Remarks at National Commemoration of World Environment Day

Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs;

Hon. Sam Cheptoris, Minister for Water and Environment;

Hon. Beatrice Anywar, Minister of State for Environment;

Your Excellencies, the Ambassadors;

Honourable Members of Parliament present;

The Resident District Commissioner, Luweero District;

The Chairman, Luweero District Local Government;

Dr. Akankwatsah Barirega, Executive Director, National Environment Management Authority;

Invited Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am pleased to join you on this occasion to commemorate World Environment Day, 2022 here in Luweero District under the global theme – “Only One Earth” and national theme – “Our Earth, Conserve for life”. The theme is a call to humankind to safeguard the World’s limited resources, and it highlights the need to create transformative changes in our policies and choices to live sustainably in harmony with nature. This planet is our only home, and we must safeguard its finite resources.

The United Nations General Assembly, during the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm 1972), declared the 5th of June the International World Environment Day. On that day, each Member State is supposed to reflect on efforts put in place at national level to protect the environment. It is also a day for each Member State to reaffirm her commitment to sustainable environmental management.

Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, Hon. Ministers, Distinguished guests

Why Only One Earth?

“Only One Earth” was the slogan for the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972. This motto is still appropriate because the earth is our only home. This put sustainable development on the global agenda and led to the establishment of World Environment Day. Fifty years later, the Government of Sweden hosted Stockholm+50 from 2nd to 3rd June last week. and is hosting the global event of this year World Environment Day.

Why now?

Time is running out, and nature is in emergency mode. To keep global warming below 1.5°C this century, we must halve annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Without action, exposure to air pollution beyond safe guidelines will increase by 50 per cent within the decade, while plastic waste flowing into aquatic ecosystems will nearly triple by 2040. 

2022: Emergency mode

The world is facing three major environmental crises: climate change, biodiversity, and pollution. This is driven by human activity and unsustainable patterns of consumption and production.

The world’s most vulnerable communities are often the most impacted by the environmental crisis. Of the 7 million people who die annually because of air pollution, a disproportionate number are children and the elderly, and most are in the developing world. In 2022, we saw that about 50% of the population in Uganda is vulnerable to poverty and the vulnerability is predominantly climate and environmental risk induced (World Bank, 2022).

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in January 2022, António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, said: “We must go into emergency mode against the climate crisis. The battle to keep the 1.5-degree goal alive will be won or lost in this decade. And we are far off-track.” He added, “We need an avalanche of action.”

Act for our common home!

There is #OnlyOneEarth and protecting it is a global challenge and responsibility. We have the solutions, knowledge, and technology to limit climate change and avoid ecological collapse, but we need to act collectively. We need to rethink the way we live and the way we consume. Climate change does not respect borders and pollution is a global challenge that requires a global response. Ecosystem restoration, a key part of the climate solution, is critical to addressing poverty and enhancing human and ecological resilience. While our individual consumption choices do make a difference, it is collective action that will disrupt the status quo. We need to collectively make immediate and transformative change and advance to a more sustainable and just Earth, where everyone can flourish.

Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, Hon. Ministers, Distinguished guests

Let me bring the conversation home. Uganda is blessed with some of the world’s richest ecosystems and biodiversity resources, characterized by water resources, fertile diverse landscapes, energy, mineral resources as well as a rich and diverse cultural heritage. Internationally and in Africa, and for its size, Uganda is among those countries endowed with the greatest diversity of animal and plant species.

According to the national biodiversity strategic action plan (2016), Uganda occupies only 2% of the world’s area with a recorded 18,783 species of fauna and flora making it one of the top ten most bio-diverse countries in the world.  Uganda hosts more than half of the 1063 (53%) of the World’s population of mountain gorillas, 11% (1,063 species) of the world’s recorded species of birds (50% of Africa’s bird species), 7.8% (345 species) of the Global Mammal Diversity (39% of Africa’s Mammal Richness), 19% (86 species) of Africa’s amphibian species richness, 14% (142 species) of Africa’s reptile species, 1,249 recorded species of butterflies and 600 species of fish.

There is however evidence that by 1995 Uganda had already lost 50%. This has implications for the economy and the country’s climate adaptive capacity. For example, the World bank report of (2020) indicate that deforestation and land degradation are estimated to have cost Uganda 17% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This means, Uganda’s environmental leadership role is critical in achieving the 2030 Agenda through sustainable consumption and production as well as promoting good environmental practices in pursuit of vision 2040, the third National Development Plan (NDP III) and the new Parish Development Model as part of post-pandemic recovery efforts, while ensuring that no one is left behind. 

The United Nations system in Uganda is implementing the United Nations Strategic Development Cooperation Framework 2021 -2025 in support of the NDP111. Under this framework, the UN supported the development of the National Action Plan to implement the decade of ecosystem restoration, due for approval by the Cabinet of Uganda. It also provided innovative climate financing, specifically through the climate action challenge grants for women and youth-led non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The United Nations System in Uganda also led the revision of the Nationally Determined contribution (NDC) for Uganda, supported the development of the NDC implementation plan and is leading wetland and wetlands restoration programme in 24 districts. We support

What has been the role of UN

In Uganda, the UN continues to be a partner in environmental and sustainable development drive. For example, we provided innovative climate financing specifically through the Climate Action challenge Grants for women, youth led NGOs and the local community. Out of targeted 64,000ha of wetland area, 22,685ha (35%) had been restored, out of the targeted 11,000ha of catchment area, 600ha had restored and planted with trees. This partly contributed to Uganda’s forest cover increase from 9% in 2019 to 12.4% by end of 2021.

In supporting resilience in social services, the UN led Solarization of health centres to improve health services during COVID 19 Pandemic.  We provided solar PV systems to 35 health centres in rural Uganda under its solarization project to improve health services including COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, in partnership with the Ministry of Water and Environment, the UN is supporting small towns across the Country with the installation of solar water pumps to access clean water for improved hygiene and sanitation.

The role of Government

Given the critical role of nature in terms of tourism, agriculture, energy, water and industry, Government is encouraged to allocate additional financing to environment and nature conservation.  

Sustainable consumption and production, combined with circular approaches can drive economic development, mitigate climate change, positively impact health and pollution, and help alleviate poverty –potentially increasing incomes by an average of 11 per cent in low- and medium-income countries by 2060, and 4 per cent in high-income countries. Shifting to more sustainable patterns could also decrease material resource extraction by up to 25 per cent. 

Policies to reduce the use of plastic at all levels, restore degraded land and promote plant-rich diets, adopt stringent air quality measures, and promote active and shared mobility are just some key examples. Significant changes to climate governance and financial mechanisms will be pivotal in reaching these goals.

The role of business

Corporations are drivers and influencers of socio-economic transformation, and they must realize that healthy ecosystems and a stable climate underpin almost every industry on Earth. Corporations are therefore encouraged to put sustainability at the heart of decision making and focus on new business models to meet society’s needs and improve quality of life in less impactful ways. 

Conclusion

As I conclude, let me say that it comes down to individual action. We need to adjust our consumption choices in how we feed ourselves, get from one place to another, build, power, and heat or cool our homes and workspaces. We must reflect on what we really need and reuse items more frequently, properly dispose of them and reduce the amount we consume.  We must play an active role in raising awareness and demanding change from corporations and governments. Only when people push the levers of power and finance can we ensure these entities generate the large-scale, transformative changes we need.

I thank the Government of Uganda through the leadership of His Excellency, President Yoweri Museveni, and the Ministry of Water and Environment, for championing major environmental and natural resources restoration efforts, especially the restoration of fragile ecosystems.

I thank you.