A team of researchers from Makerere University Centre for Environment for Development Initiative (EfD-Mak  Center) on Friday 3^rd May 2024 went to Parliament to share study findings on Uganda’s heavy reliance on fuel wood and charcoal to guide the country and, in particular Members of Parliament in their policy formulation.

Research fellows Prof. Edward Bbaale, Dr. Peter Babyenda, Dr. John Sseruyange, and Dr. Nick Kilimani undertook a study titled, “Promoting Inclusive Clean Energy Transition in Uganda: Evidence, Challenges and Policy Options”.

The team studied people’s perceptions of cooking energy systems in Uganda, through a document review and Focused Group Discussions, their level of knowledge about the possible effects of using energy systems, the challenges they face when using various energy systems, and their suggestions for promoting the use of clean energy.

Findings indicated an over-reliance on biomass across the country with charcoal being the major energy source in the low-income suburbs of Kampala. Evidence also points to the inherent fear of electricity and liquid petroleum gas, weak awareness, and poor regulatory systems to be the leading obstacles to an energy transition process.

The team, led by the Centre Director, Prof. Edward Bbaale, who is also Director of Research and Graduate Training at Makerere University interfaced with the Members of Parliament on the Committee of Environment and Natural Resources. Bbaale presented on, “Biomass Dependence and Green Transitions: Implications for Policy”.

“Parliament is a very important arm of government, responsible making laws, performing oversight role and therefore our research findings must be shared with them so that they use the information that we have generated through research for them to do their legislative function better.

“Makerere is a research intensive University but at the same time, the main objective of the current strategic plan is to generate as much research as possible. But number two, is to package this research and market it and share it with the rest of the country so that it can be useful and cause a policy and behavior change”, Prof. Bbaale justified the meeting.

Sharing the issue of green transitions, especially in the area of energy transitions in different sectors, as critical, Bbaale told MPs that over 3 billion people globally depend on biomass for energy which exacerbates climate change, forest loss, water scarcity and land degradation.

With a projection of the rise in the Global population from 8.1 to 9.8 billion by 2050, Bbaale decried that more than 700 million people survive on less than $2.15 daily which leads to increased reliance on biomass.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the professor said over 900 million people use biomass for cooking while Uganda has high reliance on biomass with 85% of the households using firewood, 13% using charcoal .

Charcoal burning and firewood collection according to Bbaale is partly responsible for Uganda’s rapid declining forests cover. Uganda’s Forest cover dropped from 20.4% in 1990 to 9% in 2015, driven by energy needs. Currently forest cover stands at 13.3%. Other factors like logging, farming and development also contribute to forest loss.

Bbaale also informed parliamentarians that heavy dependence on biomass energy poses health risks particularly to women and children. Household Air Pollution, according to Bbaale affects over 20 million Ugandans, causing 13,000 deaths annually, with women and children bearing the brunt.

“…firewood and charcoal are dirty sources of energy. Respiratory diseases, eye diseases, and others can be attributed to the household air pollution, but as a result of cooking, we also contribute to the bigger greenhouse gas emissions, then we see climate change manifest in extreme weather conditions like prolonged drought spells, floods and very heavy rainfall beyond the normal, and this has far-reaching effects on our economy and environment”, He explained.

Bbaale informed the committee about the social economic implications of high dependence on biomass. He said, wood fuel collection distresses child schooling in rural areas as children lose time collecting wood fuel, affecting their education.

Economically, Bbaale told Members of Parliament that dependence on biomass as an energy source impedes on female labor force participation. Ugandan rural  women Bbaale reported spend 9.1 hours per week on fuelwood collection, compared to 2.5 hours for men, hence reduces womens’ time for employment and education and this perpetuates gender inequalities in the labor market

In addition to increasing Green House Gas emissions, Bbaale explained that heavy reliance on Biomass increases Uganda’s vulnerability to climate shocks. Uganda is highly vulnerable to climate shocks and ranks 13^th position out of 192 countries in terms of vulnerability with low capacity to deal with climate change effects ̶ 160th/192.

Green Transitions

The Director proposed an economy free from fossil fuels, sustainable consumption of natural resources, less biomass energy dependence and low-carbon solutions as stipulated in Uganda’s Vision 2040 and NDP III and the Nationally Determined Contributions – a climate action plan to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts.

Within Energy, Bbaale expressed the need to increase the use of renewable energy, improve efficiency of biomass production and use, encourage industrial fuel switching, increased energy access for households and promote cleaner cooking technologies.

Noting that Uganda’s Gross National Income per capita is $930 and close to World Bank’s Lower Middle-Income Status ($1,086), Bbaale said the energy ladder indicates a delayed transition towards clean energy.

With 85%  households relying  on firewood, 13% depending  on charcoal and only 2% using clean energy sources like gas or electricity, Bbaale attributed the delayed transition to challenges mainly  availability, affordability, reliability, efficiency, and cultural considerations.

In terms of availability, the Professor told the committee that about half of Uganda’s population has access to any form of electricity largely due to the rural electrification program with a number of households not connected to the grid due to high costs and selective distribution of electricity lines.

Bbaale also reported that whereas the National LPG Supply Infrastructure Development and Promotion targets improving the LPG supply, storage and demand the main gaps include high initial costs, limited refilling centers especially in rural areas, high refilling costs and counterfeits.

In terms of reliability, Parliamentarians heard that only 24% of Ugandans have access to more than 4 hours of electricity per day with inadequate voltage in some areas and limited LPG refill centers.

Policy recommendations

Prof. Bbaale tabled recommendations on infrastructure development, financial incentives, sensitisation and awareness raising, capacity building and technical assistance as well as regulatory and policy framework.

On infrastructure development, Bbaale implored government to invest in expanding electricity grids to reach remote rural areas, establish even distribution LPG refilling centers, develop energy storage infrastructure for reliable power supply from renewable sources and, address rural electrification challenges such as connection costs and distribution issues.

Speaking on financial incentives, the professor asked government to provide subsidies and grants to reduce initial and refilling costs, offer low-interest loans for affordable clean energy technologies, implement tax incentives to encourage clean energy investments especially by the private sector and also provide flexible payment plans or pay-as-you-go schemes for clean energy systems to improve accessibility for financially constrained rural populations.

“We must go green and if we must green our economy, a very big part of it is energy transitions.  And the question is, what are the alternative sources that are cleaner? It is electricity, it is LPG. And then will the households afford?

“And as a result we are saying, legislators play an oversight function, they come up with the rules and regulations that govern our country. What can be done, for example, to make clean energy sources affordable? Let Members of Parliament think about some financial incentives, maybe some very cheap loans, advocate for subsidies from government, can be to increase their availability by encouraging the private sector by reducing taxes that overburden them to do business” Bbaale explained.

He also recommended sensitization of the public to raise awareness about subsidies (cooking tariff for electricity in Uganda) and clean energy alternatives, like Tanzania’s national cooking conference and to encourage mindset change towards LPG and biogas, led by Parliamentarians.

“For people that use electricity for cooking, very few households, including those that are around Kampala, know about electricity subsidy. And the Minister of Energy is of the view that electricity is the cheapest source of power these days. Even households that are well-educated, are not aware of what government has done in promoting the clean cooking”

“And being opinion leaders from their different constituencies, Members of Parliament can also act as champions of mindset change wherever they are. Maybe they can be in their constituency, act as a center to demonstrate some of the clean energy sources. How is it working? How is it possible?” Bbaale said.

Government according to Bbaale should offer training programs to rural communities on clean energy technologies and maintenance, provide technical support for installing and maintaining clean energy systems and facilitate knowledge-sharing platforms for rural communities to learn from successful projects.

Bbaale also proposed regulatory and policy frameworks in regard to standardization. He stressed the need for a law and policy in regard to prices and standards with Uganda National Bureau of Standards to rule out counterfeits.

Parliament pledges to support policies on clean energy transition and engage line ministries to collaborate with EfD as a research arm

The Chairperson Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Otala who is also Member of Parliament for West Budama South Constituency, Tororo District commended the university dons for sharing the research findings to guide policy formulation.

“And I must say that they are spot on in that their research findings are pointing the country to protection of our environment. And as they concluded by saying that yes, God always forgives, human beings sometimes forgive, but nature will never forgive if we do something. I think that was a fundamental statement, really,” Dr. Otala recalled.

Citing recent and occurring disasters that have ravaged the country due unsustainable use of the environment, Dr. Otala emphasized the need to balance development with environmental conservation.

“Most of our people still use firewood, biomass for cooking. And this is not the right way to go. We must look at renewable sources of energy and how to conserve our forests and that is how they bring in the issue of Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

Unfortunately, government already made an attempt, but at a very small scale. And so, we need to scale up this project of substituting the use of biomass for cooking with the Liquefied Petroleum Gas and even use biogas from homes.” Dr. Otala noted.

Otala pledged total commitment to working with the EfD-Mak center and line ministries to support policies to a green transition.

“What the EfD is doing is in keeping with the current global initiative of trying to address climate change, of conserving the environment, and the turning away from the use of fossil fuels to use of renewable energy for cooking. And we think that as policy makers, most of the policies they recommended are very good and we are going to take them up”.  He said.

Dr. Otala also pledged to share the research findings with the Minister of Water and Environment and his team, discuss the proposed policies and interventions and interest the ministry to utilize EfD as a research arm.

“The use of evidence-based policy is critical, and I can’t explain it more. So we shall definitely bring it to the attention of the Minister that in Makerere there is this initiative.

…we shall definitely help you to highlight  the need for collaboration in terms of research, but also translating research findings into actual activities on the ground for the benefit of our people based on research”. Otala affirmed.

Members of Parliament speak out

Shadow Minister for Environment and Energy who is also Woman Member of Parliament representing Kiboga District, Christine Kaaya Nakimwero requested the EfD Researchers to research on the census tools and fossil fuels that the country is looking up to.

“One, we have not looked at the census tools for the census that is going to begin on 10^th May this month, we would request you to look at the tool urgently and see if ownership of energy tools in households, for us to know what households really use.” Kaaya submitted

Kaaya also requested researchers to appreciate that Uganda is set to make money from fossil fuels and to research into emissions resulting from different energy sources and initiatives like afforestation.

“How much emissions come from production of one liter of fossil fuel? And what do we need to do to offset emission from one liter of fossil fuel? That is the exact message we’re supposed to share with our people. People need to know, if I plant five trees, does it help?” She pondered.

Kaaya also decried the issue of counterfeits in the energy sector calling on the committee members to discuss more on how the Uganda National Bureau of Standards can be supported to check counterfeits. She observed that affordability and culture are some of the factors hindering the adoption of clean cooking energy.

“There is a gender aspect in making people run away from use of biomass. I’m supposed to cook. Without food, there is no marriage. So, when we are phasing out biomass, we must have that at the back of the mind.  I’m in Kampala, you have refused people to bring charcoal. I’m here in Kampala, I’m married, I’m supposed to cook, I don’t have LPG, I cannot afford electricity.

“And how long are we going to wait to resolve this matter? You cannot just stop charcoal vehicles in Kiboga, please don’t proceed to Kampala. How do you expect us to make our husbands eat and the entire family? If you cannot answer that, then let’s go slow. We need to advise the President very appropriately.” Kaaya said.

Recently, the President of Uganda banned the commercial making, transportation and selling of charcoal to safeguard the environment.

The other cultural barrier to adoption of clean cooking energy according to Kaaya is the method of food preparation. In Buganda and other cultures that eat bananas, one is not a wife if she cannot prepare bananas, squeeze and leave them on fire in banana leaves for long hours until it is soft before serving.

“It is that cultural practice which is becoming very difficult. The electric cooker cannot accommodate banana leaves. After squeezing bananas, you are supposed to leave it on fire. It becomes very soft, such that even somebody who will come at midnight, finds it soft and hot. That is what we are battling with in our cultural settings. With this new gadget, you can’t have it. And then, in other words, you are not a good wife.” The MP said.

Hon. Orone Derrick Member of Parliament from Gogonyo county encouraged researchers to put more effort on the media awareness to the public.

“We as policy makers, we shall really support you but put more awareness of the media to the public that’s the only encouragement. I want to thank the chair for organizing these researchers to come and tell us, educate us, sensitizing us about the clean energy”. Orone said.

Hon. Apollo Yeri of Tororo Municipality implored the university to look into cheaper clean energy technologies like the use of biogas from animal and human waste.

“There are some people who have started to manufacture biogas themselves locally using cow dung and pit latrine. It is a bit cheap to produce. So if you encourage them to manufacture their own biogas, and maybe teach them how to store – because they don’t store anything, just use and sometimes they overuse. If they can store, they can even sell excess and more people would be encouraged”, Yeri suggested

Hon. Clare Mugumya, the District Woman Representative of Isingiro was hopeful that Uganda’s oil wells from Kirenga would provide cheap gas for the population. She noted that other clean energy sources and gadgets are costly for ordinary Ugandans.

“Otherwise, behavior change alone will not be possible, even if we sensitize, unless the issue of affordability is seriously addressed by government”. she said.

Jane Anyango is the Communication Officer EfD Uganda