energy 18 March 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
EPRC Warns Clean Cooking Goals in Jeopardy Amid Surging Charcoal Demand
Uganda's push for clean cooking energy faces significant hurdles as only 15% of citizens have access, with persistent charcoal use eroding forest cover and policy gains, according to a new EPRC report. Experts call for better coordination to tackle high costs, weak enforcement, and urban demand driving the illegal trade. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/business/markets/clean-cooking-push-at-risk-as-charcoal-use-persists-says-eprc-5395758
Uganda’s efforts to promote clean cooking energy are at risk of stalling without a more unified approach, warns a recent report from the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) at Makerere University.
Key policies like the Uganda Energy Policy 2023, the Fourth National Development Plan, and the Energy Transition Plan emphasize sustainable alternatives. The government has rolled out subsidies for LPG, lower electricity rates for electric stoves, and backing for efficient cookstoves and pressure cookers. A 2023 executive order also prohibited commercial charcoal production in northern and eastern regions including Karamoja and Acholi.
Despite these steps, access remains low. EPRC Executive Director Sarah Ssewanyana revealed that just 15% of Ugandans use clean cooking energy. Challenges include expensive alternatives, poor infrastructure for electricity and LPG, lax regulation enforcement, and resistance to new cooking methods.
The environmental toll is severe, with researcher Linda Nakato highlighting that charcoal use destroys about 72,000 hectares of forests yearly. From 2000 to 2022, forest cover dropped from 3 million to under 2.5 million hectares, while charcoal consumption quadrupled to over 94,000 terajoules. Urban centers like Kampala, Gulu, Jinja, and Mbale fuel much of this demand.
This trend endangers SDG 7’s target for universal clean energy access by 2030. The report urges stronger coordination to safeguard energy and environmental objectives.
Source: Daily Monitor