Efic, don't fund Big Oil in Senegal!

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Efic, Australia’s export credit agency, is about to decide whether or not they will fund a major new offshore oil project in Senegal.

This project could have potentially disastrous impacts on women’s rights and the environment.

Write to Efic and express your concerns today.

Here are some key points and evidence to reference in your message:

1. Climate change
  • Opening up this new oilfield has potentially disastrous risks for the climate. Senegal’s two major offshore oil fields, of which the SNE field is the largest, are estimated to contain at least 839 million barrels of oil,[1] which has the potential emissions of more than 335 million tonnes of CO2.[2]
  • This is the equivalent of a coal-fired power station operating for about 86 years.

 

2. Human rights
  • The coastline and island communities on the coast of Senegal are involved in artisanal fishing, and women often work as shell collectors and fish processers. Women’s organisations have already expressed concern about the development of the other major oil field in Senegal.[3]
  • Impacts could include reduction in fisheries stocks due to impacts of the project’s operations, or, most disastrously, an oil spill that could decimate the surrounding coastline and ecosystems. Oil spill modelling shows that in the event of a spill, oil could affect a wide area of Senegal’s coastline.[4]

 

3. Environment and biodiversity
  • The project has the potential to affect several critically endangered species, including the green turtle, the hawksbill turtle, and the Atlantic humpback dolphin.[5] Significantly, the project is close to the only major nesting ground of the hawksbill turtle on mainland Africa.[6]
  • The project is also close to Ramsar wetlands, UNESCO sites, and national parks.[7] Oil spill modelling shows that these areas could be affected in the event of a spill.[8]

 

4. Recommendations
  • Ensure you make a clear recommendation to Efic that the agency should not proceed with this project without further consultation with the local communities who will be directly impacted by this project.
  • You might also like to recommend that Efic introduces a climate policy and strengthens its considerations of human rights, women’s rights, environment and biodiversity risks when it assesses potential projects.

 

Thanks for taking action!

 

References

[1] FAR Limited 2018 annual report

[2] Using IPCC emissions factors, available from this WRI report, page 11

[3] https://ejatlas.org/conflict/hydrocarbons-exploitation-off-shore-by-kosmos-energy-along-grande-cote-senegal

[4] Woodside (2019), project ESIA.

[5] Woodside (2019), project ESIA

[6] Woodside (2019), project ESIA

[7] Woodside (2019), project ESIA

[8] Woodside (2019), project ESIA