Cases / Insurance, liability and compensation funds · Uganda · 2021–2022
TotalEnergies’ Tilenga oil fields in Uganda: biodiversity claims and insurance
Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.
Nature's voice · report
No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
Not on record
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
TotalEnergies is developing the Tilenga oil fields in Uganda and presents its biodiversity programme as a net gain. The sources reviewed record a 2022 insurance arrangement for the pipeline, but do not establish whether the biodiversity claims have been independently verified.
What?
TotalEnergies is developing the Tilenga oil fields in Uganda and presents its biodiversity programme for them as a net gain. TotalEnergies
Where?
Albertine Graben, Uganda (Tilenga oil fields and the EACOP pipeline route)
When?
Insurance reported in 2022; EACOP Act 2021; biodiversity programme undated Business Insurance
Who?
Gained
- TotalEnergies — Developing the Tilenga oil fields TotalEnergies
- Uganda Re, ZEP-Re and Africa Re — Eligible for up to 30% of the pipeline risk under the 2021 Act Dialogue Earth
Lost
None on recordHarmed
None on recordWhy?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
How?
Insurance placed through a local consortium, with a share reserved for local reinsurers under national law Independent (Uganda)
6 of 6 questions answered from the record
What happened
The record, in order.
TotalEnergies’ biodiversity programme for the Tilenga oil fields claims a net biodiversity gain, according to its own infographic.
The Financial Times reported in May 2022 that Marsh was arranging the insurance; Marsh declined to comment, citing its policy of not confirming client identities.
Uganda’s insurance regulator chief executive, Kaddunabbi Lubega, said on 21 August 2022 that the pipeline is insured by the Insurance Consortium for Oil and Gas in Uganda (ICOGU), including policies on Tilenga.
The 2021 EACOP (Special Provisions) Act offers local reinsurers Uganda Re, ZEP-Re and Africa Re up to 30% of the risk, Dialogue Earth reported.
In court and with insurers
Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.
Lawsuits and rulings
No court case on record. No court has ruled on this case.
Insurers
No insurer decision on record.
What we don't know
Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Record
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: AECOM and Eco & Partner prepared the Tilenga impact assessment (NCEA 2019 review cited in the sources reviewed).
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: the campaign group StopEACOP disputes that the insurance cover is complete.
- None on record The sources reviewed do not state the amount insured, or name insurers other than ICOGU.
- None on record The sources reviewed do not say whether the net biodiversity gain has been checked by an independent body.
Did the harm stop?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Who paid?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Sources
Voices on record: ✓ Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers
Company or project
Press and investigations
- Climate group asks Marsh to stop serving as broker for the EACOP pipelineBusiness Insurance · 2022
- EACOP is locally insured, IRA bossIndependent (Uganda) · 2022-08-21
- Who is left to fund the East Africa crude oil pipeline?Dialogue Earth ·
Connected cases
Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.
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- Insurance Consortium for Oil and Gas in Uganda (ICOGU) (Insurer) — here: Insurance consortium covering the pipeline and Tilenga; there: Local insurer of the pipeline, per Uganda's regulator
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