TotalEnergies has made clear commitments toward ensuring that its activities are conducted in line with best environmental and social practices, Philippe Groueix, the General Manager of TotalEnergies EP Uganda Wednesday said at the launch of TEPU Take Action Campaign.

The campaign aimed at showcasing the positive impact of TotalEnergies' activities in the Tilenga Project area also saw four key important agreements signed to enhance road safety, cultural heritage and biodiversity conservation in the Albertine region.

“We are committed to working with partners who are experts in implementing sustainable projects aimed at achieving positive outcomes for conservation, culture and communities,” Groueix stated further.

TotalEnergies signed an agreement with Safe Way Right Way (SWRW) for road safety initiatives in schools, Cross Cultural Foundation Uganda (CCFU) for the implementation of a cultural dialogue and heritage programme, and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to support UWA law enforcement activities in the MFNP park and Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWT) to promote community, education and awareness around Budongo forest central reserve.

These agreements, Groueix said, are just the beginning of a much bigger programme of partnerships for the implementation of TotalEnergies' actions for sustainability while pursuing the production of Uganda’s oil and gas.

Barbra Babweteera Mutambi, the Executive Director (ED) of Cross Cultural Foundation Uganda (CCFU) explained that key activities to be undertaken under this program include identifying, safeguarding and promoting traditional knowledge, and facilitation of value addiction in crafts making and traditional music.

“The project aims to promote culture as a key to improving community and individual livelihood, particularly through capacity building and intercultural collaborations in artistic initiatives, crafts, and traditional music, with more focus on women, youth, and children,” she said.

This will not be the first time Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT) is working with TotalEnergies in the Albertine region – the latest partnership is an extension of a relationship where both have been working in Budongo Forest using radio drama.

Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Dr Joshua Rukundo noted that TotalEnergies has developed strategies to use new cleaner ways of extracting energy.

Simon Nampindo, the Country Director, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) stated that projects like Tilenga have a long duration of over 25years and during that period WCS’s role will be to use science to conserve the environment. TotalEnergies should be able to take criticism based on science, he added.

TotalEnergies will be implementing the Road Safety and Mobility Program in schools to deal with the traffic in the Albertine region.  It is predicted traffic will double over the coming years due to increased oil and gas activities.

The program themed Road Safety at Heart prioritizes road safety sensitization and awareness in schools with specific emphasis on young children and the youths in the Albertine region. It seeks to reach 100 schools and over 38,000 students.