little success to report and most countries have resorted to coal as desperate measure to curb energy crisis especially in Europe. The war in Ukraine has caused the crisis as Russia bears the burden of sanctions., Europeans bears the burden of supply shortages.
In addition, energy transition is heavily dependent on a multitude of other factors including the availability of sufficient mineral resources to aid the massive production of batteries, turbines, and other components of the energy systems. Not much investments have gone into mineral exploration.
At ACP-EC the legislators are cognizant of the above facts and resolved “Acknowledges the importance and gradual phasing out of and transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Stresses that achieving 1.5 requires drastic scaling of renewable energy and supporting a global just transition,”