Nicholas Omonuk


Nicholas Omonuk is a Ugandan climate justice activist and founder of End Fossil Occupy Uganda, a movement advocating for the phase out of fossil fuels and just transition in Africa. Omonuk holds a degree in Land Economics from Kyambogo University, and has participated in international climate campaigns and conferences, including global climate events like the European Forum Alpbach in Austria, and UNFCCC annual climate conferences like the yearly United Nations Climate Change Conferences.

Early life and education

Omonuk is from a pastoralist family in Pallisa, Eastern Uganda. He comes from the Iteso tribe, where each child has specific household responsibilities. According to sources, his activism was influenced by experiencing the effects of environmental challenges, such as drought, during his youth.
Omonuk holds a bachelor's degree of science in Land Economics, Land and Property Evaluation from the Kyambogo University.

Activism

Omonuk founded End Fossil Occupy Uganda, a local climate movement advocating for the phase out of fossil fuels and a just transition for Africa. He has been part of climate campaigns to urge governments and development partners to stop financing fossil fuel energy all over the globe in order to have a sustainable future for everyone.
During the European Forum Alpbach in Austria, he supported a climate strike, where he also tells through a podcast how climate change is forcing countless people from his homeland to sell their belongings and flee to other countries.
He supported a swimming climate action at the Dreirosenbrücke in Basel, Switzerland that aimed at demonstrating the connection between oil production and migration.
Omonuk represented the Most Affected People and Areas (MAPA) at COP27 and COP28, advocating for the phase-out of fossil fuels and operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund.
In December 2023, he attended the COP28 Climate Conference in UAE. The United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly referred to as COP, was the 28th United Nations Climate Change conference held annually for two weeks.
In 2024, he co-organized the Agape Earth Coalition, a unified organization with youth climate campaigners, NGOs, and grassroots movement groups as members. He was also invited to the COP29 in Azerbaijan.

Criticism of Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuel projects like Uganda's East African Crude Oil Pipeline, are seen as a potential to drive economic growth and improve energy access, though they have sparked environmental concerns and have been opposed by environmental activists including Omonuk. Omonuk has criticized the involvement of corporations in controversial fossil fuels projects at local and international level. He opposed fossil fuel projects for their potential effects on local communities.
EU CSDDD
In October 2023, Omonuk alongside a human rights lawyer Maxwell Atuhura called on EU lawmakers to support the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. He stated that the directive could establish mechanisms for accountability, enabling remedies for environmental and human rights abuses related to European Companies in Uganda, where legal recourse is limited.
However, the directive is opposed by some stakeholder groups and EU Member States who have a view that it would impose excessive regulatory burdens, increase compliance costs and potentially harm competitiveness, particularly for small and medium sized enterprises.