Last week the University of Graz organised an international Conference on the topic of “Climate Change and Needs-Based Justice: From Theory to Application”. The conference took place in Graz with a possibility to join in online. Linda Babirye Ntende, our Project Manager for Solar Pledge East Africa, and our Managing Director Erwin Eder were given the opportunity to speak during a workshop about just energy transitions. With horizont3000’s involvement in renewable energy projects in East Africa, the two gave input about the needs of the poorer local population in Uganda within the Energy transition and gave suggestions of how more justice can be guaranteed in energy transition partnerships.
Linda Babirye Ntende shared that Uganda is a hot spot for green energy transition. Straddling the equator on the East African plateau with a current energy consumption mix Uganda heavily relies on biomass, hydroelectricity and fossil fuels (diesel and petrol) which contribute to deforestation and thus greenhouse gas emissions. Biomass contributes 87% in the form of firewood, charcoal and crop residues and on an annual basis, the country loses 120,000 hectares of forest cover. Evidently, this unprecedented rate of forest cover loss has caused a negative bearing on the country’s ability to mitigate climate change continuing to underpin very low universal access to energy in Uganda. Therefore, Babirye argues that a just transition to solar, wind and renewable forms of energy will help achieve the goal of universal access. With this goal, Uganda plans to transition to solar and wind energy, build mini-grids and promote renewable solutions aligning with its NDPIII, vision 2040, inter alia.
The challenges and inequalities that mark Uganda’s energy landscape include:
In their contribution to the workshop, Babirye and Eder also included suggestions for how to continue just partnerships. These suggestions included recognising the importance of civil society. Organisations engage with local communities to educate them about the impacts of conventional energy sources, while raising awareness about the need for just transition that prioritises environmental and social justice for marginalised communities that are most affected by energy poverty.
Moreover, it is important that the economic and social environment of developing countries such as Uganda is kept in mind in these partnerships. Technologies used need to be tailored, and transition must be understood as a local concept respecting the history, background, and people’s beliefs. It’s the only way local communities will benefit.
Thank you to the organisers at the University of Graz for the opportunity to speak at the event.
