Oil and gas production narratives in Colombia and Nigeria after the Paris Agreement

This SEI Brief analyses discursive carbon lock-in dynamics in Colombia and Nigeria. The cases show how oil and gas production narratives, including the roles that are assigned to them by governments for development, energy security, regional influence and energy transitions, contribute to entrenchment of high-carbon dependency. Many of the arguments and concepts on which these narratives have relied have been one-sided, inaccurate, outdated or oversimplified. Civil society organizations can challenge these narratives, by questioning the evidence base behind them, advocating for transparency in fossil fuel production and supporting the development of robust, evidence-based narratives of prosperous and equitable futures beyond fossil fuels. Civil society organizations and researchers can advocate for more ambitious climate policy by countries with lower dependence and higher capacity to transition away from fossil fuel production.