press release
friends of the earth international
world bank inconsistency over african gas
pipeline criticized
LONDON (UK) / LAGOS (NIGERIA) November 22,
2004 -- Friends of the Earth International is
calling on the World Bank to delay approval
of the West Africa Gas Pipeline project
(WAGP) when it votes on the issue tomorrow
(Tuesday 23 Nov), arguing that it goes
directly against the Bank's commitment to
combating climate change, consulting with
communities and revenue transparency.
The 690-kilometer pipeline will take gas
from oil fields in Nigeria to markets in
Benin, Togo and Ghana but the World Bank has
not required sponsors to minimise gas flaring
from the pipeline. Gas flaring is a
by-product of oil extraction - in Nigeria the
process produces more greenhouse gas
emissions than all of sub-Saharan Africa
combined and is a major source of pollutants
that are hazardous to human health.
The WAGP has been touted by the World
Bank, ChevronTexaco and Shell, as a project
that will help end gas flaring but project
sponsors have not made any commitments on how
much reduction citizens in the Niger Delta
will see once the WAGP is in operation.
In fact, Shell will be extracting natural gas
for transport in the WAGP, not capturing
associated gas that will be flared.
According to Friends of the Earth the
project should be delayed until its design
reflects both the spirit and letter of Bank
commitments to combat climate change and
require individual company reporting of
revenues paid to the Nigerian government.
The World Bank recently committed to
increasing investments in renewable energy
and energy efficiency by 20 percent annually
over the next five years. Asume
Isaac of Environmental Rights Action/Friends
of the Earth Nigeria said:
“It simply defies logic for the Bank to
increase investments in renewable energy and
energy efficiency to combat climate change on
the one hand, while failing to maximize the
gas flaring reduction potential of projects
like WAGP on the other,”
The World Bank Board also committed to
requiring revenue and contract transparency
for all large oil and gas projects and for
smaller projects within two years, however,
the Bank has not made revenue transparency a
requirement for the WAGP, citing is not a
“large” project.
Hannah Ellis, International Financial
Institutions Campaigner at Friends of the
Earth England, Wales & Northern Ireland
said:
“The West African Gas Pipeline is a prime
example of how World Bank rhetoric differs
from on the ground reality. The World
Bank has said it will consult with
communities, ensure transparent revenues and
minimize environmental risk – why is
this not happening?”
For more information contact friends of
the earth
Asume Isaac in
Nigeria
Tel +324-803 309 9494
Noble Wadzah in
Ghana
Tel
+233-21 512 312
In
Europe
:
Hannah Ellis in
London
Tel+44-7952 876929
Longgena Ginting in the
Netherlands
Tel
+31-6-18846365
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