Razom We Stand has joined a group of over 100 climate experts and civil society organizations from Europe and Africa which in an open letter to European leaders urging them to stop their “dash for gas” in Africa. The letter was delivered to European heads of state, namely in Germany, Italy, France and Spain, along with the European Commission.

In the midst of a climate emergency and a global energy crisis aggravated by the war in Ukraine and underlining the need for less reliance on fossil fuels, Europe’s response cannot be to promote new oil and gas extraction and export infrastructure.

The letter responds to efforts by European governments to not only secure new gas from the global market, but to proactively invest in new upstream and midstream gas infrastructure. Germany in particular has led the push for this. In May 2022, Chancellor Scholz visited Senegal to pursue new gas projects there in October 2022. Germany has also made attempts at the European Council to get EU states to support gas extraction. In September, EU’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell encouraged the Mozambique government to accelerate a gas programme which has led to the displacement of thousands and the fuelling of violent insurgency and conflict.

It comes at a crucial time, ahead of COP27 in Egypt and while the German government debates its policy on financing oil and gas overseas. 

Europe has the possibility to develop a different type of partnership with Africa by reducing gas demand and implementing an energy transition at home while investing in renewable energy in African countries, in order to support energy access, sustainable development, democracy and peace.

At COP26, 29 countries and institutions, including Germany, Italy, France, Spain signed the Glasgow Statement on Public Finance, pledging to “end new direct public support for the international unabated fossil fuel energy sector by the end of 2022, except in limited and clearly defined circumstances that are consistent with a 1.5°C warming limit and the goals of the Paris Agreement”. Now the world is watching Germany and expecting them to keep the promise they made in Glasgow.

The letter urging EU leaders to Stop Europe Dash for Gas in Africa, including a full list of signatories, can be found here in English, Spanish, German and French: www.dont-gas-africa.org/open-letter-europe