Uganda signs deal with GGGI to foster green economy

BY SAMUEL NABWIISO

Government of Uganda has signed a five-year working relationship with the Global green Growth Institute (GGGI) with the aim of supporting Uganda to foster green Economy growth in the country.

The programme will be implemented under the Country Planning Frame work (CPF) which is the strategic frame work for the cooperation between GGGI and the government of Uganda.

The CPF under this frame work have three out comes which the two parties will be implementing for the government to realize green Economy.And these outcomes are  mobilising finances  for the implementation  of the  Green Growth strategy  for Uganda , supporting  improved  planning  in Uganda’s cities  to catalyze  Green  Growth  transformation while reaping  the dividends  of rapid urbanisation  and lastly to  support government  in its efforts  to expand electricity thorough investing in renewable energy.

Speaking at the Launch of the flame work at the Ministry of Finance, planning and Economic Development on Friday, the Deputy Secretary to the Treasury Patrick Ocailap who represented the permanent Secretary Keith Muhakanizi, applauded GGGI for choosing Uganda as one of their development partners in implementing Green growth Economy.

He said the partnership will support Uganda in fighting climate change which has become a big challenge to the country’s economy.

Dexippos Agourides,of  GGGI (L)and Patrick Ocailap of the Ministry of Finance (R) with another officer from Government posing for group photo after the Launch of CPF   

Through the CPF framework, he said, more resources will be mobilized to finance off grid renewable energy projects across the country; this will reduce the incidences of deforestation thus tackling the issue of Pollution.

“When locals have access to off grid renewable energy, it will offer solutions to the increasing cases of deforestation which is rampant in the country. With this program, the government will reduce emissions of greenhouse gases which are destroying the planet. Reducing Emissions is good for our planet our health and the entire country’s economy,” he explained.

He added that through the CPF framework, Uganda will also benefit in technology transfer  because the program will attract more investors to invest in the production of energy from bio- digestible garbage’s that are becoming big sanitation problem in most urban towns in the country.

Uganda in 2017 launched the Uganda Green Development Strategy (UGGDS) with the aim of demonstrating commitment towards attaining sustainable development goals.

Some of the goals in the development plan are to ensure that Uganda reduces the emission of greenhouse gases by 22% by the 2030.

However, to achieve such goals the government need to source for cheap finance to finance green economy projects that can support government to achieve green Economy pathways.

In his remarks, Dexippos Agourides, the GGGI director for  Africa  and Middle East  Portfolio said  GGGI will support  the government of Uganda  to increase  finance  flows  for the projects  that are going to be implemented under the UGGDS  whose  finance gap stands at USD11 billion.

“To fully implement this strategy, we will require an estimated USD11 billion over a 15 years period. As key government partners, we are tasked to participate in the mobilization of these funds through various financing instruments and mechanism,” he said.

He added that if the CPF frame work is fully implement as its programmed ,it will support government to create more jobs to the ordinary Uganda boost the  country’s GDP private sector growth  as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the country.

Expected key outcomes from the CPF

According to the GGGI CPF implementing document, once the programme is fully implemented as designed it will lead to the following:

Under improved planning of cities, the GGGI interventions will lead to promoting of integrated solid waste management by reaching 50% waste separation at source and also a 70% waste collection nationally.

The programme will also support improvement in accessing to safe water, sanitation and improved transports systems.

On Electricity, the GGGI Interventions will support Government targets of expanding the number of new households that have adopted renewable energy for electricity by 2.8 as contribution towards the government target of 30% by 2010 among other out comes.