ActionAid International Uganda, East African Delegates Say No to Energy Charter Treaty

ActionAid International Uganda (AAIU) joined ActionAid Kenya at Strathmore University for a public lecture on demystifying the Energy Charter Treaty(ECT) in April.

 The Energy Charter Treaty, an agreement that prioritizes multinationals' business interests over human rights, has been in force for 26 years. However, its impact has been detrimental, leading to several countries withdrawing from it after realizing its harmful effects on their citizens

 AAIU was represented by Esther Kisembo, the Project Coordinator for Fair Green and Global, who participated in a panel discussion. She emphasized the fact that the, Energy Charter Treaty,  protects the fossil fuel investors from policy changes that affect their profits and this could massively undermine the Paris agreement on climate.

The ECT will delay climate action, with huge consequences for environmental rights. The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) allows energy companies to bypass domestic courts and sue governments before secretive international investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) courts for billions of dollars if governments policies threaten their profits, even if those policies are designed to protect human rights, the environment, or the climate

During the lecture, Susan Otieno, the Country Director for ActionAid Kenya, noted that the Treaty gave investors a level of security and predictability for their ventures in the fossil fuel industry, adding that compatibility with climate commitments was not in practice when the document was signed. The public lecture concluded with all the stakeholders agreeing that countries in the East Africa should say No to ECT given its anti climate justice and for promotes fossil fuel.