By Spy Uganda
The Minister of State for Environment, Hon. Beatrice Atim Anywar, has called for stronger and more decisive action in tackling the climate crisis. Speaking at a side event during the Post-COP29 forum at the ongoing Uganda Water and Environment Week (UWEWK 2025) held at the Ministry of Water and Environment headquarters in Luzira, Kampala, the minister emphasized the urgent need for scaling up climate interventions.
“We need bolder action in combating the climate crisis. It is high time we took COP seriously and scaled up our interventions,” Hon. Anywar stated.
Since its inception in 2018, UWEWK has served as a platform for knowledge exchange, advocacy, and dialogue aimed at improving the country’s water and environmental resources. This year’s event is held under the theme: ‘Water and Environment Resources for Enhanced Resilience and Improved Income and Livelihoods.’
The Post-COP29 forum provided an opportunity to reflect on discussions held at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where Uganda focused on eight key negotiation areas: adaptation and loss & damage, mitigation and Article 6, climate finance, technology development and transfer, capacity building, gender and climate change, agriculture, and legal compliance.
Hon. Anywar reiterated the Ugandan government’s dedication to climate action despite global challenges such as severe climate effects and financial shortfalls.
“We are aware of the injustices affecting developing countries like Uganda. Africa is endowed with natural biodiversity that helps clean up the mess from industrialized nations,” she noted.
While COP29 saw renewed commitments toward the longstanding $100 billion annual climate finance target, the key outcome was the Baku Climate Unity Pact, which outlined a new global climate finance goal. This pact aims to raise at least $1.3 trillion annually for developing countries, with developed nations leading the mobilization of at least $300 billion by 2035. However, Hon. Anywar cautioned that while this marks progress, it remains insufficient to meet the actual financing needs for adaptation and mitigation.
Speaking at the same event, Hon. Buyika Lawrence Songa, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change, stressed the importance of staying aligned with the commitments made at COP29.
“This is an important moment for reflection on what we set out to achieve in Azerbaijan. Based on the outcomes, we need to adjust our strategies to meet our priorities. On financing, we must avoid non-transparent intermediaries and work towards securing direct funding,” he emphasized.
Ole Dahl Rasmussen, Co-chair of the Environment and Climate Change Donor Partner Group, reaffirmed donor commitment to supporting Uganda’s climate initiatives and praised the country’s efforts.
“We are generally satisfied with the outcome of COP29, particularly with the new climate finance goal. With this goal, we have committed to significantly increasing international climate efforts in developing nations,” Rasmussen stated.
He added that while much work remains, ongoing collaboration will ensure that Uganda not only adapts to climate change but also benefits from new funding opportunities.
Margaret Athieno Mwebesa, Commissioner for Climate Change and Uganda’s UNFCCC National Focal Person, highlighted key advancements made at COP29, particularly in carbon trading under Article 6.
“There were significant breakthroughs regarding carbon trading regulations. As a country, we are preparing to implement these regulations effectively,” she explained.
She also underscored Uganda’s vast natural wealth and the potential to leverage it for economic gain, urging stakeholders to work together to combat climate change.
