Unsolicited letter regarding the registration of the Bujagali Hydropower Project

Carbon Market Watch and partner organizations challenge the registration of the Bujagali Hydropower Project under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). They argue the project is non-additional because it was already completed and deemed the 'least-cost' power option regardless of carbon credit income. The letter also highlights environmental damage to Lake Victoria and the displacement of approximately 6,800 people.

• The Bujagali Hydropower Project is non-additional because construction began in mid-2007 and the plant was complete by January 2012, meaning it would have been finished regardless of CDM approval.
• Economic assessments from the World Bank, African Development Bank, and EIB identified the project as the least-cost option for increasing electricity generation in Uganda, contradicting claims that CDM income was necessary for its viability.
• A February 2007 Economic and Financial Evaluation Study (EFES) explicitly stated that greenhouse gas benefits were not significant to the project's economic justification and that the project's expected economic return was high and robust against risks.
• The project has caused significant social and environmental harm, including the displacement of about 6,800 people, the loss of a national treasure waterfall, and potential risks to Lake Victoria's water levels due to incentives for constant water flows even during droughts.

APA

Carbon Market Watch (2012). Unsolicited letter regarding the registration of the Bujagali Hydropower Project. http://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Bujagali_CDM_ExecutiveBoard1.pdf

Chicago

Carbon Market Watch. Unsolicited letter regarding the registration of the Bujagali Hydropower Project. 2012. http://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Bujagali_CDM_ExecutiveBoard1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Carbon Market Watch |title=Unsolicited letter regarding the registration of the Bujagali Hydropower Project |date=6 January 2012 |url=http://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Bujagali_CDM_ExecutiveBoard1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{carbonmarketwatch2012unsolicited, author = {{Carbon Market Watch}}, title = {{Unsolicited letter regarding the registration of the Bujagali Hydropower Project}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2012}, month = jan, url = {http://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Bujagali_CDM_ExecutiveBoard1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }