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What you need to know:
The president of Aga Khan National Council Uganda says Uganda has the opportunity to provide land banks to consume carbon.
The Shia Ismaili Muslim community has asked Ugandans to venture into commercial tree growing so as to tap into the carbon market, which is now estimated to be standing around $3 trillion.

Speaking at the Global Ismaili Civic Day celebrations at Entebbe Mayor’s Gardens yesterday, Mr Azim Tharam, the president of Aga Khan National Council Uganda, said during the annual climate change negotiations, the Shia Ismaili Muslim Community is invited to provide world leaders with information and statistics of what is happening to the environment but the leaders always give lip service.

“Time is now to take action and not lip service and that is where our community will be involved. I was told of the carbon consumption industry. That we shall not be able to stop emission of carbon but we need to do things that will be able to absorb carbon and tree planting is one of them,” he said.

Mr Tharam explained that whereas it will take a while for trees to consume carbon, Africa and Uganda have the opportunity to provide land banks to consume carbon.

The Shia Ismaili Muslim community in Uganda yesterday joined the rest of their members across the world to celebrate the second annual Global Ismaili Civic Day.

According to Ms Jasmin Lalani, the officer-in-charge of Ismaili Civic Uganda, the Global Ismaili Civic Day is an annual signature event in which the Shia Ismaili Muslim community across the world has united around its centuries-old tradition of serving humanity by rendering voluntary service to improve the quality of life of the communities in which they live, regardless of faith, gender and background.

Area of emphasis
“We are emphasising the need to take care of the environment, why trees are important and the effects of human population on the environment. We are educating students as well as involving them in the activities.

We are preparing the next generation and this tree planting will be across the country,” Naeem Mitha, the head of communications, added.

Mr Fabrice Rulinda, the mayor of Entebbe Municipality, said they have lately started engaging different airlines and pilots to make contributions towards environmental programmes in the area.

He said they are developing a road map to implement some of the programmes to ensure sustainability of their businesses and the environment.

Yesterday’s event saw the members of the Ismaili community plant ornamental trees to beautify the mayor’s gardens. According to Ms Lalani, they are also now venturing to schools outside Kampala and Entebbe to teach students and pupils the value of protecting the environment and also engaging them in different tree planting projects.