Commemorating World Environment Day 2026 – A Call for Climate Action

The theme for this year is a call for climate action. The world is urgently being rallied in that direction. With the rising temperatures, collapsing ecosystems, and disruptive weather extremes, humanity stands at a tipping point. But we are not powerless.

The 2026 theme underscores that climate action is not just about reducing carbon emissions—it is about rethinking the systems that power our economies and repairing our relationship with the climate. By doing so, we can secure a safer, healthier, and more just future for all.

Uganda’s overarching climate strategy is driven by the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) and its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which integrate climate resilience into the National Development Plan and Vision 2040. The strategy heavily focuses on both urgent climate adaptation for vulnerable communities and low-carbon development. 

Under its update of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) whose updating process started in 2020, Uganda met one of its ambitions through the passing of the National Climate Change Act in 2021. The updated NDCs are for the period 2020 to 2030.

The National Climate Change Act[1], which gives the force of law in Uganda to the International climate change treaties that are legally binding agreements aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to global warming, and facilitating financial and technological support between nations. These include; the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol (KP), and the Paris Agreement (PA). Climate law is intended to provide climate change response measures; for participation in climate change mechanisms; for measuring of emissions, reporting and verification of information; for institutional arrangements for coordinating and implementing climate change response measures and for financing for climate change; and related matters.

Under the law, the Climate Change Department (CCD) sitting at the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) was mandated to develop a Framework Strategy on Climate Change for Uganda within one year after the commencement of this Act. This strategy would guide Government in planning and budgeting for financing and monitoring of climate change programs and activities. This strategy is expected to take into consideration the obligation of Uganda under the climate change international treaties, the availability of scientific and indigenous knowledge on climate change, gender and human rights issues, food security, sustainable development, the loss and damage occasioned by climate change on ecosystems, communities and humankind and the human population of the country. 

The other policy documentation required to be developed is the National Climate Change Action Plan. Uganda’s National Climate Change Action Plan has been published in multiple iterations. The most recent overarching framework is the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) III, which covers the period from 2023 to 2027. This document operationalises the country's climate response mechanisms.

The Act requires Lead Agencies and Districts to create Climate Change Action Plans in conformity with the National Climate Change Action Plan and Framework Strategy on Climate Change. These plans are to be reviewed every five years or earlier as may be deemed necessary. Under the Act, Lead Agency is defined to mean a ministry, department, local government or agency of Government which is responsible for undertaking response measures for climate change in accordance with this Act and the National Climate Change Policy. On the other hand, a District is defined to include Kampala Capital City and other cities. 

The Act further provides for other institutions, which include: The Policy Committee on Environment, mandated with the role of advising the department and lead agencies on implementation of the Act and the National Climate Change Policy; and the National Climate Change Advisory Committee, mandated with the responsibility of providing independent technical advice to the policy committee on environment and the minister.

The Act also provides for participation in carbon markets as climate change mechanism; in the compliance market, voluntary market and Article 6 activities as set out in the PA. The participation has been further advanced with the passing of the National Climate Change (Climate Change Mechanisms) Regulations, 2025. The regulations establish a robust legal and administrative framework for carbon markets and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. These rules align with Article 6 of the PA to ensure transparency, environmental integrity, and equitable community benefits. 

The Act mandates the Minister of MWE to make regulations prescribing duties and obligations of private entities and individuals about climate change - specifying the activities for which private entities and individuals would be required to prepare mitigation and adaptation plans and the nature and procedure for reporting on the performance of private entities and individuals with regard to the obligations. 

The Act provides for litigation on climate change. It allows any person to apply to the High Court for relief against the Government, an individual or a private entity whose action or omission threatens or is likely to threaten efforts towards adaptation to or mitigation of climate change. The Act further allows any person to apply to the High Court notwithstanding that the person cannot prove that the act or omission of the CCD, lead agency, individual or private entity has caused or is likely to cause personal harm or injury to that person or any other person.

The Act mandates Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) to ensure that climate change education and research are integrated into the national curriculum. The question here would be whether the ministry responded to this call. Taking the fight against climate change to the learners challenges their understanding and molds their behaviour early in life promoting good citizenry.  

Lastly, the Act amends the Public Finance Management Act Cap. 171. Section 8 (1) of the Act was amended to include climate change as one of the considerations in preparing the Budget Framework Paper (BFP) for any vote by the accounting officer. Further, Section 8 (7) of the Act was also amended previously being Section 9 (6a) mandating the Minister of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MFPED) in consultation with the Chairperson of the National Planning Authority (NPA) to issue a certificate certifying that the BFP is climate change responsive and contains adequate allocation for funding climate change measures and actions. The MFPED and Chairperson of NPA are mandated under Section 8 (8) to evaluate all votes of the BFP before issuing the certificate mentioned above. 

Uganda has taken credible steps as outlined above in policy and law to combat climate change. 

As we commemorate the World Environment Day with the theme Call to Climate Action, Uganda has done well. What remains is the enforcement of the policy and law to achieve the intended purpose. 

The law touches on all people be it individuals or private entities. They are all liable should their actions or omissions threaten efforts towards adaptation to or mitigation of climate change. Therefore, everyone is called to be responsible as the consequences are clear should we fail to act. The government and its agencies, and local governments are not spared either as they are expected to meet their obligations under the Act. 

In closing, as we commemorate this year’s World Environment Day, the state of the Earth affects all of us both now and in the future. No matter who and where you are, everyone alive today has a critical role to play for the future of the planet. Let’s all do our part to preserve the only home we have. 

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