Greenpeace Africa activists disrupted the Africa Energy Week (AEW) conference in Cape Town, South Africa, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, with banners and a disruption of speeches to protest expansion plans by energy companies across the continent.
The 12 activists blocked the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) entrance, where AEW is being held, until being evacuated by security. The blockage used banners and remains of tragic extreme weather events, fuelled by emissions of international oil and gas companies, such as the catastrophic tornado in Tongaat, Durban, to create a powerful visual representation of the destruction caused by Big Oil.
This included twisted metal, shattered wood, and other remnants of climate-induced devastation, making it impossible for attendees to ignore the damages that climatologists attribute to emissions by the oil and gas industry.
They also interrupted the keynote speech by event organiser, NJ Ayuk, before being removed from the main hall.
Sherelee Odayar, Greenpeace Africa’s Oil and Gas Campaigner, said: “We are protesting against one of the most egregious gatherings of fossil fuel profiteers. The AEW brings together the biggest polluters, including TotalEnergies, BP, ExxonMobil, and others, who continue to push Africa further into the climate crisis while reaping billions in profits. This is a shameless platform for multinational oil corporations to strike deals that line their pockets at the expense of African communities.”
At the conference centre, prominent banners read “No New Oil and Gas in Africa,” “Extreme Weather Events, Proudly Sponsored by Fossil Fuel,” and “Make Polluters Pay,” as the activists chanted, “Climate Justice Now.”
Cynthia Moyo, Greenpeace Africa’s Climate and Energy Campaigner, said: “We are returning debris from extreme weather events, symbolic of the damage caused by Big Oil, to the very corporations responsible. Africa will not remain silent while oil giants profit from our suffering. We cannot allow Africa to be sacrificed on the altar of fossil fuel profits. The voices of our communities must be heard, and the corporations responsible for this crisis must be made to pay for the harm they have caused.”
Abdoulaye Diallo, Co-Head of Greenpeace International’s Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign, said: “Together with communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, we are protesting outside the sheltered offices of some of the world’s largest polluters. We reject Big Oil’s assault on people and democracy and demand governments finally redress this by forcing oil and gas companies to stop drilling and start paying for the damage they have done.”
Africa Energy Week, organised by the African Energy Chamber (AEC), is marketed as the solution to Africa’s energy poverty. Led by the lobbyist NJ Ayuk, the AEC pushes policies that appear to prioritise fossil fuel exploitation over the needs of the African people. Such policies are believed to have left more than 600 million Africans without access to electricity and nearly one billion without clean cooking solutions while destroying local ecosystems and increasing insecurity.
Greenpeace Africa demands a stop to the expansion of fossil fuels – no new oil, gas, or coal, adding that fossil fuel corporations must also pay for the destruction they have caused across Africa.
“We call for a just transition that redirects investment from fossil fuel energy projects to renewable energy solutions that uplift African communities, create green jobs, and protect our ecosystems.
“We also demand that global financial institutions, including the IMF, World Bank, and private investors, immediately stop funding fossil fuel projects in Africa, which exacerbate the climate crisis. It is time to support a clean, green future for the continent,” stated Greenpeace.
