Environmentalists call to challenge British gas financing in Mozambique

Environmental organization Friends of the Earth has filed a lawsuit in a British court of last resort to challenge British funding for a natural gas project in Mozambique.

In January, the Court of Appeal denied the request, but the organization wants the arguments to be heard again by the Supreme Court (similar to the Constitutional Court in Portugal).

Activists believe that “the decision to fund the project was illegal” and that it has implications “for public decision-making on the UK’s climate commitment”.

“The funding decision was made without taking into account the spectacular emissions that will come from gas flaring and without considering how those emissions align with globally agreed climate targets,” the statement said.

Before proceeding with a decision, the Supreme Court will first evaluate the appeal request to decide whether it is meritorious and whether it raises an issue of high constitutional importance.

British export credit agency UK Export Finance (UKEF) committed $1,150 million (€1,077 million) in 2020 to develop an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the Rovuma Basin, in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique .

But Friends of the Earth contends that the environmental impact has not been properly assessed, contradicting the UK’s commitment to comply with the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change to limit global warming.

The organization calculated that over the years of operation, the project will produce up to 4,500 million tons of greenhouse gases.

The project in question, promoted by a consortium led by French oil company TotalEnergies in the Rovuma basin, was put on hold in 2021 following attacks by armed groups in Cabo Delgado province.

The €20,000 to €25,000 million gas mega-project is one of the largest private investments planned for Africa, backed by several international financial institutions.