Writer: Howard Mwesigwa. PHOTO/FILE/COURTESY
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is a creature of Article 7 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), established as the supreme body of the convention. This year, the 29th Session of the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 29), also known as the ‘Finance COP’, is ongoing until November 22, in Baku, Azerbaijan. The COP29 presidency has outlined a framework for action which encompasses three critical objectives; limiting global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius, enhancing ambition and enabling action, and ensuring an inclusive process.
Ahead of COP29, the Climate Change Department (CCD) of the Ministry of Water and Environment convened a Pre-COP29 Forum that brought together stakeholders from government, private sector, academia, development partners, youth and civil society, with the aim of building consensus on Uganda’s climate priorities. It is these priorities that have informed Uganda’s position at COP29.
The fact that Uganda has made significant strides in climate action notwithstanding, the urgency to protect natural resources, mitigate climate risks, and enhance resilience remains critical. One of Uganda’s top priorities is securing equitable climate finance. With over 70 percent of the population dependent on rain-fed agriculture, Uganda is highly vulnerable to climate variability, especially in rural areas where droughts and floods disrupt livelihoods.
At COP 29, Uganda will advocate for increased financial commitments from developed nations, emphasizing the need for accessible, grant-based funding for adaptation initiatives. This financing is crucial for building resilient infrastructure, supporting climate-smart agriculture, and safeguarding water resources. Uganda will be advocating for the fulfilment of commitments to the Loss and Damage Fund that was operationalised last year, at COP 28 and will also advocate for equitable climate finance, in the wake of the global discourse on the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance .Uganda’s other priority is building climate resilience and adaptive capacity.
The goal is to enhance adaptation mechanisms, considering Uganda’s vulnerability to climate change impacts. Uganda will be leveraging her chairpersonship of the G77 & China Group, to advocate for enhancing adaptation action to ensure that global south communities, many of which are at the very frontline of the climate crisis, are empowered and supported to effectively manage extreme weather events, food security, and biodiversity loss. Special focus shall be directed to the pressing need to expand funding and technical assistance for National Adaptation Plans for developing countries and promoting nature-based solutions like reforestation, and wetland restoration, so as to push back on desertification and fortify ecosystems and biodiversity.Uganda will also advocate for the enhancement of climate mitigation measures and the further development of carbon market mechanisms. It should be recalled that at COP 28, the negotiations around carbon trading were not concluded and were differed to COP 29.
In preparation for the negotiations on carbon markets, Uganda has been finalizing with her National Climate Change Mechanisms Regulations to guide and enhance carbon trading and investments in Uganda. Additionally, Uganda is committed to enhancing her climate change mitigation in the subsequent Nationally Determined Contribution to be submitted next year.
On the sultry issue of the Energy Transition, Uganda’s position as embedded in her Energy Transition Plan is unequivocal.
Uganda is aiming for a dual energy approach that allows her to harness renewable sources while ensuring a just, orderly and balanced transition that address her enduring energy poverty reality.Through these priorities, Uganda is committed to advancing climate resilience, economic development, and sustainable growth, reinforcing her role as a proactive participant in the global climate agenda.
