PEP Highlights Locally Led Approaches to Climate‑Sensitive Modelling at Uganda Symposium

PEP participated in the First African Symposium on Natural Capital Accounting and Climate-Sensitive Macroeconomic Modelling, hosted by the Centre of Excellence for Africa Climate-Sensitive Macroeconomic Modelling (CEACM) at Makerere University in Kampala.

PEP’s Executive Director, Prof. Jane Mariara, and Research Director for Macro-micro Policy Modelling, Prof. Heinrich Bohlmann, participated in technical sessions focused on strengthening the link between modelling, natural capital accounting, and policy design in Africa.

Their contributions centred on locally led evidence, co-produced research, and the practical application of economy-wide modelling tools to support climate-informed fiscal planning.

The symposium, held under the theme Climate-Sensitive Macroeconomics: Rethinking Growth in Africa’s Natural Resource Base, brought together more than 250 policymakers, researchers, and development partners to explore how natural capital accounting and economy-wide modelling tools can strengthen fiscal planning and climate policy across the continent.

Making climate evidence work for policy

During a session on climate research and policy applications, Prof. Mariara emphasised that relevance begins with how research is structured—not simply with the outputs it produces.

“As researchers, we must dynamically respond to funding environments while ensuring that research remains policy-relevant,” she said.

She stressed that research must be contextualised from the outset, taking into account institutional bottlenecks, stakeholder dynamics, and the realities facing vulnerable groups.

“Research must be translated properly so that it becomes accessible,” said Prof. Mariara. “Local actors must be empowered, and evidence systems must be strengthened and embedded within national decision-making processes.”

Prof. Mariara further underscored the importance of building strong feedback loops between researchers and policymakers to close research gaps in real time, as well as strengthening training in political economy analysis to enhance evidence uptake.

Drawing on PEP’s institutional approach, she highlighted four pillars that underpin effective policy engagement:

• Local researchers lead evidence generation, grounding work in institutional and socio-economic realities.
• Policymakers are engaged as collaborators through structured co-production frameworks.
• Technical findings are translated into policy analyses aligned with national strategies and fiscal constraints.
• Capacity is strengthened on both the research and government sides to embed evidence use in routine decision-making.

She concluded that when research is locally led and co-produced, evidence becomes part of the policymaking system rather than external advice.

Economy-wide modelling for Africa’s development pathways

In a session on Climate-Sensitive Macroeconomics and Africa’s Development Pathways, Prof. Bohlmann shared lessons from South Africa’s extensive use of computable general equilibrium (CGE) models

He highlighted how detailed economy-wide modelling enables governments to evaluate trade-offs between growth, energy transition pathways, and just transition commitments—particularly in coal-dependent regions facing structural change.

“Climate policy choices reshape industries, labour markets, and household welfare simultaneously,” he said. “Only economy-wide modelling can capture those interactions.”

He further emphasised that technical modelling must be paired with clear communication if it is to influence fiscal and development planning—an area where institutional capacity remains uneven across the continent.

Strengthening Africa’s modelling ecosystem

Discussions throughout the symposium centred on expanding institutional capacity for climate-sensitive macroeconomic modelling and natural capital accounting, including training platforms, regional networks, and cross-country collaboration.

The symposium was convoked by Makerere University researchers at the forefront of this work. Including, Prof. Edward Bbaale, Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences at Makerere University who served as convenor of the event, and Dr. Peter Babyenda a faculty member in the School of Economics who coordinated the symposium and played a central role in shaping its technical programme.

Both scholars have worked closely with PEP through major research initiatives, including the Uganda country study under What Works for Youth Employment in Africa, led by Prof. Bbaale. Prof. Bbaale also leads current research on rural renewable energy MSMEs and inclusive low-carbon transitions in Uganda.

Their leadership in establishing and advancing the Centre of Excellence for Africa Climate-Sensitive Macroeconomic Modelling (CEACM) reflects the continued growth of locally anchored modelling expertise across the region.

For PEP, their role in designing and delivering this influential continental gathering highlights what sustained investment in locally led research partnerships can contribute: scholars who not only produce evidence, but also shape the platforms where Africa’s climate and fiscal policy debates are being defined.

PEP reinforced its commitment to building this ecosystem through structured training, mentorship, and peer support. As Prof. Bohlmann noted, expanding access to CGE and macro-modelling skills will be essential if African institutions are to lead their own climate and development strategies.

Elevating locally led evidence in continental debates

PEP’s participation at the CEACM symposium reflects its broader mission: ensuring that locally generated, policy-engaged evidence informs high-level climate and economic debates.

By bringing its experience in co-produced research and advanced modelling into this regional forum, PEP contributed to strengthening Africa’s capacity to design climate-sensitive economic policies grounded in domestic expertise.

As African countries navigate complex development pathways in a climate-constrained world, PEP continues to advocate for evidence systems that are technically rigorous, politically informed, and locally led.