Cape Town - Environmental activists across the country took to the streets on Wednesday in protest against the further exploration of fossil fuels, saying the government and the oil and gas industries were not taking the climate crisis seriously.
“The world is in a climate crisis, which means we should be making moves to (eventually, but steadily) cancel all fossil fuels, not discover more fossil fuel reserves and increase production – this contradicts the energy transition currently under way.
The pickets formed part of civil society mobilising for a just energy transition, and was The Green Connection’s collaboration with French NGO, Bloom.
The campaign “OceanTotalDestruction” calls out the French-based company, which the organisations say continues to reap significant profits (up 131%) from offshore oil and gas exploration and production, “at the expense of the climate”.
In a memorandum handed over to a Total representative in Johannesburg, several civil society groups including The Green Connection, Extinction Rebellion South Africa, Equal Education, V.E.J.A., Frack Free South Africa, Project90 By 2030, Bloom, Oceans Not Oil and others said: “We as environmental and social justice activists have marched today against the total destruction of our oceans on the coast of South Africa, in solidarity with small scale fishers within coastal communities whose livelihoods are most at risk from the potential negative impacts of offshore oil and gas exploration and production (such as major oil spills).
“These proposed offshore oil and gas exploration and production projects are being pursued at a time when world leaders were urged at COP27 to stop any further use of fossil fuels and drastically reduce the use of current reserves.”
One of the protest participants, a fisherman from Port Nolloth, Walter Steenkamp, said: “Oil and gas are bad for our people and oceans and have many negative effects on the livelihoods of fishers who depend on the ocean. We do not need oil and gas when there are other alternatives - like wind, that will not harm the environment and people.”
TotalEnergies chairperson and chief executive officer Patrick Pouyanné said: “TotalEnergies E&P South Africa and its partners applied for a production licence on September 5, following which an environmental and societal impact assessment was initiated.
“This assessment will provide a detailed description of the project's economic, social and environmental impacts, the measures planned to preserve the environment, and the related social and economic benefits.
A survey has been launched to map the marine species, including, potentially, marine mammals, to model the potential impact of production activities (especially noise) and to define any measures to be taken.
“I would also like to stress that TotalEnergies E&P South Africa has already voluntarily reduced the scope of the licence application by excluding the area currently classified by the South African authorities as a protected marine area.”
Cape Times