ECO’s mandate spans the entire country which, despite its abundant and quality natural resources, has a high proportion of food-insecure people living below the poverty line and contributing significantly to environmental degradation. There are, however, considerable opportunities and possibilities for economic growth and attainment of national development goals and global sustainable development goals, particularly those relating to poverty, hunger and environmental sustainability.

Thus ECO envisions an improved quality of life and sustainable livelihoods for the underserved and vulnerable groups in Uganda, through improved and sustainability-managed natural resources.

ECO’s mission is to engage and empower under-served communities and vulnerable groups to realize and protect their rights and dignity in a context of sustained ecosystems and inclusive governance.

ECO currently chairs Climate Action Network – Uganda (CAN-U) with over 200 national Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and a country node of Climate Action Network International (CAN-I). ECO also hosts Population & Climate Change Africa Forum for the Horn of Africa with over 150 members from the Horn of Africa, a forum of organizations and individuals advocating for appropriate population and Climate change interventions in Africa. ECO is a member of ENRCSO Network  providing credible support and advice to ENR sector in Uganda. ECO is a member of PELUM Association – a regional network of over 220 civil society organizations in 10 countries in East, Central and Southern Africa working in the area of participatory ecological land use management, UCSD, UWASNET, and NAPE, and IUCN where it links up with conservation minded organisations, partners and networks among others.

ECO has implemented projects aimed at promoting resilience of communities to the impacts of climate change, national and regional climate change advocacy activities, strengthening disaster risk reduction, population and climate change interventions, enhancing good governance and management of natural resources especially in the extractives and promoted ecosystems management and restoration. ECO has also been at the Centre of piloting and promoting integrated approaches to national resources management like Population Health and Environment (PHE) interventions, Integrated Water Resources Management among others. ECO ensures collective local action for sustainable natural resources management in order to improve livelihoods of underserved and marginalized communities.