Overview:
He highlighted renewable energy, critical minerals, and climate-smart agriculture as priority areas where the continent must scale up investment and innovation.
Kigo, Uganda — Uganda’s Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Matia Kasaija, has called on African nations to charge forward with intentional, bold, and accelerated climate action across all sectors.
Speaking at the official opening of the 6th East Africa Climate Finance Directors’ Level Meeting at Lake Victoria Serena Hotel, Kigo, Hon. Kasaija emphasized that Africa cannot afford to lag in implementing climate solutions. He highlighted renewable energy, critical minerals, and climate-smart agriculture as priority areas where the continent must scale up investment and innovation.
“As a way of moving from ambition to action, Uganda has recently launched a suite of climate finance strategies alongside the Country Climate and Development Report,” Kasaija said. “This meeting provides an invaluable opportunity to harness our diversity of perspectives to develop innovative solutions that will benefit our people and generations to come. It is also a chance to agree on key regional priorities to be advanced during COP30 in Brazil.”
The East African Climate Finance Directors’ Level platform, established in 2021, aims to strengthen regional collaboration in mobilizing climate finance and building resilient economies. The platform’s pioneer members include Uganda, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Fiji, and Jamaica—a coalition that brings together voices from both Africa and the Global South to influence the global climate finance agenda.
This year’s gathering comes at a pivotal time as developing nations face escalating climate-related risks but continue to grapple with limited financing. Leaders at the Kigo meeting are expected to outline strategies to unlock greater international support, while also advancing homegrown financing mechanisms to fund renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and nature-based solutions.
The outcomes from the meeting will shape East Africa’s unified position at COP30 in Brazil, where finance, equity, and accelerated action are expected to dominate negotiations.