Uganda became the first African nation to receive a 31 million dollar results-based payment from the Green Climate Fund on Thursday after verified emission cuts from forest protection programs. The award was confirmed at the fund’s 43rd board meeting in Songdo, South Korea, held Oct. 27 to 30, 2025. Officials said Uganda reduced more than eight million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2016 and 2017 under UN climate standards. The money will support community forestry, ecosystem restoration, and climate-smart agriculture.
The payment falls under the REDD-plus framework, which rewards measurable progress in conserving and expanding forest cover. Uganda’s results stem from work by the Ministry of Water and Environment, FAO Uganda, and local communities with support from the UN REDD Programme. Government data show forest cover fell from 24 percent in 1990 to nine percent in 2015 and has rebounded to about 13 percent. The Green Climate Fund has mobilized more than 13 billion dollars worldwide, and officials said Uganda’s payout sets a precedent for performance-based climate finance in Africa.
The payment falls under the REDD-plus framework, which rewards measurable progress in conserving and expanding forest cover. Uganda’s results stem from work by the Ministry of Water and Environment, FAO Uganda, and local communities with support from the UN REDD Programme. Government data show forest cover fell from 24 percent in 1990 to nine percent in 2015 and has rebounded to about 13 percent. The Green Climate Fund has mobilized more than 13 billion dollars worldwide, and officials said Uganda’s payout sets a precedent for performance-based climate finance in Africa.
