Background
Uganda has fulfilled the four most important pre-requisites to be eligible for Result-based Finance (RBF), as established by the Warsaw Framework under the REDD+ mechanism notably; the National REDD+ Strategy and Action Plan, National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS), Forest Reference Emission Level (FREL) / Forest Reference Level (FRL) and Safeguards Information System (SIS). In addition, for the purpose of tracking REDD+ carbon projects in Uganda, the REDD+ Secretariat embarked on development of a National REDD+ Registry. The simplified Registry is under the Forestry Sector Support Department. However, the mandate for the issuance and transfer of carbon credits lies with the Department of Climate Change under the Ministry of Water and Environment.
On 30th May 2025, the Government of Uganda launched the National Climate Change Mechanisms Regulations, which provide a robust legal framework for carbon markets. These regulations align Uganda’s carbon governance system with international standards and schemes, particularly those relating to Forest and REDD+ finance. The regulations also ensure that climate impacts and financial flows can be quantified, monitored, reported, and verified using internationally comparable metrics—specifically, tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e).
One of the critical requirements for accessing REDD+ results-based payments, such as those under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) RBP Pilot Programme or the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Carbon Fund, is the presence of a credible national registry. This system has to track emission reductions and corresponding payments to prevent double counting or double issuance of carbon credits.
The Uganda REDD+ Registry is designed to fulfill this function, ensuring the country meets the highest standards of environmental integrity and transparency as it enters and scales participation in international carbon markets.