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Climate activists, including Luisa Neubauer (l) and Patience Nabukalu (2nd from right) of Fridays for Future, demonstrate against a pipeline project in East Africa at the TotalEnergies Annual General Meeting in Paris

Photo: Rachel Boßmeyer / dpa

Environmental activists have protested against the planned oil pipeline in East Africa before the annual general meeting of energy giant TotalEnergies. The demonstrators tried to block access to the shareholders' meeting building. As seen on television images, there were also clashes with the police, in which they also used tear gas. Several hundred activists greeted arriving shareholders with shouts and whistles.

They want to call on shareholders to stop financing fossil fuels and to get out of the pipeline project, said Ugandan environmental activist Patience Nabukalu of Fridays for Future of the German Press Agency in Paris. »Total is a climate killer for us.« Climate activist Luisa Neubauer said to lenders: "Banks that even use the word sustainability should fundamentally rule out financing this group."

At the beginning of last year, the billion-dollar project for the production of oil in Uganda and Tanzania was launched. TotalEnergies holds the largest stake in the project with around 57 percent. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) with a share of around 28 percent and the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) with about 15 percent are also involved. According to TotalEnergies, the total investment volume amounts to about 10 billion US dollars.

"It will only exacerbate the climate crisis in Africa"

The oil is to be transported in a new 1443-kilometer pipeline from oil fields near Lake Albert in western Uganda through Tanzania to the Indian Ocean and shipped from the Tanzanian port of Tanga. Production is expected to be 230,000 barrels per day. The first oil is to be exported as early as 2025.

Environmentalists have long been calling for the project not to be funded. They fear pollution of Ugandan lakes and the destruction of habitats of rare animal species. According to Nabukalu, more than 10,000 people were displaced for the project even before the pipeline was built. Once operated, the project would also emit many times more than Uganda's annual emissions: "It will only exacerbate the climate crisis in Africa."

On Tuesday, climate activists demonstrated against the further exploitation of fossil fuels at the annual general meeting of the oil and gas company Shell in London and delayed the meeting. Among other things, they shouted slogans such as "Shut down Shell!" ("Shut down Shell!"), "Go to hell, Shell" or "climate criminals". Some tried to storm the stage.

Dozens of demonstrators were taken out of the hall one by one by security personnel. According to the PA news agency, the activists were Shell shareholders who had legally gained access to the annual general meeting. The protest began when shareholders were asked to vote on the company's environmental plans. After all, about 20 percent voted for an alternative plan presented by climate activists from among investors.

jso/dpa/AFP