The Minister of Water and Environment Sam Cheptoris has announced the upcoming 28th Session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP28). The conference is set to take place from November 30 to December 12, 2023, with the pre-sessional period running from November 24 to 29, 2023. Minister Cheptoris made the announcement during a press conference at the Uganda Media Center in Kampala today.
Minister Cheptoris revealed that COP28 will be held at Expo City Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, with Uganda’s delegation to be led by the Right Honourable Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja. Stressing the significance of this year’s COP, Minister Cheptoris emphasized the urgent need for international climate action in light of the alarming rise in global temperatures and the unprecedented impact of climate-related events worldwide, such as wildfires, floods, storms, and droughts.
He highlighted that Uganda is also experiencing these impacts, as evidenced by the United Nations global stock take synthesis report. This report underscores the need for increased efforts to achieve the goals set by the Paris Agreement, making COP28 a vital opportunity to steer the world toward a more sustainable path.
Minister Cheptoris referred to the latest scientific findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report in 2022, which indicated a continued rise in global temperatures due to increased greenhouse gas emissions. He stressed that, at the current emission rate, achieving the overall goal of the Paris Agreement would be impossible.
Emphasizing the importance of environmental resources, Minister Cheptoris urged urgent attention to climate change, highlighting its real and inclusive impacts on everyone. He pointed out the severe consequences witnessed globally, including rising temperatures, extreme weather events, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss, necessitating decisive and collective action.
In the context of Uganda, Minister Cheptoris outlined the harmful effects of climate change, including prolonged droughts, floods, landslides, and riverbank bursts, resulting in significant economic, societal, and ecological damage. In response, the government has implemented various interventions, policies, laws, and strategies to address carbon emissions, protect water bodies, and promote renewable energy sources.
To facilitate Uganda’s participation in COP28, a multi-stakeholder National Organizing Committee (NOC) has been formed for strategic planning. The Ministry has conducted meetings covering thematic areas such as adaptation, mitigation, capacity building, technology development, gender, compliance, transparency, and climate finance. Capacity building for negotiators and dialogues to formulate positions were also undertaken.
Minister Cheptoris expressed satisfaction that Uganda, with support from the United Arab Emirates government, secured a pavilion and office for COP28. He also highlighted key priorities for Uganda at the conference, including advocating for the phasedown of fossil fuels, tripling renewable energy output, transforming climate finance comprehensively, doubling adaptation finance by 2025, and emphasizing lives and livelihoods in the climate process.
Moreover, he emphasized the need to advance the Loss and Damage funding arrangements and fund established in COP27, to be approved during COP28.
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