The UK's new High Commissioner to Uganda says harnessing the power of the sun, wind, and water, Uganda can ensure that every child can study using electric light.
The new British High Commissioner to Uganda, Lisa Chesney says renewable energy can
represent the lifeblood of Uganda’s energy if properly exploited.
Chesney, speaking at the 2024 Renewable Energy Conference
at Speke Resort Munyonyo said by harnessing the power of the sun, wind, and
water, Uganda can ensure that every child can study using electric light.
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“That every farmer can get those yields by having
the right machinery, and every business competes on the global stage without
harming the environment,” she said.
She noted the need for urgency in rolling out
technologies to ensure that more Ugandans have access to the electricity grid.
The High Commissioner observed that the UK's
investing in renewable energy as Uganda is doing shows how economic development
can go hand-in-hand.
She observed that the dream of extending renewable should
not be an annual ritual but rather needs real action to be felt where there is
need.
“The difference between talking shop and the good
use of time is action,’” said Chesney whose government has been at the forefront
of supporting climate action initiatives and policies in Uganda.
Among the UK’s recent support to Uganda is the funding
for the establishment of a climate finance unit at the Ministry of Finance.
According to Chesney, over 247 million pounds of
climate finance to Uganda, and that an additional 190 million pounds is in the pipeline.
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Currently, the majority of Ugandans rely heavily on
fuel wood and charcoal burned in traditional devices for cooking and heating. Burning these fuels causes
pollution that can damage health and contribute to climate change.
Studies show that seven
in every ten households in Uganda (73%) use firewood for cooking while two in
every te
n households (21%) use charcoal, which
contributes to air pollution and is harmful to the people.
To reduce these impacts, the cleaning cooking unit
in the Ministry of Energy in partnership with other players hopes to scale up
cleaner cooking options like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), electric
appliances, ethanol, and biogas.
In August, the “Clean Cooking Program” supported by the UK Government was launched by the
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, Ruth Nankabirwa.
The program will lead the
national clean cooking agenda by ensuring effective coordination and mobilizing
financing to scale up Uganda’s clean cooking efforts.
Part of the ambition is
to deliver solutions for at least 6,000 households (30,000 people) within the
informal settlements within the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
