Giorgia Meloni has announced her long-awaited plan for Africa’s development, named after Enrico Mattei, founder of oil and gas giant Eni.
Italy plans to pump billions of euros from its climate fund into an African development program, which observers say could promote “false solutions” to fossil fuels and global warming. I am concerned.
At a summit of 20 African and European leaders in Rome on Monday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a long-awaited initiative aimed at strengthening economic ties and curbing migration.
Italy’s transformation into an “energy hub” creating a “bridge between Europe and Africa” is the central plank of the Mattei Plan, named after Enrico Mattei, the founder of state oil and gas company Eni.
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Meloni said initial funding for the plan will total 5.5 billion euros ($5.95 billion), including loans, guarantees and grants. It added that more than half of the budget will come from the Climate Change Fund, which will be established in 2022 to finance international projects in line with the Paris Agreement.
widespread concern
Campaigners in Italy and across Africa have expressed concern about the initiative.
Silvia Francescon, from Italian think tank Echo, told Climate Home that the plan had “high ambiguities” that left the door open to fossil fuel investment.
A document released by the Italian government says the initiative will strengthen the use of renewable energy and “accelerate the transition of the electricity system”, but does not explicitly rule out oil and gas projects.
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“There is no reference to the Paris Agreement or the police decision. Based on what we currently know, there is a risk that climate change or international development funds will be used for projects controlled by companies like Eni. There is no doubt about it,” she added. “The ambiguity is very concerning.”
Eni’s long shadow
Eni has extensive oil and gas operations in 12 African countries, including Nigeria, Mozambique, Ivory Coast and the Republic of Congo.
The company’s CEO, Claudio Descalzi, attended the launch of the Mattei plan in the Italian Senate along with other state-owned company executives.
At a political event hosted by Meloni’s right-wing populist party last December, he said Italy was “ready to invest in Africa not only to get the energy it needs for economic growth, but also to tackle migration flows.” There is,” he said.
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Concerns about Eni’s looming presence in the scheme have been growing ever since Meloni attached the company’s founder’s name to the scheme.
Enrico Mattei led the company’s efforts to capture a large share of the rapidly expanding market in the mid-20th century.
His commitment to giving oil-producing countries more benefits than their American and British rivals is widely acknowledged as a key reason for Eni’s success at the time. Matei died in 1962 in a plane crash caused by suspected sabotage.
mutual benefit
Meloni praised Mattei as the inspiration for his plan, saying it would be a “cooperation between equals” and “non-predatory.”
However, African Union Commission President Moussa Faki Mahamat told the summit that African countries wanted to be consulted beforehand.
“We need to move from words to action,” he said in a measured tone. “I hope you understand that I am not satisfied with promises that are often not kept.”
The Italian government has put energy at the heart of the partnership, but details about which energy sources will be included are very limited.
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Italy has signed several gas deals with African countries in the past two years as it seeks to replace Russian supplies. But gas was “the elephant in the room” at the summit, as Kenyan President William Ruto said in his speech.
Ruto said he believed that “African countries cannot be asked to stop exploration of natural resources, including fossil fuels.” But, he added, “this does not mean that it makes economic sense to increase our reliance on fossil fuels in our economy,” adding that gas is “primarily a temporary solution for export.” He said that there is.
“Wrong solution”
Among the limited number of “pilot projects” mentioned in Meloni’s speech was a biofuel production operation launched by Eni in Kenya in 2021.
Proponents of biofuels believe that they are important contributors to the energy transition away from fossil fuels. But critics argue it does more harm than good by diverting land from food production, destroying forests, exacerbating water scarcity and releasing massive amounts of emissions throughout the supply chain. There is.
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Dean Babe, head of campaigns at Power Shift Africa, said Mr Meloni’s focus was “very problematic”. “Africa has huge amounts of solar and wind power – real renewable energy sources – but instead we are choosing the wrong solutions like biofuels,” he told Climate Home. Ta.
Concerns have also been raised about the lack of engagement with civil society representatives who were not invited to the summit. Ahead of the event, more than 50 African organizations wrote a letter to the Italian government calling for an “end to the neo-colonial approach” and “a more consultative approach”.
“Currently, the Mattei plan does not offer Africa a way out of the systemic traps that are holding back Africa’s development,” Bebé said. “What we need is not a conference to keep Africa at the bottom of the food chain, but a plan to rebalance Africa’s place in the world in truly innovative ways.”