Gas
Greenpeace activists target oil majors at African Energy Week
Greenpeace Africa protesters disrupted African Energy Week in Cape Town to demand that fossil fuel companies cover climate damage costs.
Key points
- Activists demonstrated outside the Cape Town International Convention Centre against oil and gas expansion.
- The protest targeted a promotional wine launch by the African Energy Chamber celebrating industry investors.
- Greenpeace highlighted climate impacts across Africa alongside record profits reported by major energy firms.
What happened
Greenpeace Africa campaigners staged a protest at the opening of African Energy Week in Cape Town, South Africa, according to Greenpeace. Demonstrators displayed giant inflatable wine bottles labelled 'Pay Baby Pay' outside the convention venue. Inside the building, activists projected a film focusing on communities affected by weather extremes during the opening session.
The demonstration was organised in response to a commemorative wine introduced by the African Energy Chamber to celebrate investors and industry leaders. Greenpeace representatives argued that the wine promotion disregarded the environmental vulnerabilities facing agricultural regions, such as the Western Cape.
Why it matters
According to Greenpeace, the protest aimed to draw attention to the human and economic costs of climate change on the continent. The organisation referenced World Meteorological Organisation figures showing that climate events impacted upwards of 13 million individuals and resulted in over 3,000 fatalities across Africa in 2025, including fatal floods in South Africa's Eastern Cape during June of that year.
Activists contrasted these impacts with corporate financial results from the same period. Greenpeace noted that ExxonMobil recorded earnings of USD 28.8 billion, TotalEnergies posted an adjusted net income of USD 15.6 billion, and BP generated a profit of USD 7.5 billion.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Gas is the flexible backbone of many grids and the designated transition fuel in many national plans, from LNG trade to domestic LPG and CNG. Supply security and pricing drive both power reliability and emissions.
21.9% of electricity in the world came from gas in 2024Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
