Responding to the publication of the International Energy Agency (IEA) 2022 World Energy Outlook, 350.org Executive Director, May Boeve, said:
“It is great to see the IEA continue to uphold climate science, and call for governments to stop investing in new fossil fuels. This continued progression owes huge thanks to the tireless work of activists across the climate movement, of which 350 is so proud to be part.
The report highlights that to combat climate and energy crises, we need investment in clean energy, not new fossil fuels. Thankfully, the report recognises the dangers of fossil gas as a ‘transitional’ fuel. Investing in fossil gas is a double-edged sword, it not only worsens climate chaos, but diverts from renewable solutions and massively impacts energy equity.
There is a long way to go still, the report continues to push false solutions such as Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS), which prolongs the life of fossil fuels, is expensive, unproven and brings its own health and environmental risks.
Despite some of the pitfalls, it is hard to overstate the importance of these continued shifts within the IEA. The message that there is no place for gas is critical. With #COP27 in Egypt, less than two weeks away. Africa faces a ‘dash for gas.’ The report shows it is a dangerous and short-sighted strategy.
In addition, we see continued attempts to promote fossil fuels across Africa, at the expense of true solutions. The most egregious example is TotalEnergie’s East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) which new analysis shows threatens to emit more than 25 times more carbon than the combined emissions of Uganda and Tanzania, combined.
Together with our partners across Africa, 350 is taking this message loud and clear to the COP and beyond. The shifts in the IEA stance are a testament to the power of collective movement. Together we will continue to campaign for an end to the dirty fossil fuel era and a just transition to the true clean energy solutions to the climate crisis.”