Chamber mulls lawsuit

Carbon-reduction discriminates against Africans with no access to electricity.

- Ciaran Ryan

THE WEST: ACCUSED OF MODERN-DAY OIL AND GAS 'APARTHEID'.

It's been threatened for years, but it looks like this time it's happening: the African Energy Chamber says it plans a lawsuit against Western financiers for discriminating against African oil and gas projects at a time when the continent, enriched by recent massive discoveries, is beginning to lift itself out of poverty.

Executive chair of the African Energy Chamber NJ Ayuk told Intellinews the planned lawsuit would happen within the next year and would be backed by some of the largest law firms in the world and several African states.

Ayuk says Western financiers are engaged in oil and gas apartheid against Africa, which is expected to follow carbon-reduction standards imposed on countries like Sweden and Denmark while 600 million people in Africa do not have access to electricity, and 900 million lack access to clean cooking fuels.