President Yoweri Museveni has urged for a united African approach at the next climate change summit in Dubai, underlining the need of defining the continent’s economic and energy requirements. Museveni’s words, presented by Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa at the African Energy Week in Cape Town, were to emphasize the need of delivering a uniform message at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Conference of the Parties (COP).
Despite objections from environmental groups, the President’s words reaffirmed his support for Uganda’s investment in the oil and gas sector. Museveni emphasized that commercializing the country’s oil and gas resources will generate funding for Uganda’s growth, renewable energy projects, and achieving universal energy access.
Museveni addressed environmental concerns, claiming that Uganda’s oil and gas projects were planned to have the smallest possible carbon footprint. He stressed the need of concentrating on lowering emissions from oil and gas operations while continuing to develop resources.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) decision-making body, with 197 nations participating as Parties. The forthcoming COP 28 intends to address global climate challenges while also establishing criteria for sustainable behavior.
Uganda’s energy policy includes a combination of renewables such as hydropower, solar electricity, and biomass. While continuing to develop renewable resources, the government hopes to increase revenue by tapping into its oil and gas industry. President Museveni stressed the need of Africa overcoming structural obstacles, guaranteeing access to money and technology, and improving the capacity of its people to properly harness energy resources.
With Africa’s population expected to exceed around 2.5 billion by 2050, Museveni emphasized the need of attaining universal access to dependable and cheap energy, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. He emphasized the significance of the continent achieving energy independence, particularly in view of the present global energy scenario.
