A total of 30 exploration areas will be allocated to oil and gas companies. Nine of the oil blocks are located in areas with large amounts of rainforest and peat on the ground.

Both forest and peat contain large amounts of carbon which can cause large climate emissions if the area is deforested.

When the auction began on Thursday, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi claimed that oil drilling would be carried out with modern technology to protect the environment.

He also referred to the importance of oil and gas for international peace and stability as a result of the Ukraine war, according to the news agency. Reuters.

billion Norway

As part of the Norwegian rainforest project, Norwegian authorities have spent several billion kroner trying to protect the rainforests of the Congo.

NOK 2.8 billion in aid has been used since 2016, according to Help news. Both Norway and Congo participate in Cafi’s Central African forestry cooperation.

Authorities in Congo for their part defended oil drilling and pointed out that Norway and other rich countries are also opening up new areas for oil exploration.

Greenpeace Norway’s leader, Frode Pleym, believes that this case demonstrates how Norwegian oil extraction and “double standards in the climate field” undermine Norway’s international reputation and opportunities for influence.

– It is tragic and understandable when politicians in Congo cynically use Norway’s oil exploration as an excuse to open up new areas of their own, Pleym told Bisstandsaktuelt.

Deep poverty

Authorities in Congo also argue that oil extraction will contribute to development in one of the world’s poorest countries.

Of the more than 100 million inhabitants of the Congo, 60 million live for under 1.9 dollars a day. The country has also been affected by decades of armed conflict and war.

But environmental activists doubt whether the resource will benefit the population, and whether it will be possible to avoid major environmental damage if the oil is to be extracted.

Reuters cites researcher Simon Lewis, who estimates that drilling for oil in Congo’s peatlands could cause emissions equivalent to 5.8 billion tonnes of CO₂.

In comparison, equivalent Norway’s greenhouse gas emissions last year 49 million tons of CO₂.

– Doesn’t prioritize planets

Plans to drill for oil in the Congo rainforest discussed by The New York Times on weekends.

Congolese authorities prioritize economic growth and poverty reduction, government adviser Tosi Mpanu Mpanu told the American newspaper.

– We don’t prioritize saving the planet, he added.

The New York Times called the oil plan a “giant step back for the climate”. In the article, it was shown that even the rainforest champions of Norway, and other rich countries, continue to invest in oil production.

Climate and Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap) told Bisstandsaktuelt that Norway will have dialogue with Congo about future oil plans. He stressed the importance of protecting the country’s rainforests.

– At the same time, DR Congo has development needs and understandably wants to utilize its natural resources in line with this, Eide said in a statement.

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