Kampala, Uganda – May 23rd, 2024 – The CEO Summit Uganda, a multidisciplinary think-tank that is an East African leader in Organizational Leadership & Practice, and a confidant to the leadership teams of the country’s most prominent institution, has launched the Only One Earth Campaign. The event was held today at the CEO Summit’s offices in Kampala.
This campaign, aimed to empower Ugandans to incorporate sustainable practices in their businesses, is comprised of a set of activities aimed to achieve one goal. The campaign will start with the Only One Earth Program, a 4-day program in partnership with QCIL, Regenerate Africa and DCarbon Global in June 2024. After the program, the CEO Summit in partnership with Prudential will host 100 thought leaders for the Prudential Sustainability Week scheduled for Friday 21st June 2024 for a breakfast meeting to discuss a theme focused on Fostering Sustainable Practices for Health, Finance and Business Growth.
Our campaign aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to Protect, Restore, and Promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, highlighting the need to reset the balance with nature through transformative changes.
Stephen Mukasa, the Country Team Leader of CEO Summit Uganda, while unveiling the campaign, highlighted the importance that we all play towards preserving our only Erath, saying, “In Uganda, we have witnessed heavy rains that have caused floods in the Central Business District areas like Kampala, and landslides in Eastern Uganda among other places, hence the urgency of curbing these negative effects cannot be ignored because our planet’s existence is profoundly linked to the well-being of all living things, including ourselves.
As responsible individuals and organizations, we must act in accordance by protecting and preserving our environment for both the present and future generations. Nature once determined how we survive, now we (unfortunately) determine how nature survives.
To fast-track this mission, today, we are launching the ‘Only One Earth Program’ an Executive Education initiative that provides invaluable knowledge and field-tested insights on the critical state of our environment, intended to empower organizations and individuals with the tools and strategies needed to effectively integrate sustainable practices into their businesses.”
In March 2023, Uganda revised the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), a plan championed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to increase its ambition of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 22% to 24.7% as well as deal with the effects of climate change and fulfil the aspirations of the Paris Agreement.
Uganda also identifies additional targets to be achieved by 2030 and these include having 152,622 hectares under irrigation, ensuring access to electricity for 75% of the population, and having climate action plans in 50% of local governments. Others are restoring 2.5 million hectares of forest landscape and raising awareness of climate change among 11 million people by 2030.
Mr. Charles Kabiswa, the Executive Director of Regenerate Africa noted, “We are happy to be part of such initiatives that complement government efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change, and the Only One Earth Program perfectly aligns with our mission of accelerating Africa’s transition to a regenerative economy through the adoption of regenerative human development approaches where people, businesses, and our planet thrive in harmony.”
He added, “By building multi-sectoral strategic partnerships like the one we have with CEO Summit Uganda, we can practice as well as advocate for integrated regenerative techniques, innovations, and solutions across agriculture and food systems, climate and renewable energy solutions, public health and gender, forests and water resources, and business solutions that drive change towards a regenerative future.”
The program will focus on three core areas: Understanding sustainability, Sustainable leadership, and Sustainable business practices. Through a balanced blend of theory and hands-on experience, engaging class discussions, real-world case studies, and interactive sessions led by industry experts, the participants will be able to embark on a transformational journey, honing their ability to navigate change and unlock the full potential of sustainable practices.
Through participation, leaders and organizations will learn how to operate in a way that respects, nurtures, and preserves our planet, rather than that which exploits and depletes it.
“As leaders in our respective fields, we have the opportunity to drive positive change and set an example for others. By embracing sustainability and environmental stewardship, we not only safeguard the health of our planet but also create a more resilient and prosperous future for all and I urge every business leader and those in positions of influence to seize this opportunity by onboarding their organizations through the Only One Earth Program so that we join efforts toward creating a difference, not just for the sake of our businesses, but for our planet and all its inhabitants,” Mukasa concluded.
