Uganda is prepared to take necessary action and advance initiatives on aviation environmental protection including action on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), in line with ICAO principle of “No Country Left Behind,” The Deputy Director General of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) Mrs. Olive Birungi Lumonya , has said .
The Deputy DG was speaking at the opening of the national workshop on the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), and CORSIA Eligible Fuels (CEF) that Uganda Civil Aviation Authority jointly organized with the EU-CORSIA Africa and Caribbean Project, under the auspices of the European Union.
She explained that when Uganda started participating in the EU-CORSIA project, the aim was to join the international community in supporting the established standards, policies and strategies set to limit and mitigate the impact of aviation carbon emissions on the global climate.
“In our efforts to fully participate in the EU CORSIA project, Uganda is among the few States that received support in designing and setting up of greenhouse gas emissions, data reporting mechanism and national emissions inventory. Two weeks ago, the project assisted UCAA install the Aviation Emissions Data Management System (AEDMS), “ she stated .
The AEDMS platform, Lumonya noted will help Uganda to collect, store and process airline fuel consumption and carbon emissions data as well as related greenhouse gas emissions.
“ In addition, the platform is also critical for tracking, reporting and verification of carbon emission reports from airline operators. This will ensure systematic analysis and validation of available emissions and air traffic data as well as fuel consumption data. We look forward to successfully operationalize this system, she added .
Lumonya reported that Uganda has started work on assessment of our SAF potential and in April 2025, UCAA organized a kick-off workshop for a feasibility study to identify and promote opportunities for sustainable aviation fuel programme in Uganda.
“The preliminary results from this study will be presented by our Environment Focal Point during this workshop and I have been informed that some of you actively participated in this study, “ she said.
She also informed the meeting that Uganda has since secured a seat on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council following elections held at the just concluded 42nd Session of the ICAO General Assembly held in Montreal, Canada.
“The Ugandan delegation to the Assembly was led by the Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Katumba Wamala aaccompanied by Amb. Allan Kajik, Uganda’s High Commissioner to Canada, and senior officials from both UCAA and the Ministry,” Lumonya told the meeting.
The ICAO Council is the highest decision-making body of the UN specialized agency, responsible for setting standards and recommended practices that govern the global aviation industry.
Lumonya on behalf of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) and the Aviation fraternity in Uganda thanked the EU CORSIA Africa and Caribbean project for the support and guidance they have extended to African States through the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) from which Uganda has benefited immensely in respect to capacity building for Carbon emission mitigation from aviation activities.
“ I wish to extend our gratitude to the European Union for funding all the project activities to the benefits of our African States. UCAA fully identifies with the project aims of supporting targeted States to raise their ambition in terms of commitments towards ICAO’s recommendations and aspirational goals on reducing CO2 emissions from international aviation using all mechanisms as suggested and designed by ICAO, “she asserted .
