Uganda has announced that it will launch its energy transition plan at the upcoming 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) being held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next month. The energy transition plan aims to ensure that Uganda meets its net zero targets.
The strategy will outline how the country will achieve the objectives of carbon neutrality by 2050 while also ensuring universal access to electricity in the country by 2040.
Irene Batebe, permanent secretary of the ministry of energy and mineral development (MEMD) says: ‘We are fully focused on ensuring our energy security, so the oil and gas sector, which we are developing in a sustainable way environmentally, will support us in our energy transition plan by providing the required financing…We are decarbonising our energy sector. We are decarbonising our petroleum sector. We are already producing 80% clean energy because 80% of our energy comes from hydropower, and we will continue to ensure that we deploy clean energy.’
She highlighted how achieving an energy transition posed a financial challenge for many developing nations without adequate financial support from developing countries.
She highlighted how the strategy to be announced at COP28 is to be built on the following pillars:
- A commitment to expanding renewable energy in the country, especially hydropower.
- Financing reforestation programmes to meet commitments made at COP26 and COP27.
- Delivering on the obligation to ensure universal access to electricity by 2040.
Batebe cited how steps had already been taken to deliver on these objectives, including the building of a new 600-megawatt hydropower dam part-financed by the new Uganda Petroleum Fund.
