How one controversial pipeline reveals the state of the global fight over oil

Mar 12 2025 · 2 min read

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Uganda’s East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has become a battleground in the global fight over fossil fuels
• The nearly 1,000-mile project, backed by France’s TotalEnergies (See sustainability performance) and China’s National Offshore Oil Corp., faces delays due to funding challenges and activist opposition
• Western banks have withdrawn financial support, but Uganda is seeking backing from China and the Middle East

🔭 The context: The pipeline aims to turn Uganda into a major oil exporter, running from Lake Albert through Tanzania to the Indian Ocean
• Climate activists argue the project displaces communities, threatens wildlife, and repeats colonial-era exploitation
• Ugandan officials insist oil revenue will lift the country’s economy and improve infrastructure, with 90% of oil-related jobs already going to locals

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Activists warn that EACOP will increase carbon emissions and exacerbate climate change, disproportionately affecting Africa
• The Vatican has denounced the project, and over 200 global organizations have pressured banks and insurers to withdraw support
• Ugandan officials counter that developed nations continue fossil fuel use while restricting Africa’s energy development

⏭️ What's next: Uganda is aggressively seeking alternative financing, while activists continue protests worldwide
• The project remains unfinished, with uncertainty over whether it will secure full funding
• As climate policies shift, the outcome of EACOP could set a precedent for future fossil fuel projects in developing nations

💬 One quote: “The people who lecture us—they’ve been exploiting their resources for 100 years… he’s telling my 45 million brothers that they can continue reading with a candle.” — Ali Ssekatawa, Ugandan Petroleum Authority

📈 One stat: More than 200 environmental and civil society groups have joined the StopEACOP movement to oppose the pipeline

See here detailed sustainability performance of companies like Aramco and Equinor

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