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China State Bank Shouldn’t Back East African Crude Oil Pipeline
<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" dir="ltr"><head> <title>China State Bank Shouldn’t Back East African Crude Oil Pipeline</title> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/11/27/china-state-bank-shouldnt-back-east-african-crude-oil-pipeline"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <style> .node_view ul li{ display:none; } </style> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.hrw.org/modules/contrib/printable/css/drupal-printable.css"> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="/themes/custom/hrw_design/apps/drupal/styles/_printable.css"> <script type="text/javascript" src=""></script> </head> <body> <img class="img-responsive" src="/themes/custom/hrw_design/apps/drupal/logo.svg"> <hr> <article> <div class="node-printable__date"> November 27, 2024 </div> <h2> <a href="/news/2024/11/27/china-state-bank-shouldnt-back-east-african-crude-oil-pipeline" rel="bookmark"><span>China State Bank Shouldn’t Back East African Crude Oil Pipeline</span> </a> </h2> <div> <div class="created"> </div> <div class="field-news-subtitle"> <div data-field="field-news-subtitle">Planned Fossil Fuel Project Threatens Human Rights, Drives Climate Change</div> </div> <div class="-layout-builder"> </div> <div class="field-news-published-in"> Published in </div> <div class="field-shared-author"> <div data-field="field-shared-author"> <div> <div class="byline__container mt-3 flex flex-wrap text-gray-800 flex-col"> <div class="byline__content flex flex-row ml-1 mr-0 mb-1 mt-4"> <div class="byline__img flex h-16 w-16 min-w-16 mr-4 ml-0"> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2024/11/202206EHR_Hellen_Headshot.jpg?h=f23f7e95&itok=tb-USnV9" alt="" loading="lazy" class="unloaded" width="374" height="374"> </div> <div class="byline__info flex-col pr-16 pl-0"> <div class="byline__name flex"> <a class="text-lg font-semibold leading-snug hover:underline focus:underline leading-none" href="/about/people/hellen-huang"><span>Hellen Huang</span> </a> </div> <div class="byline__position text-sm pt-1 leading-tight">Senior Associate, Environment and Human Rights</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="body"> <div> <div class="article-body article-body--contained rich-text mx-auto"> <div xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" class="embed align-center embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--center"> <div> <figure class="figure figure--expand text-center info "> <div class="figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto"> <a href="/modal/108516" rel="modal:open" class="figure__link"> <img srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/480w/public/media_2024/11/202411afr_ehr_uganda_eacop_construction.jpg?itok=yANGAbV_ 480w, /sites/default/files/styles/embed_xxl/public/media_2024/11/202411afr_ehr_uganda_eacop_construction.jpg?itok=8yhmDOP7 946w" sizes="(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px" width="946" height="631" data-responsive-image-style="embedded_images" src="/sites/default/files/styles/embed_xxl/public/media_2024/11/202411afr_ehr_uganda_eacop_construction.jpg?itok=8yhmDOP7" alt="Oil drilling pipes at the Tilenga Industrial Area, which will host the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), in Bulisa, Uganda, October 25, 2023." loading="lazy"> <div class="figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700"> <span class="sr-only">Click to expand Image</span> <div class="icon fill-current w-full inline-block"> <svg viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="currentColor" role="img" focusable="false" aria-hidden="true"> <use xlink:href="/themes/custom/hrw_design/dist/app-drupal/assets/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=240611#sprite-expand"></use> </svg> </div> </div> </a> </div> <figcaption class="figure__info text-left font-serif text-xs md:text-sm lg:text-base mx-auto text-gray-700 mt-1"> <span class="figure__caption">Oil drilling pipes at the Tilenga Industrial Area, which will host the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), in Bulisa, Uganda, October 25, 2023.</span> <span class="figure__credit">© 2023 Luke Dray/Bloomberg via Getty Images</span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <p>“We are now drilling.” Uganda’s energy minister recently confirmed at <a href="https://www.hrw.org/tag/cop29-climate-change-conference">COP29</a> that the government was <a href="https://constructionreviewonline.com/news/east-african-crude-oil-pipeline-eacop-construction-works-underway-in-uganda/">pressing ahead</a> with the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). The 1,443-kilometer pipeline will connect oilfields in western Uganda with the port of Tanga in eastern Tanzania. Among one of the world’s largest fossil fuel projects currently under development, EACOP poses significant risks to human rights and the environment.</p><p>Given the government’s unwavering support, the pipeline’s completion will now rely on whether it can secure the necessary funding.</p><p>Several <a href="https://www.stopeacop.net/banks-checklist">banks</a>, including major African banks, have already declined to support the project. The state-run Import-Export Bank of China (Exim Bank) remains undecided and is <a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-10-13-fate-of-vexed-east-african-pipeline-project-may-hinge-on-looming-decision-by-chinas-exim-bank/">expected</a> to make a key decision in December about its financial support for EACOP.</p><p>A Human Rights Watch <a href="https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/07/10/our-trust-broken/loss-land-and-livelihoods-oil-development-uganda">report</a> in 2023 found that land acquisition associated with the project has already devasted thousands of people’s livelihoods in Uganda. The inadequate and delayed compensation for land lost to the project has impacted many communities’ access to food, health, and education. It is estimated that developments in the oilfields will displace as many as 100,000 people across Uganda and Tanzania.</p><p>Human Rights Watch has also <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/02/uganda-oil-pipeline-protests-stifled">documented</a> the Ugandan government’s routine harassment and arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders and activists who voice concerns about the pipeline. <a href="https://www.fidh.org/en/region/Africa/uganda/uganda-crackdown-on-activists-protesting-against-large-scale-oil">More than 80</a> have been arrested since May 2024 for protesting against EACOP.</p><p>The Climate Accountability Institute <a href="https://climateaccountability.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/CAI-EACOP-Rptlores-Oct22.pdf">estimated</a> the full lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of the project to be 379 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, more than the annual emissions of Australia.</p><p>Human Rights Watch wrote to Exim Bank in October and urged the bank not to support EACOP due to its human rights and environmental risks. Backing EACOP would also be at odds with the bank’s stated aims as outlined in its 2022 <a href="http://english.eximbank.gov.cn/News/WhitePOGF/">White Paper on Green Finance</a>, which highlights cooperation with various international financial institutions in supporting environmental protection and renewable energy. Exim Bank has not responded to the letter.</p><p>In a year when global warming is expected to exceed the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius set by the Paris Agreement, expanding new fossil fuel projects like EACOP would be disastrous. China Exim Bank, or any financial institution, should not support a project that poses grave and significant risks to both human rights and the environment.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field-shared-related-content"> <div class="block-header flex justify-between items-baseline pb-3 border-b border-gray-200 "> <h2 class="block-header__title font-sans text-base font-medium uppercase text-gray-800"> Related Content </h2> </div> <div class="mt-5 md:mb-8"> <a href="/news/2024/04/16/insurance-firms-should-shun-east-african-crude-oil-pipeline" hreflang="en">Insurance Firms Should Shun the East African Crude Oil Pipeline</a> <a href="/news/2024/11/25/lack-progress-cop29-puts-rights-risk" hreflang="en">Lack of Progress at COP29 Puts Rights at Risk</a> </div> </div> <div class="field-shared-related-reports"> <div data-field="field-shared-related-reports"> <div><a href="/report/2023/07/10/our-trust-broken/loss-land-and-livelihoods-oil-development-uganda" hreflang="en">“Our Trust is Broken”</a></div> <div><a href="/report/2023/11/02/working-oil-forbidden/crackdown-against-environmental-defenders-uganda" hreflang="en">“Working On Oil is Forbidden”</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field-shared-region-country"> <div> <div class="tag-block"> <div class="tag-block__region flex flex-wrap"> <div class="tag-block__region-title text-gray-800 text-lg flex pr-2">Region / Country</div> <ul class="tag-block__region-list flex flex-wrap"> <li class="tag-block__region-item text-lg text-blue-700 pl-1"><a href="/africa" class="tag-block__region-link">Africa</a></li> <li class="tag-block__region-item text-lg text-blue-700 pl-1"><a href="/africa/uganda" class="tag-block__region-link">Uganda</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field-shared-tags"> </div> <div class="field-shared-topic"> <div> <div class="tag-block"> <div class="tag-block__region flex flex-wrap"> <div class="tag-block__region-title text-gray-800 text-lg flex pr-2">Topic</div> <ul class="tag-block__region-list flex flex-wrap"> <li class="tag-block__region-item text-lg text-blue-700 pl-1"><a href="/topic/environment/fossil-fuels" class="tag-block__region-link">Fossil Fuels</a></li> <li class="tag-block__region-item text-lg text-blue-700 pl-1"><a href="/topic/environment" class="tag-block__region-link">Environment and Human Rights</a></li> <li class="tag-block__region-item text-lg text-blue-700 pl-1"><a href="/topic/economic-justice-and-rights/oil-mining-and-natural-resources" class="tag-block__region-link">Oil, Mining, and Natural Resources</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="printable-navigation"> <div class="node_view"></div> </div> </div> </article> <hr> <strong>Source URL:</strong> <i>https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/11/27/china-state-bank-shouldnt-back-east-african-crude-oil-pipeline</i> </body> </html>