Uganda launches forest project to help limit fossil fuel emissions

November 20, 2024 in Energy by Editor

Nankabirwa (left) during a panel discussion spoke on the issue of scaling up energy efficiency in Africa, highlighting Uganda’s strategies and partnerships towards achieving a net-zero future.

Uganda has launched its Forestry Compensation Strategy at the UN Climate Summit (COP29 in Baku Azerbaijan as part of its Energy Transition Plan, which was announced at COP28.

Speaking at the Summit which ends on Friday, Ruth Nankabirwa, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, reiterated the need to balance energy development with environmental sustainability.

“As we develop our energy projects, we must prepare for the greenhouse gas emissions they will generate. We have identified government and district forest reserves to offset these emissions,” she said.

She said Uganda is endowed with abundant natural energy resources and a favourable climate, but efforts must be made to address the emissions generated by the oil and gas projects under development.

The Forestry Compensation Strategy is designed to guide Uganda in developing projects that generate carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector, especially emissions related to the country’s oil and gas projects currently under development.

The Forestry Compensation Strategy is designed to guide Uganda in developing projects that generate carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector.

It is also part of the Alliance for Climate Resilience (ACR), which aims to unite stakeholders in promoting sustainable energy generation and utilization while addressing the country’s unique challenges in energy access, affordability, and security.

She also spoke on the issue of scaling up energy efficiency in Africa, highlighting Uganda’s strategies and partnerships towards achieving a net-zero future.

“Energy efficiency is a vital enabler for sustainable development and net-zero goals. Achieving significant efficiency gains requires a mix of regulation, information, and incentives,” she said.

Eng. Michael Mugerwa, the General Manager of the Uganda Refinery Holding Company, a subsidiary of the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), highlighted the strategy’s reliance on nature-based solutions.

Key interventions include Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) projects.

Mugerwa said these projects aim to achieve an initial carbon drawdown of up to 1,000,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to Uganda’s energy projects.

A pre-feasibility study has already identified potential sites for carbon drawdown, targeting approximately 65,000 hectares of degraded land for reforestation and 220,000 hectares of threatened forests for protection under REDD+.

ACR seeks to establish strategic partnerships across the public and private sectors to secure land and implement these projects effectively.

ACR represents a collaborative platform that includes government ministries, agencies, development partners, private sector entities, and other stakeholders, all working together to advance climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in Uganda’s energy sector.