By Diana N. Kintu
Minister of Water and Environment Hon. Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire Briefing the press ahead of the event,
A strong balance sheet is no longer the only consideration shaping access to capital. Banks, insurers, investors and development partners are increasingly looking at how organisations manage environmental impact, treat their workers and govern their operations before committing financial support.
Uganda is now preparing for its first national conference dedicated to that shift, as the Ministry of Water and Environment partners with Envirosure Consulting to convene the 1st National Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Conference & Expo 2026 on September 25.
The conference, under the theme “Driving Transformation through ESG: From Commitment to Action,” is intended to move the ESG conversation beyond commitments and towards practical implementation.
Briefing the press ahead of the event, Minister of Water and Environment Hon. Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire said ESG considerations are increasingly influencing how capital is allocated globally.
“Development finance institutions, multilateral agencies and private investors now expect demonstrable ESG performance as a condition of capital, making ESG not merely a compliance obligation but a strategic driver of competitiveness, resilience and institutional credibility,” Otafiire said.
The Minister pointed to changes already taking place across financial markets.
Banks, he said, are incorporating ESG criteria into lending decisions, while insurers are increasingly pricing climate risks into underwriting. Institutional investors are also prioritising sustainable portfolios, while development partners are attaching ESG requirements to grants and technical assistance.
For organisations seeking capital or partnerships, the implication is that financial performance is increasingly being considered alongside environmental responsibility, social impact and governance practices.
“The global business landscape is shifting decisively. Organisations are now evaluated not only on financial performance but on how responsibly they manage environmental impact, support communities and uphold ethical governance,” Otafiire said.
From Policy to Practice, Uganda’s ESG conversation is also linked to existing national and international commitments.
The country has aligned its development agenda with frameworks including Vision 2040, the National Development Plan IV, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Agenda 21 and Africa Agenda 2063, alongside climate and environmental frameworks such as the National Climate Change Act, Uganda’s Nationally Determined Contributions and the Green Growth Development Strategy.
The conference will bring together government agencies, civil society, development partners, academia, private-sector players and policymakers to consider how these commitments can translate into action within institutions and businesses.
According to Otafiire, the conference will focus on building ESG awareness, strengthening institutional capacity for ESG integration and sustainability reporting, showcasing climate-resilient innovations and promoting climate finance and responsible investment.
It will also seek to deepen collaboration between government, investors and development partners while positioning Uganda as a regional platform for ESG dialogue.
From Commitment to Action, the central challenge, however, is moving ESG from policy documents and corporate commitments into everyday institutional practice.
For businesses and institutions operating in a financial environment where ESG considerations are increasingly linked to investment, lending, insurance and development support, the conference provides an opportunity to understand what that shift means in practice.
Otafiire thanked stakeholders and partners supporting preparations for the event and called for additional partners and sponsors to participate.
As Uganda’s institutions increasingly engage with investors, lenders and development partners, the ESG conversation is moving from a specialised sustainability discussion into a broader question of how organisations operate, report their performance and demonstrate responsibility alongside financial results.
The September 25 conference will provide a national platform for that conversation, with its central challenge captured in its theme: moving from commitment to action.
Source: Statement by Hon. Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, Minister of Water and Environment, Uganda Media Centre, 22nd September 2026.