Uganda has marked a major milestone in its commitment to global environmental protection and climate action with the official presentation of the Final Draft Report of the Feasibility Study for the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Programme.
The high-level workshop, hosted on Monday, December 1, 2025, by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) at the Imperial Golf View Hotel, brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), various government ministries, airline operators, and the private sector.
The consensus was clear: accelerating the local development and deployment of SAF is not just an environmental necessity but a crucial economic opportunity for the nation.
ICAO Global Vision and Uganda’s Commitment
The UCAA’s commitment to the SAF programme is firmly rooted in the ICAO’s global environmental goals.
As UCCA’s Acting Director General, Ms. Olive Birungi Lumonya noted, the SAF initiative aligns with the multilateral platform for cooperation on international aviation environmental protection.
“Uganda recognises that achieving ICAO’s Long-term Aspirational Goals (LTAG) requires a comprehensive approach, and the use of SAF, Lower Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF), and other cleaner aviation energy sources is expected to make the largest contribution to reducing aviation carbon emissions by 2050,” Ms. Lumonya said.
She noted that the study is directly framed within the ICAO Global Framework for Sustainable Aviation Fuels, which was adopted at the third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) in 2023.
This framework, according to Ms. Lumonya, includes a global collective aspiration to reduce aviation carbon emissions by 5% by 2030 through the use of SAF.
Mr. Ronny Barongo, the Director of Safety, Security and Economic Regulations (DSSER) at UCAA, reinforced this commitment, highlighting Uganda’s voluntary participation in the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) from 2019, positioning the nation as one of the first African states to join CORSIA.
Roadmap for Economic Opportunity
The Feasibility Study, funded by the Government of the United Kingdom under the ACT-SAF project, provides a comprehensive assessment of Uganda’s potential in the SAF value chain.
Ms. Lumonya stressed that decentralising fuel production is a key goal, noting that currently, SAF production is concentrated in developed countries.
“This initiative aims to provide fair and equal opportunities for developing countries like Uganda to participate across the entire value chain, from feedstock production to fuel processing and use,” she pointed out.
The study, according to Ms. Lumonya, serves as a roadmap to demonstrate that Uganda is actively participating in the global progressive and collective decarbonisation of air transport.
Benefits and Next Steps
The audience agreed that local SAF production will reduce costs for national carriers, especially as mandates for SAF blends are already being implemented in other regions (e.g., Uganda Airlines operating in the UK is required to uplift SAF-blended fuel on its return route from London).
Economic Streams
The move will create new economic streams and alternative sources for energy security.
Multi-Sectoral Collaboration
It was also revealed that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) are expected to play a pivotal role in steering the national SAF programme, with UCAA serving in an advisory capacity.
Collective Action for a Sustainable Future
Both UCAA leaders called on stakeholders to actively contribute to the deliberations on the final draft report.
“The Feasibility Study is only the first phase; the next step will involve developing the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Business Case Study based on the findings,” Mr. Barongo said.
“We need to embrace this opportunity to position Uganda as a regional leader in sustainable aviation, to support our national climate objectives, and to contribute to the ICAO vision,” he concluded.
The commitment shown by the UCAA, ICAO, the UK government, and the diverse national stakeholders ensures that Uganda is prepared to turn the recommendations from this landmark report into concrete actions, fostering innovation and a climate-resilient air transport industry.