Supported by the Heinrich Boell Foundation By

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this study was mainly to examine the viability of attaining a half of the 10 % renewable energy technologies (RETs) target-proposed at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and to assess the benefits and drawbacks of the target in Uganda. Other correlative objectives included the review of the status and potential of renewable energy technologies; RETs impact on national debt, balance of payments and other social sectors like health, education, water and agriculture and also the gender dimension of RETs and its benefits including job and enterprise creation. The study does also consider the potential of available RETs in Uganda, which needs promotion in order to meet the country’s energy consumption and demand. Currently, Uganda’s energy consumption matrix stands at about 93 % biomass, 5 % petroleum products and 2 % of electricity produced from two large hydro dams. The total generation capacity of electricity in the country is 326 MW. However, only 6 % of the total population is estimated to have access to electricity of which only 1 % comprises the rural population. Further the study also found out over 95 % of Uganda’s population depend on biomass for their energy yet the cost of improved household and institutional stoves remain higher than many communities can afford