Five of Rwanda’s young greenpreneurs who attended the 27th UN climate change conference (COP27) marked youth day at the summit by showcasing their innovative solutions for tackling climate change. Ghislain Irakoze is the founder and CEO of Wastezon, a company using technology to manage waste in Rwanda. As part of Rwanda’s delegation to COP27, he called for clear global policies and more climate finance. “Rwanda has made great strides transitioning to a circular economy and its supportive environment is attracting the private sector to join the effort. Let’s advocate for policies and finance that catalyse circular and climate-resilient economies,” he stated. Christian Irakoze, a greepreneur who is the CEO of Eza Neza company, specializing in hydroponics and greenhouse technologies, said that his firm is striving to contribute to Rwanda’s green ambitions by adopting climate-smart agriculture practices. Irakoze also supplies products in sustainable and biodegradable packaging as opposed to plastics. Other greenpreneurs who are part of the five-team of Rwandan youth coping with climate change include Christelle Kwizera, the founder and Managing Director of Water Access Rwanda- an enterprise that aims at addressing water scarcity in Rwanda, especially in rural areas. “Water Access Rwanda is contributing massively on the climate adaptation and mitigation agenda by ensuring communities’ access to safe water in a way that does no harm to the environment. We are also equipping people or entities with tools to harvest rainwater and reduce their water bills and prevent flooding and erosion,” she said. At COP27, there is also Grace Ineza Umuhoza, the CEO of The Green Protector which contributes to sustainable development by inspiring young people to protect the environment. Grace is also a member of Rwanda's negotiating team at COP27 calling for a climate compensation fund for developing countries affected by climate change. “I am passionate about getting young people and women involved in addressing climate change. Rwanda has a proven track record of youth taking the lead in the green agenda because we are all stakeholders for a common and sustainable and green future,” she said. Leandre Berwa, a greenpreneur who is also part of the team, is the co-founder and CEO of SLS energy which builds energy storage systems from batteries salvaged from e-waste or retired from electric vehicles. “The World needs new ways of producing, storing and using energy. My hope is that COP provides the right incentives for the private sector to fast-track the move from polluting fossil fuels to circular systems for energy,” he said.
