As African countries tackle it out in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) held in Morocco, environmental activists are heightening their vitriol against TotalEnergies’, the tournament's flagship sponsor, accusing it of ‘greenwashing’.
- •Greenpeace Africa and allied activist groups launched a campaign challenging the energy firm’s partnership with African football, citing it is only interested in sanitizing its public image amid ongoing criticism of its fossil fuel operations across the continent.
- •The campaign centered on two satirical videos produced in collaboration with Magamba Network and members of the Kick Polluters Out network.
- •TotalEnergies has sponsored the Africa Cup of Nations since 2016, with its partnership extended in 2025 to run through 2028.
The first video, released in English ahead of the tournament, featured British and Zimbabwean comedians and critiques TotalEnergies’ branding strategy around African football. A second video was produced over the Christmas period by Journal Rappe, a Senegalese hip-hop media group, in collaboration with the Kick Polluters Out network, which has extended the campaign’s reach into Francophone Africa.
“It’s a disgrace that at a time where 99% of climate scientists could not be clearer that Africa is tipping into a climate catastrophe, a neo-colonial fossil fuel giant can greenwash their image through one of the world’s most beloved football tournaments. Let’s work together to show TotalEnergies the red card,” said Jolyon Rubinstein, one of the creatives who worked on the AFCON video.
TotalEnergies is one of the largest energy companies operating in Africa. The company is involved in major oil and gas projects in several countries including Mozambique, Uganda, and Tanzania.
The company is involved in the development of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which has drawn scrutiny from environmental and human rights groups over land acquisition, community displacement, and climate impacts.
The activist groups argue that sports sponsorships allow fossil fuel companies to associate themselves with cultural events and public goodwill while continuing to expand controversial oil and gas production. They are calling on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to introduce policies that would bar fossil fuel companies from sponsoring tournaments, similar to earlier restrictions placed on tobacco advertising in sports.
“They only care about their image and profits. Greenwashing is their favourite tactic, and this pretend shift into renewables is just another PR stunt. AFCON is simply another chance for them to distract Africa from the destruction they cause across our continent,” said a campaigner associated with Kick Polluters Out.
The campaign comes as climate-related risks across Africa including flooding, drought, and extreme heat, continue to intensify. While African countries account for a relatively small share of global greenhouse gas emissions, they are among the regions most exposed to climate-related disruptions.
TotalEnergies has stated in other forums that it is pursuing a diversified energy strategy that includes investments in renewables alongside hydrocarbons. The company has not publicly responded to the latest anti-fossil fuel campaign at the time of publication.
AFCON remains one of the continent’s most commercially significant sporting events, relying heavily on corporate sponsorships to fund operations and broadcasting. The pressure to kick TotalEnergies out of its sponsorship portfolio could create a massive funding gap for the underfunded African tournament.
Over the years, environmental activists have taken multi-pronged strategies to delegitimize the oil and gas business in Africa, even pressuring financial institutions to withdraw support for major projects. UK Export Finance and Netherlands-based Atradius, two major export credit agencies, withdrew support for TotalEnergies’ Mozambique liquefied natural gas project.
Export credit agencies have historically underwritten large energy projects in emerging markets where commercial lenders face political, security, or regulatory constraints. The pullback reflects tighter scrutiny of environmental exposure and government climate commitments.
TotalEnergies’ Mozambique LNG project, located in the insurgency-affected Cabo Delgado region, has faced repeated delays since operations were suspended in 2021 following a surge in militant violence. While security conditions have improved with the involvement of regional and international forces, instability remains a material concern for investors. The company recently announced the resumption of work after a four-year pause, even as financing and risk assessments continue to evolve.
