Rwandans urged to leverage green climate funding facility

Do you have an environmentally conscious project and are short of funding? The Green Climate Fund is looking for such projects to fund in an effort to support the country’s climate resilience ambitions. Local environmental players have been advised to develop environment conscious projects that can benefit from the Green Climate Fund. The Green Climate Fund, a financial mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, was established in 2011 to support developing countries reduce greenhouse gases and adapt to climate change effects. Such funding and implementation of projects would support Rwanda’s National Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy that outlines the country’s sustainable development agenda and response to climate change. According to Faustin Munyazikwiye, the deputy director-general of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), the country has been securing financing from the Green Climate Fund, but many local stakeholders are unaware of how to access such funding. He said there are also few bankable proposals being developed by Rwandans to take advantage of the Fund. If well tapped into, the Fund could see millions of dollars injected into Rwanda’s environmental sector. For instance, the Green Climate Fund approved $300,000 as readiness support for preparation of country programme and strategic framework for national engagement with the Fund in 2016. The same year, the Fund approved $1.5 million for project preparation. In 2018 alone, it has approved two projects, one worth $32 million and another $600,000 for readiness programme for building capacity in developing green projects in Rwanda’s secondary cities. The call was made on Friday during a three-day training organised REMA to reach out to licensed professional environment practitioners on the existence of the Fund and how to leverage it. “The training is to encourage the development of more bankable proposals to Green Climate Fund by raising awareness on national engagement with GCF,” Munyazikwiye said. Prior to the development of the proposal, players in the sector were tipped on the importance of environment impact assessments which would enable them make a case for the sustainability of their projects. According to Munyazikwiye, the Green Climate Fund team require environmental impact assessment for every climate resilience project proposal received. Jean Ntazinda, a consultant with Green Climate Fund Readiness Support Project, said to access the funding, project proposal must show the potential impact on communities, how they will contribute to sustainable development, and promote ownership and efficiency. Eugide Nkuranga, the president of Rwanda’s Professional Environmental Practitioners, said the training was important in the process of deepening professionalism in the sector. “Considering that we are involved in designing climate resilience projects and studies, this training is crucial as it will help improve our knowledge and skills on developing proposals that would qualify for support from the Fund,” he said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Rwandans urged to leverage green climate funding facility