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As the world looks forward to limiting global warming to 1.5°C, Uganda is investing in a climate bomb project like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) a $5 billion project that will stretch 1,443 kilometers from Hoima in Uganda to the Tanzanian port of Tanga. While its being paraded as a path to prosperity, EACOP is shaping up to be a contradiction to Uganda’s climate promises and a grave risk to its future.
The pipeline, once completed, will transport 216,000 barrels of crude oil per day. According to Climate Accountability Institute, emissions from the EACOP project will reach up to 34 million tonnes of CO₂ annually more than the current emissions of Uganda and Tanzania combined.
For a country that has pledged to cut emissions by 22% by 2030 under the Paris Agreement. Uganda’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) highlight a commitment to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. Yet EACOP locks the country into decades of fossil fuel dependency at a time when Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) demands a swift global transition away from oil, gas, and coal.
Beyond emissions, the pipeline cuts through eco-sensitive areas like 158 wetlands sections, four forest reserves and a third of it passing through Lake Victoria which sustains over 40million people. The project has also displaced over 100,000 people. Women, farmers have lost their land which they depend on to provide for their families.
A recent report from Global Rights Alert, indicates that Coffee has a potential of giving Uganda more earnings compared to revenues from Crude Oil. The study indicated that Coffee will generate shillings 10 trillion whereas Oil will generate shillings 7 trillion. Agriculture is a game change! Government should prioritize it.
Furthermore, Uganda has immense potential for renewable energy: solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal. Investing in clean energy could create thousands of jobs, power rural communities, and position Uganda as a green economy leader in East Africa.
To achieve a just transition, we must prioritize people and planet over profit. That means respecting the rights of communities along the pipeline route. It means shifting investments from fossil fuel expansion and redirecting it towards clean energy access for all. It means keeping fossil fuels in the ground and putting clean power in the hands of the people.
EACOP is not development. It destruction! We call on the government to shift away from fossil fuels and invest in green, inclusive economic alternatives like agriculture that sustains over 68% of Ugandans.
Catherine Twongyeirwe, Climate Activist
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