‘Carbon colonialism’ seen in Africa land purchases
Protesters say Dubai company’s plans threaten Indigenous livelihoods
MABUJA, Nigeria atthew Walley’s eyes sweep over the large forest that has sustained his Indigenous community in Liberia for generations. Even as the morning sun casts a golden hue over the canopy, a sense of unease lingers.
Their use of the land is being threatened, and they have organized to resist the possibility of losing their livelihood.
In the past year, the Liberian government has agreed to sell about 10% of the West African country’s land — the equivalent of 4,220 square miles — to Dubai-based Blue Carbon to preserve forests that might otherwise be logged and used for farming, the primary livelihood for many communities.
Blue Carbon, which did not respond to repeated emails and calls seeking comment, plans to make money by selling carbon credits to polluters to offset their emissions as they burn fossil fuels. Some experts argue the model offers little climate benefit, while activists label it “carbon colonialism.”
Activists say the government has no legal right over the land and note Liberian law acknowledges Indigenous land ownership. The government and Blue Carbon reached an agreement in March 2023 — months after the company’s launch — without consulting local communities, which are concerned about a lack of protections.
“There is no legal framework on carbon credits in Liberia, and so we don’t have rules and regulations to fight for ourselves as a community,” said Walley, whose community, Neezuin, could see about 221 square miles signed away to Blue Carbon.
A raft of agreements between at least five African countries and Blue Carbon could give the company control over large swaths of land on the continent. In Kenya, Indigenous populations already have been evicted to make way for other carbon credits projects, according to rights groups like Amnesty International and Survival International.
They have criticized the projects as “culturally destructive,” lacking transparency and threatening the livelihoods and food security of rural African populations.
“Many such projects are associated with appalling human rights abuses against local communities at the hands of park rangers,” said Simon Counsell, an independent researcher of conservation projects in Kenya, Congo, Cameroon and other countries. Africa contributes the least to greenhouse gas emissions, but its vast forests are crucial in the fight against climate change. Indigenous populations traditionally rely on forests for their livelihoods, highlighting the tension between climate goals and economic realities.
Blue Carbon has only one project under development in Zimbabwe, which involves approximately 20% of the country’s land, according to the company’s website.
However, through opaque agreements, the company has potentially secured staggering amounts of land across other countries, including Kenya, Liberia, Tanzania and Zambia, since forming in late 2022.
In Liberia, the government is required to obtain informed consent before using people’s land for such deals. However, former President George Weah’s government moved forward without consent, according to activists and communities.
Communities became aware only after activists mobilized against the deal following a leak through a network of nongovernmental organizations. Although the agreement said talks with communities would be done in November, locals and activists reported they did not happen.
“There is no opposition to fighting climate change, but it has to be done in a way that respects people’s rights and does not breach the law,” said Ambulah Mamey, a Liberian activist who has helped galvanize opposition to the Blue Carbon deal.
After protests from communities and activists, Weah’s government halted the deal before the presidential vote last year, but he still lost the election. The new director of Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency, Emmanuel Yarkpawolo, said the Blue Carbon deal was rushed through “a quick process that does not lend itself to a good level of transparency.”
He confirmed the deal is on hold and said Liberia is now developing rules for selling carbon credits, which will “emphasize balance between environmental goals and economic well-being of our people and take care of concerns about Indigenous people’s rights, including alternative livelihood means.”