Can oil development and climate responsibility coexist?

Dr. Michael Mbogga from Makerere University, Caroline Aguti from the Ministry of Energy and Derek Ssenyonga from the Climate Change Department
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | As the country edges closer to first oil, a quiet battle over methane emissions is emerging, raising questions about regulation, accountability, and whether Uganda can balance development with climate responsibility.
In a conference room at a forum hosted by Natural Resources Governance Institute (NRGI) and the Civil Society Coalition on Oil and Gas (CSCO) in Kampala, the conversation turned to methane, a gas that most people cannot see, smell, or feel but which may shape the environmental future of Uganda’s oil industry.
The colourless gas is rarely part of public debate around Uganda’s petroleum sector. Discussions about oil development tend to focus on pipelines, revenues, and economic transformation.
Yet among regulators, scientists, and environmental advocates, methane is becoming one of the most consequential issues in the country’s emerging energy industry.
The reason is simple: methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. And if not controlled, oil production can release significant amounts of it.
At a recent high-level dialogue involving government officials, regulators, civil society, and energy experts, the issue surfaced with unusual frankness.
Behind the technical language of policy frameworks and emissions inventories lay a more fundamental question: Is Uganda ready to manage methane before its oil industry begins pumping crude?
For many years, methane was largely absent from Uganda’s national climate discussions. Carbon dioxide dominated global debates on climate change, while methane, though far more potent in the short term, received comparatively little attention.
But with oil and gas development in the Albertine, that is now changing rapidly. Scientists have concluded that cutting methane emissions could be one of the fastest ways to slow global warming.
The growing scientific consensus is placing increasing pressure on oil-producing countries, both established and emerging, to monitor and reduce methane emissions. Uganda, preparing to join the ranks of oil-producing nations, now finds itself confronting the issue earlier than many countries did.
“We are positioning the energy and extractive sector toward responsible, low-emission production,” said Caroline Aguti, Assistant Commissioner in the Health, Safety, and Environment Division at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.
But Aguti’s remarks also revealed the scale of the challenge ahead. “There are provisions within our laws to address methane. The question now is how those provisions translate into real action.” Remarked Aguti, a frequent participant at the UN Climate Change Conferences.
At the heart of the discussion lies a policy dilemma: how Uganda should regulate methane. Unlike carbon dioxide, methane emissions cut across multiple sectors of the economy, from agriculture and waste management to fossil fuel production.
This raises a strategic policy question: should methane be regulated sector by sector, or through a comprehensive national framework?
“We need to agree whether we develop a methane-specific regulatory framework for oil and gas,” Aguti explained, “or whether we regulate methane emissions across the entire country.”
She said that would shape how Uganda approaches climate governance for decades. Some policymakers argue that sector-specific regulations could allow tighter oversight of oil operations. Others believe methane should be tackled as part of a broader national emissions strategy.
The decision is complicated by another reality: methane emissions are already occurring across the Ugandan economy.
“Even before we begin producing oil, methane emissions are happening in other sectors,” Aguti acknowledged.
This includes emissions from landfills, livestock farming, and traditional cooking fuels. And so, for Aguti, oil production may add to the problem, but it is not the only source.
If methane regulation remains uncertain, the challenge of monitoring emissions is even more daunting.
Accurately measuring methane requires sophisticated equipment, trained specialists, and complex monitoring systems, resources that are often limited in developing countries.
Capacity aside, Aguti trudges carefully. “I thought we were here to discuss that we have got a consultant who is supported by the Natural Resource Governance Institute that is going to do a strategy for us.”
Apparently, Uganda does not have a methane abatement strategy or roadmap. Aguti’s remark captured a concern shared by many participants: the country may not yet have the technical infrastructure required to track methane emissions comprehensively.
Monitoring methane leaks from pipelines, wells, and processing facilities requires advanced detection technologies, including infrared cameras, satellite monitoring, specialised sensors, and drones. T
hese tools are increasingly common in large oil-producing countries but remain expensive and technically demanding. The issue extends beyond government regulators.
Civil society organisations and local communities, often expected to hold companies accountable, also need the technical knowledge to interpret emissions data.
The majority of the participants in this room are from the civil society. Their role is expressly stated to whip the government into action.
“We need capacity,” Aguti said plainly during the meeting. “But even the people who want to whip us may not actually have the capacity to be able to whip us properly. So, let’s all, let’s gather as one of our way forwards to be able to do that.”
Uganda’s methane debate is also tied to the country’s international climate obligations. Under the Paris climate agreement, Uganda submitted a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) outlining its plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Meeting these commitments will require action across multiple sectors of the economy. Derek Ssenyonga, an official from the Climate Change Department at the Ministry of Water and Environment, said coordination between government agencies is already underway.
“There is strong cooperation among institutions when estimating greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. Sector working groups compile data from across the economy to produce national climate reports submitted to international bodies. But Ssenyonga also warned that compliance will be critical.
“If institutions or sectors fail to implement mitigation actions, the country risks missing the emission targets it has committed to globally,” he said.
For Uganda, which contributes only a small fraction of global emissions, the stakes are partly diplomatic.
Climate commitments are increasingly linked to international funding, technology transfers, and development partnerships. While policymakers debate regulatory frameworks, environmental authorities say monitoring systems are already being introduced in the petroleum sector.
Jane Rose Atwongyeire, Senior Environment Inspector for Oil and Gas at the National Environment Management Authority, explained that oil companies are required to submit regular environmental reports.
“On a monthly basis we receive progress reports from the international oil companies,” she said.
The companies also provide quarterly and annual reports detailing environmental performance. Regulators can also access real-time environmental monitoring systems installed at project sites.
Such systems are designed to detect leaks, track emissions and ensure compliance with environmental standards. But questions remain about how these systems will operate once oil.
The petroleum industry itself is increasingly under pressure worldwide to reduce methane emissions. Technological advances have made it easier to detect leaks quickly, allowing companies to capture methane that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere.
As the Albertine Graben brims with drilling rigs and pipelines, government regulators insist that emissions, especially methane, are being closely monitored even before the first barrel reaches the market.
“We monitor oil and gas activities to ensure compliance with national laws and regulations. We regulate it for you,” saysOwor Domisiano, Environment Officer, Monitoring at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU).
“We are a government institution charged with serving the people. Whatever we are doing is for you.” Owor’s remarks offer rare insight into the technical and legal measures Uganda is putting in place to manage its oil sector’s emissions.
While critics have worried about flaring and gas leaks, he stresses that monitoring systems are operational during the development phase, not just after production begins.
“You have direct emissions, scope one, which you are fully responsible for, and indirect emissions, scope two and three, which you influence but may not control. It’s critical to avoid double-counting,” Owor explains, emphasizing the importance of clearly defining emission responsibilities. Methane emissions are a central concern. The PAU identifies methane as contributing roughly 40% of the oil and gas sector’s emissions, making it a priority for reduction strategies.
“When holding us accountable, you must differentiate. Biogenic methane comes from decomposing organic matter and is currently the largest source. Thermogenic methane comes from our operations, and that is what we manage through technology and regulations,” Owor clarifies.
Environmental advocates say the methane issue underscores the need for transparency in Uganda’s oil sector.
Bashir Twesigye, Chairperson of the Civil Society Coalition on Oil and Gas (CISCO), argued that methane management cannot be left to government or companies alone.
“This is not just a technical exercise,” he said. “It is a strategic process that requires collaboration between government, companies, civil society, and academia.”
Twesigye highlighted another persistent problem: data. Reliable emissions data remains scarce in many sectors of Uganda’s economy.
“In some sectors, the biggest challenge is simply getting the data,” he said. Universities and research institutions, he added, must play a larger role in producing independent scientific evidence.
Beneath the technical discussions lies a deeper political tension. Uganda is a low emitter of greenhouse gases compared with industrialised countries.
Yet it faces increasing international pressure to pursue a low-carbon development path. Some policymakers view this pressure as unfair.
Aguti voiced this frustration openly during the discussion. “We are a low emitter globally,” she said. “To raise our climate ambitions requires resources, resources that many developed countries are not always willing to provide.”
Her remarks reflect a broader debate across Africa about climate justice. Many African governments argue that countries responsible for the majority of historical emissions should bear greater responsibility for funding climate action.
At the same time, emerging oil producers must demonstrate that new petroleum industries will not undermine global climate goals. Uganda’s oil industry has often been described as a test case for responsible resource development in Africa.
The country has repeatedly promised that its petroleum sector will avoid the environmental mistakes that plagued earlier oil booms elsewhere.
The methane question now represents one of the first real tests of that promise. Can Uganda build an oil industry that incorporates modern environmental safeguards from the beginning?  Or will methane emissions become another overlooked consequence of fossil fuel development?
The answer may depend on decisions being made today,  in policy meetings, regulatory offices, and technical discussions that rarely make headlines. Yet the outcome will shape not only the environmental footprint of Uganda’s oil industry, but also the country’s credibility in a world increasingly focused on climate responsibility.
As one participant at the meeting observed quietly after the discussion For oil-producing countries like Uganda, reducing methane emissions can therefore deliver two benefits: lowering climate impacts while improving energy efficiency. Uganda’s key oil projects are progressing rapidly.
The Tilenga project, operated by TotalEnergies alongside the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC). The Kingfisher project, led by CNOOC in collaboration with TotalEnergies, is advancing in parallel. “This project has several facilities, including central processing, where oil, water, and gas are separated. All these operations have been designed with emissions management in mind,” Owor notes.
During the ESIA, it was found that about 97% of emissions would come from power generation during operations. The projects have been designed to use excess gas to produce liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Owor stressed that Uganda’s oil sector is committed to development without compromising environmental responsibility. “As a country, we are committed to oil and gas development, but responsibly. You can keep us on check, but you won’t be able to stop production,” Owor says.
The government is also building capacity to ensure real-time emissions monitoring is transparent and effective.
Drones equipped with methane and CO₂ sensors patrol development sites, documenting any fugitive emissions and enabling rapid interventions.
“We are doing everything we can to manage emissions, optimize operations, and protect the environment. But methane management is a shared responsibility. The world is watching, and so should Ugandans,” Owor concludes.
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