Amplifying Ugandan Voices: How Civil Society Shaped the COP29 Climate Agenda
Posted on: 2025-11-21 15:59:23
KAMPALA, UGANDA - Uganda, like many nations, is on the front lines of the climate crisis, facing severe weather, droughts, and food shortages. For too long, however, the voices of the people most affected—women, youth, and rural communities—were largely absent from national climate policy and international talks.
As COP29 approached, there was a real risk that Uganda would arrive at the global negotiating table without a clear understanding of its people’s urgent needs.
Recognising this gap, three key organisations—ACODE, Climate Action Network-Uganda (CAN-U), and the Environment and Natural Resources Civil Society Organisation Network (ENR CSO Network)—spearheaded a national campaign in October 2024. Their goal was to ensure that civil society’s perspectives were heard and integrated into the country’s official climate position.
They convened a broad meeting that brought together grassroots groups, women’s and youth leaders, and policy experts from across the country. This collaboration led to the creation of a CSO Position Paper that outlined actionable priorities on critical issues like climate finance, loss and damage, and food security. The paper was formally submitted to the government, making it clear that civil society’s concerns needed to be part of the national climate agenda.
The results were transformative. The government’s official COP29 booklet adopted 12 out of the 13 recommendations from the CSOs. Uganda’s final position now reflects calls for transparent climate finance, rights-based support for loss and damage, community-led nature-based solutions, and gender-responsive climate action. The only area not fully integrated was the detailed regulation of carbon markets.
This powerful outcome proves that when civil society is well-organised, its influence can reshape national policy and ensure that international negotiations truly represent the needs and priorities of the most vulnerable people.