Protesters with a banner reading "Stop EACOP"

On Friday 15 September, campaigners protested in Manchester against the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

EACOP is currently under construction and is intended to transport crude oil between Uganda and the port of Tanga in Tanzania. If it is completed, it would be the longest heated crude oil pipeline in the world.

The protest took place outside the Chubb Insurance offices in Manchester, with campaigners calling on the company to commit to not insuring EACOP.

Campaigners from Stop EACOP oppose the project because of the pipeline’s contribution to climate change, the effect on wildlife and the impact on local communities in Africa. They also question the financial viability of the scheme as the world moves away from fossil fuels.

Opposition to the pipeline has already resulted in 22 insurance companies ruling out insuring EACOP and it is hoped that Chubb will make the same commitment.

Abduh Twaib Magambo from Stop EACOP Uganda said: “EACOP is a climate bomb project fraught with perilous consequences including but not limited to, putting in danger the livelihoods of forty million people around Lake Victoria and putting in danger animal species in Queen Elizabeth national park. These include elephants, zebras, giraffes and many more. The project has further gone an extra mile of putting people’s lives in danger due to displacements and threats from state.”

Local campaigner Martin Porter added: “The consequences of climate change are with us now and it’s only going to get worse. The seven hottest days of the last 100,000 years happened this summer resulting in heatwaves and floods around the world. Africa is the continent that has contributed least to climate change but it is set to suffer the most. Even the International Energy Agency has said the age of fossil fuels is over. Continuing with this pipeline is now madness. We hope Chubb Insurance agree and will pledge not to insure it.”

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