Small farmer and single mother Imelda Hicoombolwa removes weeds from her field in Kaumba on January 21, 2020.

Photo by GUILLEM SARTORIO/AFP via Getty Images.

Policy workshop: climate change, environmental management, and sustainable growth in Uganda

Past Event Sheraton Hotel Kampala From to Energy, Climate change, green energy and Waste

What does it take to grow an economy without destroying the environment? On 25 June, 2026, the International Growth Centre (IGC), in conjunction with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), brings together academia, policymakers, and practitioners to find out.

Uganda is growing, but so are the pressures on its land, air, and cities. Climate change is not a distant threat; it is already reshaping harvests, flooding streets, and driving up the cost of living for millions of people across the country.

On 25 June 2026, the International Growth Centre and the National Environment Management Authority bring together researchers, government officials, and practitioners in Kampala for a one-day policy workshop. The conversations span four pressing themes: financing Uganda’s green transition, managing urban waste, clean energy access, and tackling air pollution in fast-growing cities.

The goal is practical: take the best available evidence and turn it into policy that works for Uganda’s people, now and in the decades ahead. 

Registration

Opening remarks and agenda for the day

Opening Remarks:
- Kennedy Stanton Tremayne (Climate & Nature Advisor, FCDO).
- Aisha Nansamba (Development Professional and Policy Researcher).

Event chair:
- Hakimu Sseviiri (UAL).

Framing the challenge: climate change, growth, and financing the transition

Session I:
Speakers:.
- Yasuka Tateishi (20 minutes) (UCL).
- Judith Flavia Nakirijja (20 minutes) (MUBS).
- Robert Kyukyu (20 minutes) (KCCA).
Q&A (15 minutes)

Managing waste: institutions, incentives, and service delivery

Session II:
Speakers:
- Victoria Delbridge (20 minutes) (CtW IGC).
- Richard Komakech (20 minutes) (Principal of Research, NEMA).
- Mychaela Paetow (20 minutes) (USC).
Policy Discussant: Isaac Mugumbule (15 minutes) (Head of the Landscaping Unit, KCCA).
Q&A (15 minutes)

Lunch break

IGC ongoing research and policy insights

Session III:
Speakers:
- Peter Fisker and Thomas Sohnesen (20 minutes) (University of Copenhagen).
- Deborah Ayebare (20 minutes) (National Planning Authority).
Q&A (10 minutes)
- Doreen Katangaza Rubatsimbira (20 minutes) (BoU).
- Diphus Tugume (20 minutes) (Makerere University).
Q&A (10 minutes)

Clearing the air: evidence and policy on urban air pollution

Session IV:
Speakers:
- Fidel Raja Wabinyai (20 minutes) (Data Scientist, AirQo).
- Vittorio Bassi (20 minutes) (Lead Academic, IGC).
- Aisha Zawedde (20 minutes) (Urban Action Lab, Makerere University).
Policy Discussant: Jennifer Kutesakwe (15 minutes) (Senior Air Pollution Specialist, NEMA).
Q&A (15 minutes)

Keynote speech

Speaker:
- Richard Komakech (20 minutes) (Director of Research, NEMA).