KAMPALA-Members from various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and representatives from the Government of Uganda have renewed their commitment to implement and follow up on the COP28 resolutions.
Mercy G. Munduru, Head of Programs and Fundraising, Action Aid International Uganda addressing the participants on Monday.
The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in more commonly known as COP28, was the 28th United Nations Climate Change conference, held from 30 November to 13th December at Expo City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
During the Post COP28 evaluation meeting held at Hilton Hotel in Kampala on Monday, various stake holders who included officials from Ministry of Finance, water and Environment as well as CSOs like Action Aid International Uganda, PELUM Association and others, examined the rate at which the resolutions have been fulfilled as well as finding solutions to barriers affecting their successful implementation.
Mercy G. Munduru, Head of Programs and Fundraising, Action Aid International Uganda , at this event, expressed her gratitude to the organizers of the meeting for being timely in bringing together all partners involved.
One of the participants highlighting his concerns during the meeting. (Courtesy photo)
“This space is good because during COP28 , we were scattered chasing various things, others were looking for strategic opportunities and we didn’t get a chance to seat together as representatives from Uganda. So when COP28 ended, people returned back home without any opportunity to meet together, strategize or discuss more about the outcomes.”
She therefore emphasized it that the meeting held in Kampala , is not about sharing the outcomes of the COP28 conference, but its all about planning between government and partners.
“People used to say that these are things for the global north and that they do not relate to us. But I believe that the past couple of weeks with the rapid floods and issues happening around us have woken up people to start to have actual conversations.” Munduru added
Bob Natif, Assistant Commissioner, Ministry of Water and Environment on addressing the participants, pointed out the need for all developed countries to support developing countries in adoptation double adoptation capacity which may be so expensive for them to facilitate financially.
He pointed out that World bank may not give Uganda funds , if the project to be financed doesn’t take consideration of climate change.
“If your planning to construct a road and you add another layer of climate impact on it, the road which would have costed One billion dollars will end up costing three billion dollars or more and the developing country may not have even One billion dollars to finance that project.”
Anthony Wolimbwa National Coordinator for Climate Action Network Uganda, called upon Africans especially Ugandans to embrace Agro ecology farming system because of being environmental friendly.
“Agro ecology is affordable to small holder farmers to adopt because Uganda’s farming system is largely dependent on nature. A farmer in Uganda who uses one acre doing agroforestry, he is able to grow crops, have a forest at the same time able to save on emissions (lower) and the energy consumption is always low.” Wolimbwa noted
He Is also pointed out that although in Global south they intend to promote to promote smart Agriculture (which is also good) , it always use the fossil based fertilizers and a farmer has no total control since he relies on improved seeds as well as fertilizers.
Resolutions of COP28
The 2023 COP28 conference is remembered for some of its tough resolutions like the decision to move away from the fossil fuels
Tripling renewable energy capacity globally and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030;
Rapidly phasing down unabated coal and limiting the permitting of new and unabated coal power generation;
Accelerating efforts globally towards net zero emissions energy systems, utilising zero and low carbon fuels well before or by around mid-century;
Accelerating zero and low emissions technologies, including, inter alia, renewables, nuclear, abatement and removal technologies, such as carbon capture and utilization and storage particularly in hard to abate sectors, and low carbon hydrogen production, so as to enhance efforts towards substitution of unabated fossil fuels in energy systems.
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