NDC Action in Uganda: Climate goals translated into action

Last week, the NDC Action project validation workshop in Uganda brought together high-level stakeholders to discuss the implementation of Uganda's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Key presentations highlighted the integration of results of the NDC Action project, including innovative climate technologies, such as solar irrigation, picture-based insurance and e-cooking, as well as the development of a blended finance tool to support Uganda's low-carbon development goals.

The workshop concluded with a series of concrete next steps to take forward the technical and market assessments, pursue the climate financing opportunities that are now embedded in Uganda’s national climate financing strategy thanks to the NDC Action project.

Charting a path forward

Bob Natifu, Assistant Commissioner for Climate Change at the Ministry of Water and Environment, delivered the opening remarks at the workshop.
He pointed out that the validation workshop was not just about presenting results, but about hearing from the people and organizations implementing the project in the field, and charting a path forward to replicate and magnify the project’s impact.

After the welcome, Querido Antonio Luis Ferreira, FAO Country Representative underscored the importance of translating NDCs into climate action.

“Mankind has emitted greenhouse gasses to a level that has surpassed environmental thresholds. We must now find ways to fix this mess. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts. We must reduce emissions and adapt to climate change,” he stated, adding that NDCs are our best hope for meeting climate commitments.

Following this presentation, Monique Akulu, head of UNDP’s climate finance initiative in Uganda highlighted the importance of tailoring the green transition approach in each country to ensure meaningful engagement and pointed out that the workshop was an example of how to get this engagement.

Reaching climate and development goals

After these high-level introductory remarks, Beatrice Anywar, Uganda’s Minister of State for the Environment officially opened the NDC Action validation workshop.

“Uganda’s NDC aims to build climate resilience and promote a low carbon development path. Our climate targets will enable Uganda to both reach the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.”

She also expressed her gratitude to all the stakeholders that have supported the NDC Action project, especially UNEP and the public and private sectors, the National Technical Institute, Climate Change Adaptation Innovation (CHAI) and all other development partners.

Technology and investment to achieve Uganda’s NDC

Following the minister’s opening, the CHAI team, led by Prof. John Kaddu, presented the different aspects of the NDC Action project in Uganda.

They focused on four key technological pillars identified by the project: Solar irrigation, solar dryers, e-cooking, and agroforestry.

The NDC Action project has also developed an innovative blended finance tool through a consultative process involving public and private sector stakeholders.
The tool, presented by CHAI, focused on de-risking investment in the four NDC related technologies, combining public and private finance to mobilize additional finance for climate action.

From Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the blended finance tool was linked to Uganda’s National Climate Finance Strategy, and a push to make technologies such as solar cooking commercially viable through taxation on unsustainable energy sources, grant-based subsidies and access to concessional finance to grow markets for clean technologies.

Key technologies: Picture-based insurance and solar e-cooking

The workshop focused on two key components of the NDC Action project. The introduction of picture-based insurance for smallholder banana farmers, and the promotion of solar electric cooking.

Implemented by ACRE Africa, Agro Consortium (AIC), and the Banana Industrial Research and Development Centre (BIRDC), the picture-based insurance initiative marks the first time smallholder banana farmers have the opportunity to insure against extreme weather events such as strong winds and devastating hailstorms, which are being exacerbated by the climate crisis.

For the solar e-cooking, implementing partner Mercy Corps, focused on the technology’s potential in situations of displacement, where the availability of land and access to sustainable biomass energy is severely constrained. Thus, the provision of non-biomass alternatives including off-grid solar e-cookers offers a game-changing alternative with a wealth of environmental and human health co-benefits.

Translating NDCs and concepts into climate action

Building on the results of the NDC Action project and aligning with Uganda’s NDC priorities, the newly started Accelerating Climate Technology Transition (ACTT) project will now develop concrete models for securing financing for solar irrigation. ACTT is a UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre project, implemented with support from the Danish ministry of foreign affairs.

The NDC Action validation workshop ended with participants endorsing the project’s results and a commitment from the Ugandan government to move forward with the recommendations of the project and workshop.

John Tumuhimbise, Senior Energy Officer at Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development closed the workshop speaking to the importance of extensive stakeholder engagement and more crucially concrete climate action.

“These are bankable projects, and we hope that they will translate from being concepts to tangible and on the ground actions. If they are not translated into action, the value of what we are doing will be zero. So, it is important that we continue to support these ideas, so they can contribute to Uganda’s transformation and development”.