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“Climate Change Mitigation refers to Human intervention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase greenhouse sinks and the case of Uganda, our major greenhouse gas emission arises from the loss of natural carbon stock, followed by emissions in transport, and others in the waste industry. If we reduce emissions in transport and arrest the loss of forest cover and replant, then we are doing mitigation.” Engineer. Dr. Mackay Okure said while addressing the Civil Society Organization Climate Change Mitigation Working Group.

Dr. Mackay also mentioned that the objective of this mitigation is to stabilize the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that cause global Warming and eventually cause climate change, which is in the long term and defined as extreme weather events, which are on a daily basis.

According to Dr. Mackay Okure, emphasized that “Climate Mitigation negotiations are about the Science of Climate Change and its implications, so if science says that because of ABCD, then we must mitigate, and this requires us to always review the science despite the fact that some people do not want to believe the science.”

He also noted that the second priority is to strategize on measures to minimize and manage emissions, with a focus on the long-term implications of current efforts to reduce or stabilize them. He further noted that, under mitigation, the goal is also to mobilize and coordinate party plans, including actions, emission reports, and other relevant mitigation initiatives.

In a renewed effort to boost the protection of carbon sinks, Mitigation negotiators, communities, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are set to undergo comprehensive sensitization on forest crimes.

 “Our contribution towards carbon sinks is most likely to be great and bottom line is that our community sensitization, everyone even civil social society organizations will be sensitized about forest crime because many of us may not know what forest crimes are, how we rank them, what the reporting channels are and who is responsible and because of this our capacity will be built to confidently be able to write about Forest crime and everyone will be brought on table.” The Programs Manager at Environmental Alert, Carolyne Kirabo, said while addressing Mitigation Negotiators ahead of CoP30.

Established Facts.

Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world; however, a significant portion remains unemployed. This unemployment challenge has driven many people to depend heavily on natural resources, particularly wetlands and forests, for survival through activities such as extraction and cultivation. While this dependence exerts pressure on the environment, it also presents a unique opportunity to design sustainable livelihood options that bridge the existing income and employment gap, ensuring both economic empowerment and environmental conservation thrive together.

The Environment and Natural Resources Civil Society Organization Network and partners will be leading the Youth and Women Action Against Forest Crime project, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at combating illegal activities threatening the country’s forests. The project, funded by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), seeks to empower young people and women to take a leading role in protecting and restoring forest ecosystems.

Through the support of UNODC’s advanced crime-tracking systems, Uganda is set to strengthen its capacity to detect, report, and respond to forest-related offenses. The initiative will also build community awareness on the impacts of forest crime and promote active participation in conservation efforts.

By equipping youth and women with knowledge and tools to fight forest crime, the project is paving the way for sustainable forest management and contributing to Uganda’s broader efforts to restore its natural heritage.

Najjuko Carolyn, the Environment Engineer and Manager in the Climate Change Department at the Ministry of Water and Environment, has emphasized the urgent need for youth participation in global climate processes. She made the remarks today during a training session for youth on climate change negotiations held at the Environmental Alert headquarters in Kabalagala.

“The youth have been targeted and are some of the different groups that have been impacted by the effects of climate change and this is a call for them to come up and participate aggressively in this space of Climate change while also taking up space to get these opportunities that exist in the climate change spaces, things to deal with innovation especial where they can get green jobs, innovation opportunities in technology for example using digital tools to document evidence of climate disasters within Uganda and also be able to communicate this information in a form that is best understood by everyone,” said Najjuko.

She further highlighted challenges around climate finance, stressing that current procedures hinder youth access to funds. “At CoP30 in Brazil, the youth [are] seeking financing and improving the modernities because right now it’s very hard for them to have access to climate finance because of the hectic procedures that are in existence, and this should be made a little bit simpler for the youths,” she explained.

On adaptation and loss, and damage, Najjuko said young people remain among the most vulnerable. “Adaptation, Lose and damage, the youth are very affected and so today their key asks have been on financing on the Loss and Damage and putting actual money in the funds they can tap into and come up with innovative ways of addressing these climate change impacts and reduce on these damages and for the case of mitigation they agree on the just energy transition which is also a priority to Uganda and the youth would also want to tap in this opportunity through the innovative clean energy systems that are exiting to be able to create themselves green jobs and also address the issue of unemployment that exists.”

In her conclusion, Najjuko stressed the need to address issues of climate change threatening health and well-being, noting that climate justice must be clearly communicated. She underscored the importance of prioritizing the nexus between climate and health, as well as agriculture and climate, given Uganda’s Agro-based economy. She further highlighted youth demands for inclusion in UNFCCC and institutional processes to ensure representation at all levels, thereby strengthening their participation in future COPs.

Youth Empowerment for a Sustainable Future.

“We are celebrating International Youth Week with the theme: ‘Youth Empowerment for a Sustainable Future.‘ This theme is timely for the Government of Uganda, civil society organizations, individuals, and others to create spaces for dialogue among youths.

It is essential for their voices to be heard, for them to network, and to learn from each other, enabling young people to develop appropriate solutions to address the negative impacts of climate change at local, national, and international levels.

We would like to express our gratitude to donors such as the European Union for providing funding to support this initiative through agencies like Environmental Alert (EA), WeWorld Italy, and UNODC .” Jacinta Nekesa Nangabo, Team Leader at Environmental Alert (EA), stated while addressing the Participants at Piato  Restaurant, Kampala.

Sustainability:

KIGONGO ROBERT, the Sustainable development analyst, said, “As we commemorate the International Youth Day 2025, our role is to enhance capacities through training and climate financing to build resilience towards accelerating Planet Sustainable Development Goals.

“According to Mr. KIGONGO, they have trained more than 3 cohorts in partnership with UNICEF and are proud that many of the trainees have come up with Climate action innovations and grassroots activities, signifying the true, meaningful participation of young people.”The young people are the biggest stakeholders of the future, therefore it’s not only their critical role to climate action and environmental conservation but rather an indictment as potential victims.” Mr. KIGONGO ROBERT added.

He also mentioned that the National resource management starts with sound land use and ends with Sound land use, quoting one of the greatest heroes in Africa and beyond, Nelson Mandela, that “It’s all our duty to save the Environment, don’t wait for anyone, start now to conserve, protect, and restore the Environment.” WeWorld, European Union, UNODC

Youth in Climate Action

Vanessa Nakitto, a conservation biologist and the Environment and Natural Resource Civil Society Organization (ENRCSO) Youth Activist, said, “Youth are not just the future leaders but active change-makers, driving solutions in the present.”

She emphasized that young people possess the creativity, energy, and resilience needed to tackle pressing environmental challenges. According to Miss Vanessa, inclusive action where all voices, especially those of youth, women, and marginalized groups, are heard is urgently needed to ensure the sustainable stewardship of Uganda’s forests, water bodies, wildlife, and other natural resources.

Atwine Peninah, the Programs and Partnership Coordinator at Environmental Alert

“In the spirit of International Youth Day, we intend to build an informed, connected, and action-driven generation that is not only aware of environmental challenges but also empowered with the knowledge, skills, and networks to take decisive action.

We seek to inspire a sense of responsibility among young people, foster collaboration across communities, and drive innovative solutions that protect our planet’s biodiversity, restore degraded ecosystems, and promote sustainable living.”

UNODC: Uganda’s Forests Under Siege.

Forests are crucial for biodiversity, climate regulation, and the sustenance of communities. Yet, for the past decade and beyond, they have faced relentless threats: unsustainable agricultural practices, industrialization, unchecked urban expansion, forest crime, climate change, and biodiversity loss.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) defines forest crime as the illegal exploitation of flora, including unauthorized trading, harvesting, importing, exporting, processing, or consuming of forest resources, in violation of national and international laws.

“These forest crimes are progressing at a rapid rate since 1990, with an estimation of 420 million hectares have been lost through the conversion of forests to other land uses, and this is much more noticeable in Africa, where between 2010 and 2020 almost 4 million hectares were lost making the biggest continent to lose forests followed by South America.” Alejandra Euceda, the Programme Coordinator for Forest Crime at UNODC, said during the National Youth Dialogue.

UNODC said that according to INTERPOL, bigger Logging is responsible for 15 to 30% of global timber production and accounts for 50 to 90% of forest activities in key producers, and to put to your attention, “The global timber market is estimated to be 370 billion, making it the world’s third largest transnational Crime.”

Links between transnational and organized crime are tightening, prompting UNODC to intensify its efforts against illegal logging. Ranked as the world’s third most valuable transnational crime after counterfeiting and drug trafficking, illegal logging drains an estimated $17 billion from Africa each year, weakens governance, fuels corruption, and drives conflict and insecurity across the continent.

“The economy in Uganda is very reliant on natural resources, and this leads local communities to place significant force on these forest resources, leading to unsustainable use of forests, and all these other drivers like commercial agricultural production, which includes sugar canes, maize, rice as well as charcoal production, are all contributing factors to deforestation,” Alejandra added.

She also mentioned that to address these ongoing issues, UNODC is using “A Crime Scene to Courtroom Approach,” which works at all stages, addressing the issues from the root causes, looking at prevention efforts, detection, working with Law enforcement and other frontline actors such as the Civil Society Organizations, Youth, and development partners.

Kampala Urges the Youth to Exercise Constitutional Rights in Combating Illegal Forest Activities.

Natural Resource Governance refers to the decision-making processes that guide the control, management, and use of the environment and its resources.

In Uganda, this governance carries a constitutional obligation to involve all citizens, including the youth, in shaping how these resources are protected and utilized.

“Charcoal burning has been a very big problem to us as a sector and we have been dealing with it in different ways including a ban we put in 2023 and we have been trying to implement the ban even though these charcoal burners are becoming more cunning and changing in tactics however now more environmental protection agencies have been put on alert over charcoal.” Bob Kazungu, the Assistant Commissioner for Forestry at the Ministry of Water and Environment MWE, said during the National Youth Dialogue.

According to Bob, he said that before one burns charcoal, they should undertake a screening because when you look at the National Environment Act of 2019, one should have an environmental natural resource certificate or policy brief before getting involved in charcoal burning, even when we cannot run away from charcoal now.

“Every Ugandan has a right to stop any illegality by the constitution, and the youth are very vibrant in helping out against these illegal people and ask for documentation with guidance from the authorities to try and stop this illegality,” Bob added while encouraging the Youth to take part in Environmental Governance.