The project aims to establish the Climate Finance Unit within the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development in Uganda with funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom Government.

The creation of the Climate Finance Unit aims to address Uganda’s climate finance gap, which remains below 1% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product despite the country’s 1.6% finance target set in its National Climate Change Policy. With a detailed plan and targeted interventions, the project seeks to unlock additional finance for implementing climate change actions.

The Climate Finance Unit aims to transform climate finance access by enhancing resource accessibility, promoting strategic resource allocation, fostering collaboration, and ensuring accountability in pursuing climate resilience and sustainability at a national level.

The project aims to achieve three key objectives. First, it will provide advisory services to the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development in Uganda to establish an effective task force in the Climate-Finance Unit and ensure smooth operations within the Ministry. Secondly, the project aims to review, update, and align the National Climate Finance Strategy with previously set objectives and, thirdly, kickstart the inception phase of the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance to secure external support and partnerships in achieving Uganda’s climate goals. These activities collectively aim to strengthen Uganda’s capacity to mobilize and effectively utilize climate finance resources.

Uganda has initiated several key measures to enhance its climate change response, including establishing a Climate Change Department, launching the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP), and submitting its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the UNFCCC. Despite these efforts, Uganda faces significant funding gaps for climate action. The nation needs $2.5 billion annually to meet its climate goals, with only 30% of this amount available from domestic sources.

Uganda has been grappling with the multifaceted challenges of climate change, ranging from environmental degradation to socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Recognizing the urgency of addressing these issues, Uganda embarked on a strategic initiative to establish a dedicated Climate Finance Unit with support from GGGI. This unit has been designed to align with international best practices, particularly those outlined by the United Kingdom’s Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance, to enhance Uganda’s access to climate finance resources.

Since its inception, the project has been dedicated to integrating the Climate Finance Unit and its personnel into the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, enhancing Uganda’s capacity to access climate finance resources, and ensuring accountability in climate resilience and sustainability efforts at the national level. Rooted in Uganda’s national climate action plans and priorities, the Climate Finance Unit is operating as a government unit dedicated to advancing the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions