Public Eye officials displaying the signatures placard at the offices of Trafigura
The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) has announced that its partner, Public Eye, on Monday presented a petition signed by almost 20,000 people to Trafigura in Geneva, Switzerland, asking the commodities giant to stop selling “Dirty Diesel” to Africa.
Trafigura continues to deny all responsibility for its health damaging business, but public pressure moved Ghana’s government to toughen its national sulfur standard by a factor of 60.
“This campaign success of Public Eye and its African counterparts is an important step on the way to reducing air pollution and protecting people’s health.”
Accompanied by the sounds of African drums and dozens of activists, Public Eye dropped off the container full of dirty air from Accra and a petition signed by almost 20,000 people at the corporate offices of Trafigura.
This symbolic “return to sender” action was the last invitation for the Swiss commodities trader to stop its systematic exploitation of weak African sulfur standards and live-up to its sustainability promises by becoming the first supplier of clean diesel and gasoline.
Trafigura accepted the petition but continues to hide behind the legality of its toxic business model, claiming that any such decision is the sole responsibility of African governments.
Of course Trafigura is not the only Swiss company with such a profoundly unethical attitude: other dirty diesel culprits such as Vitol, Glencore, Addax & Oryx, and Mercuria put their African profit margins before the health of millions of people.
While the commodities trading firms continue to turn their backs on their responsibilities, the political authorities in other countries responded quite promptly by contrast.
At a meeting organized by the UN environmental programme (UNEP), Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA) announced that the legally permitted sulfur content of diesel imports would be lowered to 50ppm (parts per million) by March 1, 2017, down from a current 3000 ppm.
The European standard is 10ppm. The national refinery TOR, which covers only 15% of the domestic demand, will have to produce 500ppm after this date and is given a deadline of 2020 to make the necessary investments that will allow it to improve its quality to 50ppm.
Ghana’s historical decision provides a good template for other West African governments when they meet in early December in Abuja, Nigeria to discuss this issue.
Meanwhile, the “Dirty Diesel” report also got the political ball rolling in the ARA region (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp) where most “African quality” fuel is produced.
The city council of Amsterdam, as the owner of the city’s port, is weighing the option of putting an end to this illegitimate Swiss business model.
BY Samuel Boadi