Rwanda has been selected to host the 8th Africa Carbon Forum, which will bring together over 600 climate change experts, carbon market players, policymakers and project developers from across Africa, on June 30.

Held every year since 2008, the continental meeting is organised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa Low Emission Development Partnership and the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA).

On Wednesday, Eng. Coletha Ruhamya, the Deputy Director General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the representative of the UNFCCC Secretariat, James Grabert, regarding the hosting of the meeting.

"It’s a privilege for Rwanda to host this important meeting. It is a chance to share our experience in low carbon development with the rest of the continent and we will do our best to make it very successful,” said Ruhamya during the signing of the agreement,

The agreement sets out terms and conditions agreed between the UNFCCC Secretariat and the Government of Rwanda in respect to the hosting of the 8th Africa Carbon Forum.

James Grabert, the Coordinator of Sustainable Development Mechanism Programme in the UNFCCC Secretariat, commended Rwanda for accepting to host the 2016 Africa Carbon Forum.

"We have a lot of expectations from this meeting,” he said.

Later, Grabert and the Minister for Natural Resources, Dr Vincent Biruta, discussed what organisers expected from Rwanda as the country mobilises local and international stakeholders to participate in the 2016 Africa Carbon Forum.

The conference will discuss innovative projects, programmes and investment opportunities for low carbon and climate resilient development in Africa, such as the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative and Africa Initiative on Adaptation, Loss and Damage.

The gathering will also discuss the sources of climate finance and how to access them, among other climate change related topics.

Rwanda was chosen to host the conference because of its efforts in environment protection and climate change mitigation as well as experience in hosting major international events.

Hosting the 2016 Africa Carbon Forum will be an opportunity for Rwanda to share with other African countries and the rest of world its initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions, including vehicle emissions control, according to officials.

It will also be an occasion to share the work of the National Fund for the Environment and Climate Change (FONERWA), which is the first of its kind in Africa, and through which climate change mitigation projects are financed.

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