– We cannot accept one rule for them and another for us, writes the president of Uganda on his blog. The AFP reports it.
Yoweri Museveni points out that a wind farm in Germany is being partially demolished to expand a coal mine.
At the same time, Uganda has received criticism for entering into a deal to extract oil. French and Chinese companies will invest NOK 100 billion in the country.
If all goes according to plan, Uganda will start exporting oil within three years.
The deal includes, among other things, oil drilling in a national park. This has led to strong criticism from activists and the European Parliament passing a resolution in September that the project must be postponed.
We will not allow progress in Africa to fall victim to Europe’s failure to meet its climate goals, writes Museveni.
Protesters over the weekend made a giant yellow X at the Garzweiler mine. The yellow X is a symbol of the fight against coal mining and coal-fired power plants.
Photo: INA FASSBENDER / AFP
Coal mine in Germany
Germany has opened up to more use of coal in power generation after Russia halted gas exports, he writes Ecowatch.
Parts of the Keyenberg wind farm in Germany have already been dismantled. The reason is that the plant is located next to a coal mine and the company that operates it wants to expand the mine.
Coal causes about double the CO2 emissions2 for the same amount of energy.
The Ugandan president writes that the demolition of the Keyenberg wind farm makes a mockery of Western pledges on climate goals.
Great attention in Uganda
The case of the German coal mine received a lot of attention in Uganda after climate activist Vanessa Nakate visited Garzweiler in October.
Vanessa Nakate is present at the climate summit.
Photo: Peter Dejong / AP
Nakate is one of the best known climate activists in Africa.
Africa has by far the lowest CO₂ footprint of the continents. They represent about 3% of total emissions.
Nakate tells the AP that she traveled to Garzweiler to see the destruction caused by the mine’s expansion.
“I came not only to see how the destruction affects people in this place, but also people in my home country of Uganda,” she said.
Nakate says that changing weather patterns are changing Uganda and that they are experiencing extreme weather conditions there due to global warming.
– The expansion of this coal mine leads to the destruction of cultures, traditions and history of this place, he says.
The Garzweiler Coal Mine is not what you would associate with a mine, but a gaping hole in the ground.
Photo: Michael Probst/AP
Emissions almost equal to those of Norway
Lignite is mined in the Garzweiler mine. Lignite is considered the least climate-friendly form of coal.
The mine is named after the village that was once located there. It covers an area of 48 km². When it now has to be expanded, not only a wind farm has to be demolished. The inhabitants of the village of Lützerath have left their homes because the mine is to be expanded.
The mine supplies coal to the Neurath and Niederaussem power plants. according to Statesman are second and third in the list of companies in Europe that emit the most CO₂.
In 2021, the two released 38.2 million tons of CO₂. This corresponds to almost 80% of Norway’s total emissions of 48.9 million tonnes of CO22– equivalent last year.
