Annual Report 2025: Advancing Climate Action Through Circular Economy, Plastic Pollution Advocacy, and Community Engagement
Chris Ssali
As part of their ongoing efforts to combat climate change and promote environmental sustainability, Chris Ssali, a passionate climate activist and researcher, has shared their comprehensive Annual Report for 2025. This report highlights key initiatives such as non-violent workshops on circular economy, climate education, plastic pollution advocacy, community clean-ups, tree planting, and more. Below is the full report prepared by Chris Ssali, which provides valuable insight into the impactful projects undertaken throughout the year.
ANNUAL REPORT 2025: NON-VIOLENT WORKSHOPS ON CIRCULAR ECONOMY (MAKING DUSTBINS FROM PET PLASTIC BOTTLES), CLIMATE EDUCATION, TREE PLANTING, COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP EXERCISES, DUSTBIN INSTALLATION, AND PLASTIC POLLUTION ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN
By Chris Ssali
Background
I am Chris Ssali, a climate activist, researcher, and chemistry laboratory technician by profession, holding a diploma in Science Technology - Chemistry from Kyambogo University. I am also a member of United for Climate Justice and the lead coordinator of the United for Climate Justice Uganda chapter. I am 31 years old, born and raised in Uganda.
My Climate Activism Journey
I began my climate activism over 14 years ago at Mackay Primary School in Nateete, a missionary school founded by Sir Alexander Mackay. Back then, I was a member of the Boys and Girls Brigade, where our patron trained us to plant and grow trees, while encouraging us to keep our environment clean. This passion was slowly nurtured within me, and it wasn't until secondary school that I started more serious activism. Since then, I have never looked back in my responsibility for environmental conservation and restoration.
To date, I have volunteered in various organizations, movements, and initiatives across Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and globally, including Ubunifu Hub, 350.org, United for Climate Justice, Extinction Rebellion, Fridays for Future, Greenpeace, Youth Go Green, and Umoja Kwa Haki Ya Tabianch Initiative Ltd. This organization, which I founded, is inspired by the global movement of United for Climate Justice.
I am a member of the Scientist Rebellion not because I am a scientist by training, but because I am inspired to help drive a paradigm shift using a science-based approach. My goal is to expose the hidden mysteries and the practices of most corporations that push for policies that perpetuate environmental injustices. These injustices not only harm the environment but also risk human health, food security, and water security, as what happens in the environment directly affects the entire ecosystem.
Through exposing these hidden truths, myths, and green-washing techniques employed by capitalists and corporations, I aim to highlight their ongoing pollution of the planet. Their pursuit of profits obstructs climate progress and neglects the well-being of both people and the planet. For many decades, they have promoted myths such as the carbon footprint, carbon capture and storage, carbon markets, and refuse programs. These programs are ineffective in solving the climate crisis and instead allow polluters to continue damaging the planet while lobbying governments to use taxpayer money to fund expensive, multi-million-dollar projects like carbon capture and storage and carbon credits—programs that only enable more pollution.
We have successfully trained 57 youths to make dustbins from PET plastic bottles. Our journey of skilling the youth began on 28th October 2025, with funding from United for Climate Justice. So far, we have produced and installed over 30 dustbins in the Kansanga Nabutiti community.
Our target is to expand this initiative to all urban communities in Uganda, aiming to shift the perception of plastic from waste to a resource. This paradigm shift will help eradicate the growing problem of plastic pollution in our environment, which exacerbates the flooding crisis and has led to the loss of lives and property.
During these workshops, we were privileged to have a series of local leaders, including the LC1 Chairman, Youth Councilors, and representatives from Buganda Kingdom, attend. Their presence greatly honored our initiatives and helped strengthen our impact on the community.
2. Climate Education and tree planting in School
We’ve held numerous climate education and tree planting initiatives in some schools in the central part of Uganda, specifically Kampala, Mukono, Wakiso and Mpigi districts where we planted and we’re growing over 700 fruits tree seedlings through regular monitoring and growth inspection, this initiative kick started in January 2025, with the funding support from the United for Climate Justice and it has enabled to impact some school communities since we donated over 1000 booklets to students just bring climate literacy and understanding of climate crisis closer on flip-able pages.
Some trees didn’t perform better due to the extended droughts and definitely we had to replace them and we employed locally developed drip irrigation techniques by using plastic bottles filed with water for continuous supply of water to the plants even during dry season and am glad to inform like the trees are now steadily growing.
3. Community Outreach and Clean-Up Exercises
In 2025, we successfully conducted and organized several community clean-up exercises in different regions of Uganda, focusing mainly on high-traffic venues and events. One notable event was the Uganda Martyrs Pilgrimage, where millions of people from across East Africa gather to commemorate the Uganda Martyrs, who were martyred for their faith in Christ and Allah by King Mwanga of Buganda Kingdom. This pilgrimage is a significant religious occasion, drawing people from all over the region to remember those who gave their lives for their faith.
Additionally, we organized a community clean-up exercise at the Ggaba Landing Site near the shores of Lake Victoria. During this initiative, we emphasized the importance of sustainable waste management in order to keep the Lake Victoria ecosystem clean and healthy. We also urged the local government to regularly empty dustbins to prevent waste from piling up. When waste accumulates and it rains, debris is washed into Lake Victoria, leading to nutrient leaching (eutrophication), which causes algae blooms and promotes the growth of invasive plant species in the ecosystem.
4. UCTV talk shows
I have also featured on numerous TV talk show elaborating on the significant of conserving and environment, disseminating the role of citizens in shaping national and international environmental policies and frameworks as well as collaborating government agencies to execute the stipulated laws.
5. Stop fossil fuel subsidies and criminal politics campaigns
In 2025, we’ve also managed to organize and participate in the stop criminal politics and fossil fuel subsidies campaign under the United for Climate Justice movement global, this campaign is too essential and crucial since most climate injustices happening globally are either attributed by poor governance by politicians, fossil fuel corporations and lobbyist just as you witness how fossil fuel lobbyists totally blocked the global plastic treaty at Geneva even after numerous attempts, so up to now nothing has yet been resolved from the INCs (Inter-governmental Negotiating Committees).
All these injustices doesn't end here but they spawn up-to National level failing the NDCs (National Determined Contributions) while fossil fuel lobbyists fake governments to acquire more subsidies and incentives to protect oil and gas corporation interests.
For more photos in relation to our campaigns completed in 2025, kindly click the links to the drives below
We already have thousands of photos and kindly feel free to reach to me, Flippy, Noe and Lino, our patrons in the United for Climate Justice for more details
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