WRITER: Howard Mwesigwa. PHOTO/FILE/COURTESY
Uganda stands at such a pivotal juncture in her development trajectory. Notwithstanding the fact that our energy sector is a cornerstone for macro and micro-economic growth and social development, the sector still faces a myriad of challenges.
As we seek to strike the ideal but often elusive balance between accelerated industrialisation and environmental sustainability, embracing energy efficiency and conservation emerges as a decisive strategy for propagating our sustainable development agenda, both in the context of the upcoming National Development Plan IV and the grander UN Agenda 2030.
Uganda’s energy mix at present, is dominated by hydropower, contributing approximately 84 percent of the electricity supply. In spite of the abundant availability of energy resources, nation-wide access to electricity remains limited, with rural electrification rates lagging behind their urban counterparts. According to research and data from the International Trade Administration, corroborated in part by data from Sustainable Energy for All, about 60 percent of Ugandans in urban areas have access to electricity, 10 percent in rural areas, and the nationwide access stands at a staggering 22.1 percent.
This disparity underscores the urgency of not only expanding access but also ensuring that existent energy systems are efficient and sustainable.
Conceptually, energy efficiency connotes using less energy to perform the same task, thereby eliminating energy waste. For Uganda, embracing energy efficiency and conservation promises a great array of benefits. First, it reduces the strain on the national grid, making energy available to more people without the immediate need for extensive new infrastructure.
Energy efficiency and conservation can also go a long way in lowering energy costs for households and businesses, thereby freeing up resources for other developmental needs. The residual disposable income as a result of the energy savings can then be expended on accessing social services and other household essentials that would ideally have been unavailable due to affordability shortfalls.
To enhance energy efficiency and conservation, Uganda must adopt and popularise key strategies. These include upgrading the national grid infrastructure to reduce transmission and distribution losses, which currently claim a significant gob of generated electricity.
Secondly, we need to promote the deployment of energy-efficient appliances and lighting so as to substantially reduce household and commercial energy consumption and energy waste. Thirdly, we need to adopt and enforce strict building codes and standards. Implementing and enforcing stringent building codes that require energy-efficient designs and materials can go a long way in reducing energy use, especially in the construction sector.
Finally, we need to embark on nation-wide inter-sectoral awareness campaigns. Educating stakeholders across government ministries, departments and agencies, civil society, academia, the private sector and the general public on energy efficiency and conservation practices can foster a culture of efficiency, leading to widespread behaviour change and an aggregate change in energy consumption patterns.
Energy efficiency and conservation can also contribute to our ongoing environmental stewardship and climate action efforts by reducing the amount of energy we need to produce, which in turn lowers greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. By using energy more efficiently, we can abate our reliance on fossil fuels, thus mitigating air and water pollution associated with their extraction and combustion.
Ultimately, the government must expedite the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Bill because embracing energy efficiency and conservation is not just an environmental imperative but a pathway to equitable development and a sustainable future. Through collaborative action and innovative approaches, Uganda can set a compelling precedent for other nations in the region and beyond.
Howard Mwesigwa is a team leader of energy, environment and sustainability at Kalikumutima and Co Advocates.
