Events

This policy dialogue was held from 11-12 October 2022 in Kampala, Uganda bringing various stakeholders.Uganda as a country has been geared towards a green economy. Uganda’s Vision 2040 affirms the attainment of a green and clean environment through sustainable utilization of the Environment and Natural Resources. This has been laid out in the National Development Plan III (NDPIII) (years) that prioritized Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Tourism sectors for green growth.

The Government of Uganda (GoU) is committed to the realization of the Goals and targets enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Thence, the GoU has integrated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the National Development frameworks, including the Uganda Vision 2040, the Second National Development Plan (NDP II & III under development), and the Sector Development Plans.

Theme: Advancing Green Business and Circular Economy in Africa

The SWITCH Africa Green Programme held a regional meeting on “Advancing Green Business and Circular Economy in Africa” in Kampala Uganda, 24-25 February 2020. participants attended the regional meeting that gathered senior government officials from over 25 African countries, representatives from the European Union, Regional Economic Communities, Financial Institutions, Academia, United Nations agencies and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The SWITCH Africa Green regional sector meeting on green manufacturing, took place from 26-27 September 2019, in Entebbe, Uganda. The meeting was attended by Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) experts, policy and decision makers, financial institutions and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Others were government officials from Uganda, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, Uganda, among others, Regional Economic Communities, the European Union (EU), UN agencies, and experts in green manufacturing sector.

Speakers

Prior to 2018, Uganda did not have a public procurement policy that promoted sustainable development. Sustainable public procurement, also known as Green Public Procurement, uses the government’s purchasing power to choose goods, services and infrastructure that are environmentally friendly based on the value of their entire lifecycle. The policy’s goal is to create a paradigm shift in the public sector so that it facilitates socioeconomic development, reduces harmful impacts to the environment, and supports achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The government of Uganda recognizes the importance of tourism for overall economic and social development. Tourism can boost economic revenue, reduce poverty through job creation, develop infrastructure, generate a sense of cultural exchange between nationals and foreigners, and help realize the Second National Development Plan and Uganda’s Vision 2040 – both designed to strengthen the country’s competitiveness. 

The manufacturing sector in Uganda covers a wide range of activities, including the processing of raw materials into more valuable products. Therefore, a significant overlap occurs between manufacturing and other sectors, including construction, agriculture, forestry, handicrafts, and clean energy. The core concept behind green manufacturing is developing environmentally friendly production methods and manufacturing processes that limit harm to nature while simultaneously boosting the economy. 

Uganda has put in place an elaborate system of institutions, laws and regulations to ensure the prudent use of public resources. Public sector procurement is at the centre of the way public money is spent and hence plays a pivotal role in a country's public financial management system. Its importance is derived from its role as the vehicle by which typically more than 55% of the budget implementation is managed in the country. Budgets get translated into goods and services in large part through the workings of the public sector procurement system.

SWITCH Africa Green held the Uganda National Networking Forum on 14 and 15 September 2017 in Kampala under the theme “Sustaining Uganda’s resources through promoting green business production”. The key objective of the forum was to foster open sharing of information and knowledge among stakeholders on the transition towards an inclusive green economy. The forum brought together about 150 participants, including government officials, members of parliament, development partners, academics, researchers, and representatives of civil society, cultural institutions and the private sector.

The Ninth African Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ARSCP-9) was held from 29 May to 1 June 2016, with more than 200 participants, consisting of sustainable consumption and production practitioners, the national focal points for the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP), SWITCH Africa Green implementing partners and development partners.

The fourth meeting of the Joint Steering Committee for the Switch Africa Green programme was held on 29 May 2016 in Kampala. The meeting was attended by representatives of the European Union, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the African Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production (ARSCP) and the Government of Uganda on behalf of the pilot countries.

The SWITCH Africa Green Regional Networking Forum was held on 28 and 29 May 2016, back-to-back with the ninth African Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production, held in Kampala from 30 May to 2 June 2016. At the SWITCH Africa Green exhibition, selected enterprises had the opportunity to showcase what they had been doing under the programme. The theme of the meeting was 'Supporting African countries in the transition towards an inclusive green economy based on sustainable consumption and production patterns'.

The SWITCH Africa Green National Stakeholder Workshop in Uganda was held on 19 and 20 November 2015 at the Hotel Africana in Kampala. The workshop was officially opened by Mr. Arnold Waiswa, Director of Environmental Monitoring and Compliance at the National Environment Management Authority, who delivered a statement on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda.

At a grant award ceremony held at the Imperial Golf Hotel, Entebbe, on 27 July 2015, the Minister of State for Environment, Ms. Flavia Nabugera Munaaba, together with European Union representative Ms. Jalia Kobusinge, officially awarded grants to the successful SWITCH Africa Green applicants in Uganda.

Ghana

In July 2015, over $3.4 million in SWITCH Africa Green grants was awarded for projects in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda. In November 2015, additional awards of over $3 million were granted for 16 projects in Burkina Faso, Mauritius, and South Africa, as well as $4.5 million for 3 multi-country projects covering all six pilot countries. Table 1 lists the grants awarded in Burkina Faso, Mauritius and South Africa and the multi-country grants, and table 2 lists the grants for Kenya, Ghana and Uganda.