Uganda is gearing up to participate in the Twenty Eighth Session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP28). Scheduled from November 30th to December 12th, 2023, this conference is set to address critical global challenges related to climate change. Led by the Right Honourable Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, Uganda’s delegation will engage with leaders and negotiators from 198 countries. Below is an in-depth statement by Honorable Minister Of Water And Environment, detailing Uganda’s key priorities, objectives, and strategies for COP28, shedding light on the nation’s stance on crucial climate-related issues. Stay tuned for comprehensive coverage of Uganda’s preparations and expectations for this significant international event.
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Fellow Citizens and all people living in Uganda, the Twenty Eighth Session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP28), is scheduled to take place from 30th November to 12th December 2023 with the pre-sessional running from 24th -29th November 2023.
This year’s COP will be held at the Expo City Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Uganda’s Delegation will be led by the Right Honourable Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robin Fellow Citizens and all people living in Uganda, the Twenty Eighth Session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP28), is scheduled to take place from 30th November to 12th December 2023 with the pre-sessional running from 24th -29th November 2023.
This year’s COP will be held at the Expo City Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Uganda’s Delegation will be led by the Right Honourable Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja.
Delegates who include world leaders, Ministers and Negotiators from 198 countries who signed and ratified to the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement will meet to agree on how to address climate change. Representatives from Civil Society, the Private Sector, International Organizations and the Media will also be in attendance.
Fellow citizens, COP 28 comes at a decisive moment for International Climate Action. Temperature records are being repeatedly broken and climate impacts felt in unprecedented wildfires, floods, storms and droughts worldwide. Uganda is not exempt from some of these impacts. The United Nations global stock take synthesis report shows much more must be done to meet the goals of the landmark Paris Agreement. COP 28 therefore presents a critical opportunity to put the world on a more sustainable path.
Fellow citizens, the latest COP negotiations are hinged on ensuring that the world meets the Paris Agreement’s central goal, which is “to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius”.
Fellow citizens, the latest global science by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report 2022 pronounced the average global temperature continues to rise due to increased emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere, and therefore, it is envisaged that with the current rate of GHG emissions, it will be impossible to achieve the overall goal of the Paris Agreement.
Environment and Natural Resources are the bedrock of our existence and their judicious utilisation and management determine the future! That fellow citizens this is the urgency with which we should take climate change, it is real and does not isolate anyone from its impacts.
Fellow citizens, the world is witnessing the devastating consequences of climate change and the severe strain on our natural resources. From rising temperatures and extreme weather events to dwindling water and other natural resources and biodiversity loss, the signs are clear – we must act decisively and collectively to curb the negative impacts.
In Uganda the effects of climate change have left our country with significant and progressively perpetual losses and damage. For example, prolonged droughts in the country’s North and North-East, flooding in the country’s West, Central and Eastern region, and cities and urban areas, landslides in Elgon and other highland regions, and the bursting of numerous river banks in the Rwenzori (River Nyamwamba), all these negative impacts have caused enormous damage to the national economy, society, and ecosystems. Livelihood systems have also been affected and so has national growth because of the investments that must now be put in place to address the damages.
Fellow citizens, in response to the devastations caused by climate change, government is implementing a number of interventions through the several policies, laws, strategies among others and some of the particular actions to reduce carbon emissions, protect our water bodies, and promote renewable energy sources.
Fellow Citizens, as a way of ensuring productive participation in the upcoming CoP 28, a multi-stakeholder National Organising Committee (NOC) was constituted and has to-date met to strategize on Uganda’s participation.
Furthermore, the Ministry undertook a series of meetings in relation to the various thematic areas of adaptation, mitigation, capacity building, technology development and transfer, gender, compliance and transparency, and climate finance. Capacity building was also undertaken for Uganda’s Negotiators, and dialogues convened to generate their positions.
I am happy to announce to you that Uganda with support from the government of United Arab Emirates secured a pavilion and office for this year’s COP where we shall conduct our bilateral meetings, showcase our content in terms of climate actions, and carry out exhibitions among others.
Fellow countrymen, as we go to COP 28, the key priorities for Uganda include:
- Take a firm position on the inevitable and essential phase down of fossil fuels, and call for the tripling of renewable energy output to 11,000 gigawatts by the Parties.
- Call for a comprehensive transformation of climate finance instead of piecemeal reform. There should be a special focus on supporting climate-positive development across the Global South, to ensure that developing nations have access to affordable and available climate finance to drive a just transition.
- Donors should double adaptation finance by 2025 in order for the world’s most vulnerable nations to withstand the impact of climate change, furthermore donor country governments should also honour their commitments to close up the $100 billion pledge this year.
- We expect a firm position on putting lives and livelihoods at the heart of the climate process with the aim of advancing the world’s focus on nature, food, health and resilience as part of a robust framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation.
- COP27 created a Loss and Damage funding arrangements and fund that was to be approved by COP28. This should be advanced during this COP.
The Ministry of Water and Environment acknowledges the role of media and using the various channel to disseminate information to the media through different media channels including TVs and electronic and print media to the masses. I implore other media houses to position themselves during this period to inform, educate, and mobilize communities towards sustainable Climate actions.
As I conclude, allow me to thank His excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda for deliberately prioritizing addressing climate change in Uganda as you may all recall the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Manifesto 2021-2026 identifies climate change and environmental degradation as unfinished business and the COP is one of the forum for advancing such aspirations.
In the same vain, allow me also to thank our development partners such as United Nation Development Programme, Food and Agricultural Organisation, United Nation Capital Development Fund, GIZ, Green Growth Global Institute, UNFCC- Regional Collaborating Center- Kampala, Italian Government and many others who are supporting climate action in the country and have also journeyed with us in preparing the country for COP28.
In a special way I would like to appreciate my Ministry who has spear headed the National Organizing Committee that is comprised of various stakeholders drawing both government and non-government stake holders and I would like to commend Ugandans for the patriotism you have shown in the fight against climate change and in particular in the preparation for COP28, keep up the spirit.
For those travelling to COP28, I wish you fruitful deliberations and successful commitments. For the rest of the country follow through various media so that you are kept abreast of the decisions.
For God and my Country
ah Nabbanja.
Delegates who include world leaders, Ministers and Negotiators from 198 countries who signed and ratified to the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement will meet to agree on how to address climate change. Representatives from Civil Society, the Private Sector, International Organizations and the Media will also be in attendance.
Fellow citizens, COP 28 comes at a decisive moment for International Climate Action. Temperature records are being repeatedly broken and climate impacts felt in unprecedented wildfires, floods, storms and droughts worldwide. Uganda is not exempt from some of these impacts. The United Nations global stock take synthesis report shows much more must be done to meet the goals of the landmark Paris Agreement. COP 28 therefore presents a critical opportunity to put the world on a more sustainable path.
Fellow citizens, the latest COP negotiations are hinged on ensuring that the world meets the Paris Agreement’s central goal, which is “to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius”.
Fellow citizens, the latest global science by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report 2022 pronounced the average global temperature continues to rise due to increased emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere, and therefore, it is envisaged that with the current rate of GHG emissions, it will be impossible to achieve the overall goal of the Paris Agreement.
Environment and Natural Resources are the bedrock of our existence and their judicious utilisation and management determine the future! That fellow citizens this is the urgency with which we should take climate change, it is real and does not isolate anyone from its impacts.
Fellow citizens, the world is witnessing the devastating consequences of climate change and the severe strain on our natural resources. From rising temperatures and extreme weather events to dwindling water and other natural resources and biodiversity loss, the signs are clear – we must act decisively and collectively to curb the negative impacts.
In Uganda the effects of climate change have left our country with significant and progressively perpetual losses and damage. For example, prolonged droughts in the country’s North and North-East, flooding in the country’s West, Central and Eastern region, and cities and urban areas, landslides in Elgon and other highland regions, and the bursting of numerous river banks in the Rwenzori (River Nyamwamba), all these negative impacts have caused enormous damage to the national economy, society, and ecosystems. Livelihood systems have also been affected and so has national growth because of the investments that must now be put in place to address the damages.
Fellow citizens, in response to the devastations caused by climate change, government is implementing a number of interventions through the several policies, laws, strategies among others and some of the particular actions to reduce carbon emissions, protect our water bodies, and promote renewable energy sources.
Fellow Citizens, as a way of ensuring productive participation in the upcoming CoP 28, a multi-stakeholder National Organising Committee (NOC) was constituted and has to-date met to strategize on Uganda’s participation.
Furthermore, the Ministry undertook a series of meetings in relation to the various thematic areas of adaptation, mitigation, capacity building, technology development and transfer, gender, compliance and transparency, and climate finance. Capacity building was also undertaken for Uganda’s Negotiators, and dialogues convened to generate their positions.
I am happy to announce to you that Uganda with support from the government of United Arab Emirates secured a pavilion and office for this year’s COP where we shall conduct our bilateral meetings, showcase our content in terms of climate actions, and carry out exhibitions among others.
Fellow countrymen, as we go to COP 28, the key priorities for Uganda include:
- Take a firm position on the inevitable and essential phase down of fossil fuels, and call for the tripling of renewable energy output to 11,000 gigawatts by the Parties.
- Call for a comprehensive transformation of climate finance instead of piecemeal reform. There should be a special focus on supporting climate-positive development across the Global South, to ensure that developing nations have access to affordable and available climate finance to drive a just transition.
- Donors should double adaptation finance by 2025 in order for the world’s most vulnerable nations to withstand the impact of climate change, furthermore donor country governments should also honour their commitments to close up the $100 billion pledge this year.
- We expect a firm position on putting lives and livelihoods at the heart of the climate process with the aim of advancing the world’s focus on nature, food, health and resilience as part of a robust framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation.
- COP27 created a Loss and Damage funding arrangements and fund that was to be approved by COP28. This should be advanced during this COP.
The Ministry of Water and Environment acknowledges the role of media and using the various channel to disseminate information to the media through different media channels including TVs and electronic and print media to the masses. I implore other media houses to position themselves during this period to inform, educate, and mobilize communities towards sustainable Climate actions.
As I conclude, allow me to thank His excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda for deliberately prioritizing addressing climate change in Uganda as you may all recall the National Resistance Movement(NRM) Manifesto 2021-2026 identifies climate change and environmental degradation as unfinished business and the COP is one of the forum for advancing such aspirations.
In the same vain, allow me also to thank our development partners such as United Nation Development Programme, Food and Agricultural Organisation, United Nation Capital Development Fund, GIZ, Green Growth Global Institute, UNFCC- Regional Collaborating Center- Kampala, Italian Government and many others who are supporting climate action in the country and have also journeyed with us in preparing the country for COP28.
In a special way I would like to appreciate my Ministry who has spear headed the National Organizing Committee that is comprised of various stakeholders drawing both government and non-government stake holders and I would like to commend Ugandans for the patriotism you have shown in the fight against climate change and in particular in the preparation for COP28, keep up the spirit.
For those travelling to COP28, I wish you fruitful deliberations and successful commitments. For the rest of the country follow through various media so that you are kept abreast of the decisions.
For God and my Country
Sam Cheptoris (MP)
MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENT
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