Climate activists protest African Energy Week over new oil and gas plans

Climate activists protested outside the African Energy Week conference in Cape Town on Tuesday, calling for an end to new oil and gas exploration across Africa.

Campaigners from Greenpeace Africa and Extinction Rebellion challenged efforts to promote the continent as a new frontier for fossil fuel development. Police removed the protesters from the conference area.

The demonstrators wore T-shirts carrying the slogan “Make polluters pay.” Siya Myeza, a climate and energy campaigner with Greenpeace Africa, described the gathering as “Africa Exploitation Week.”

Myeza told The Associated Press that overseas oil companies had made billions in profits this year at the expense of people’s lives and ecosystems. He also accused the energy industry of driving environmental destruction and poverty.

Campaigners oppose further exploration

Extinction Rebellion representative Judy Scott-Goldman said campaigners opposed the promotion of new oil and gas exploration, even though renewable energy was also due to feature at the conference.

“We’re here to say we don’t want to see any exploration of oil and gas on this continent,” Scott-Goldman said.

Campaigners argued that further investment in fossil fuels could worsen climate change and place additional pressure on communities already experiencing its effects. Scott-Goldman said expanding fossil fuel use would conflict with commitments under the Paris climate agreement to reduce emissions.

She also linked climate change to fires, floods and rising food prices, warning that its effects could contribute to migration and social unrest.

South Africa’s energy strategy

South Africa is seeking to expand oil and gas development as part of efforts to attract investment and strengthen energy security. The government presents natural gas as a complement to renewable energy, saying gas-fired plants could generate electricity when wind and solar production falls.

The protests came as campaigners argued that countries should be reducing emissions rather than increasing fossil fuel use.

Shell plans to drill up to five deepwater wells in the Northern Cape Ultra Deep block off South Africa’s west coast to explore for and assess oil and gas deposits. The company’s environmental approval for the project has drawn appeals, while the proposed drilling project has also faced legal setbacks.

No information was provided on the number of protesters removed by police or whether any arrests or charges followed.