Committee on Climate Change (Uganda)

Committee on Climate Change
Standing committee overview
Formed2021
Preceding Standing committee
  • Committee on Natural Resources
JurisdictionParliament of Uganda
Headquarters
Employees39 members
Annual budgetOversight only
Standing committee executives
  • Biyika Lawrence Songa, Chairperson
  • Atuto Jacinta, Deputy Chairperson
Parent department
Parliament of Uganda
Key document
  • Climate Change Act, 2021
Websitehttps://www.parliament.go.ug
Footnotes
Political Composition:

  NRM (26)   NUP (5)   Independents (4)   FDC (2)   DP (1)

  UPC (1)

The Committee on Climate Change is a standing committee of the Parliament of Uganda which is responsible scrutinizing Uganda's climate policies, reviewing the environment laws, and following up on Uganda's international commitments under accords like the Paris Agreement.

The committee operates in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Environment, the Department of Climate Change, and development partners to enhance Uganda's climate resilience and low-carbon development.[1]

Mandate

Under the Parliament's Rules of Procedure, the committee has the mandate to examine all climate-related legislation, policy proposals, and government programmes with the responsibility of reviewing environmental regulations, assessing national and international climate financing proposals, monitoring implementation of climate initiatives, and ensuring alignment with the National Climate Change Bill, 2020 which was passed on 14th August 2020[2] and the Climate Change Act, 2021.[3]

The committee also advises Parliament on climate change related priorities in Uganda and provides oversight over government performance on nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and other international commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).[4]

Status within Parliament

The Committee on Climate Change is one of the standing committees in Parliament of Uganda reconstituted every two and a half years and typically comprise 30 to 35 members just like other standing committees. Membership is drawn from various political parties with in the Parliament of Uganda with regional considerations through nominations coordinated by party whips.[5]

History

The Committee was formulated in 2021 following the passage of the Climate Change Act. Before its formulation, all climate-related oversight was handled by the Natural Resources Committee and Parliament Forum on Climate Change which was founded in 2008.[6] It's formulation came up as response to growing international obligations and national climate priorities outlined in Uganda's Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan III.[7]

Leadership

The leadership of the committee includes a Chairperson, a Deputy Chairperson, and a Clerk assigned by the Parliamentary Commission.

As of 2024, the Chairperson is Lawrence Biyika Songa, Member of Parliament for Ora County, Deputed by Jacinta Atuto, Member of Parliament for Kabula County .[8][9]

  NRM (26)   NUP (5)   FDC (2)   DP (1)   UPC (1)   Independents (4) = 39 members

Party-wise membership of Committee on Climate Change (2024–2026)
  1. NRM (66.7%)
  2. NUP (12.8%)
  3. Independents (10.3%)
  4. FDC (5.13%)
  5. DP (2.56%)
  6. UPC (2.56%)
Membership of the Committee on Climate Change (January 2024 – May 2026)[10]
PhotoNameConstituencyParty
Biyika Lawrence SongaOra CountyNRM
Atuto JacintaDWR, Kapelebyong
Asiimwe EnosKabula County
Kabahenda FlaviaDWR, Kyegegwa
Esenu Anthony AldenKapelebyong County
Mamawi JamesAdjumani County East
Achan Judith PeaceDWR, Nwoya
Kamukama BenjaminRuhaama County East
Nakwang Christine TuboDWR, Kaabong
Igeme Nathan NabetaJinja South East Division
Kesande Grace BataringayaDWR, Rubirizi
Ngoya John BoscoBokora County
Awor Betty EngolaDWR, Apac
Kinshaba Patience NkundaDWR, Kanungu
Maneno ZumuraDWR, Obongi
Magolo John FaithBungokho County North
Asiimwe Molly MusiimeDWR, Wampala
Okia Joannie AnikuDWR, Madi-Okollo
Auma Hellen WanderaDWR, Busia
Akampulira Prossy MbabaziDWR, Rubanda
Bigirwa Norah NyendwohaDWR, Buliisa
Buturo James NsabaBufumbira County East
Muheesi Jennifer AbahoDWR, Kazo
Natumanya FloraDWR, Kikuube
Oseku Richard OrieboKibale County
Kaaya Christine NakimweroDWR, KibogaNUP
Matovu CharlesBusiro County South
Lwanga JimmyNjeru Municipality
Balimwezo Ronald NsubugaNakawa Division East
Nakimuli HellenDWR, Kalangala
Kamara NicholasKabale MunicipalityFDC
Nyakato AsinansiCWR, Hoima City
Lumu Richard KizitoMityana County SouthDP
Alum Santa OgwangDWR, OyamUPC
Atukwasa RitaCWR, Mbarara CityIndependents
Kiiza KennethBujenje County
Kamuntu MosesRubanda County West
Nantaba Idah EriosDWR, Kayunga
Musherure Shartsi KutesaMawogola County North

Role in climate governance

The committee plays a key role in Uganda's national climate governance by:

  • Reviewing the national climate change strategy and budget allocations
  • Overseeing institutional coordination mechanisms, including the National Climate Change Advisory Committee
  • Evaluating climate adaptation and mitigation actions across key sectors such as energy, agriculture, transport, and water
  • Supporting mainstreaming of climate considerations in government planning and reporting processes[11]

Activities

The committee regularly holds hearings with ministries and departments implementing climate-related programmes. It has reviewed budget lines from the Ministry of Water and Environment, and assessed performance of projects funded by international climate funds. In 2023, it contributed to consultations on the revised Nationally Determined Contributions and supported Uganda's position at COP28.

It also works with the Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change – Uganda (PFCC-U) to organise awareness campaigns, site visits, and community dialogues on climate impacts.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Committee on Climate Change". Parliament of Uganda. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
  2. ↑ "Parliament of Uganda: Bill Tracker". bills.parliament.ug. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
  3. ↑ "Climate Change Act, 2021". Parliament of Uganda. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
  4. ↑ "Uganda's Second Biennial Update Report to the UNFCCC" (PDF). UNFCCC. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
  5. ↑ "Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Uganda". Parliament of Uganda. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
  6. ↑ "pfccparliament". pfccparliament. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
  7. ↑ "Climate Change Policy and Institutional Framework". Climate Change Department. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
  8. ↑ "Committee Membership". Parliament of Uganda. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
  9. ↑ "Committee On Climate Change – Parliament Watch". parliamentwatch.ug. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
  10. ↑ Membership of the Committee on Climate Change
  11. ↑ "Uganda's NDC Partnership Plan". NDC Partnership. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
  12. ↑ "Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change". Parliament of Uganda. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.