Rwanda will showcase its ambitious climate action plan at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), taking place from November 10 to 21in Belem, Brazil. The global conference, held in the heart of the Amazon, comes at a decisive moment for international cooperation on climate and biodiversity action. ALSO READ: Rwanda revises greenhouse gas emissions reduction target to 53% Rwanda’s delegation in Belem, led by the Minister of Environment, Bernadette Arakwiye, will join world leaders, negotiators, and partners to strengthen the effort to limit global warming to 1.5°C and accelerate investment in resilience, nature, and green innovation. At COP30, Rwanda will present progress on its updated Climate Action Plan (NDC 3.0), which sets ambitious, measurable targets for mitigation and adaptation through 2035. The government has proposed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 53% in 2035 as a new target that is set to be submitted to the Cabinet for approval. The initial target was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 38%, equivalent to 4.6 million tonnes by 2030. ALSO READ: Rwanda Faces $7 Billion Funding Gap to Implement Climate Action Plan The new target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14.86 million tonnes. The government needs $12 billion for the implementation of NDC 3.0 by 2035. The delegation will also launch the Country Platform for Climate and Development, which will serve as the government-led mechanism to mobilise, align, and coordinate public and private investment in support of Rwanda’s NDC 3.0 and broader development goals. In partnership with UNDP, a new Biodiversity Window hosted at the Rwanda Green Fund will be launched as a dedicated financing mechanism to support nature-positive investment, ecosystem restoration, and community-based conservation. Rwanda will demonstrate its progress in implementing the Enhanced Transparency Framework under the Paris Agreement. ALSO READ: Rwanda unveils $11bn climate action plan The country delegation will advance its position to contribute to global climate negotiations on different items, including implementation of different Carbon Market mechanisms under Article 6 of Paris Agreement, and modalities of availing $300 billion as the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance. ALSO READ: The Paris Agreement: An opportunity for Rwanda “Rwanda goes to COP30 ready to demonstrate how national leadership and innovation can translate global ambition into tangible results, said Minister Arakwiye. Through our new Climate Action Plan, Climate and Nature Finance Strategy, and the Rwanda Country Platform for Climate and Development, we are building a resilient, low-carbon economy that safeguards people and our planet.” ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s Climate Finance Deals Faustin Munyazikwiye, Deputy Director General of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority and Rwanda’s lead climate negotiator, said that this year’s COP will be critical for defining how global finance supports climate action on the ground. Rwanda will advocate for a transparent and equitable finance goal that ensures predictable funding for adaptation and loss and damage, while strengthening the integrity of carbon markets, Munyazikwiye said. The Rwandan pavilion at COP30 will also host a series of events on climate and nature finance, carbon markets, and private investment. Rwanda will focus on six priority areas: climate finance, adaptation and resilience, carbon markets, loss and damage fund operationalization, mitigation and just transition. On Thursday, November 7, ahead of the UN climate summit, Arakwiye joined world leaders in Brazil to accelerate action and foster international dialogue on climate change. She also met with Bo Li, Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to discuss Rwanda’s climate targets and efforts to put the environment at the heart of the country’s development agenda.
