From green cities to carbon markets: GGGI’s decade of supporting Rwanda’s transition to a green economy

When the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) signed its Host Country Agreement with Rwanda in 2016, it put a formal stamp on a partnership that had started three years earlier with the ascension of Rwanda into the intergovernmental organisation dedicated to accelerating the shift to a green economy. A decade later, that partnership has evolved into a wide-ranging green-growth agenda, from reshaping green cities and catalysing a circular economy to mobilising green investments for flagship projects and unlocking climate finance and carbon-market opportunities. In an exclusive interview with The New Times, Caroline Raes, GGGI's Africa Deputy Regional Director for Quality of Delivery and Rwanda Country Representative, reflected on the partnership's evolution and the priorities shaping its next phase as the organisation prepares to celebrate the10th anniversary of the HCA on September 2, 2026. From sustainable urbanisation to green growth Rwanda joined GGGI in 2013, becoming its second member country in Africa. Before establishing a permanent presence in the country in 2016, GGGI worked with Rwanda from its regional office in Ethiopia. Establishing our office in Rwanda laid the foundation for our partnership and enabled us to significantly scale our support, working hand-in-hand with our government partners, through our embedded teams. This is why this 10-year milestone is so important to us, Caroline said. One of GGGI’s earliest priorities was green cities, as Rwanda sought to sustainably manage rapid urban growth across the country by promoting secondary cities as economic poles of economic development, beyond Kigali. “When we first started talking about green cities, many people associated the concept with tree planting and beautification,” Caroline said. “But it goes far beyond that. At its core, it is about putting in place the infrastructure needed for cities to grow sustainably, making better use of scarce resources such as land, steering development away from high-risk areas, and creating new economic opportunities through the green economy.” Strategic planning was key to helping Rwanda’s secondary cities grow in a more sustainable way. This led GGGI to support the development of the National Roadmap for Green Secondary City Development in 2016, setting out a vision for greener urban growth across the country. This was followed in 2020 by GGGI’s support for the revision of the master plans of Kigali and the six secondary cities, introducing stronger measures to protect wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas, steer development away from high-risk zones, encourage more efficient land use, and promote climate-resilient infrastructure and nature-based solutions. Strengthening national and local institutional capacity was also a priority to effectively translate those plans into tangible action on the ground. This is why GGGI embedded experts in secondary cities and key ministries, to mainstream climate action into day-to-day city planning and management”. The partnership later expanded into waste management and circular economy, sustainable mobility, green buildings and nature-based solutions. “Our work is demand-driven,” Caroline said. “As government priorities evolved, so did our support.” Among its contributions, GGGI helped lay the foundations for Rwanda’s e-mobility sector through the country’s first e-mobility showcase and early feasibility studies. It has also played a leading role in advancing energy efficiency, supporting the establishment of the Super ESCO at Rwanda Energy Group and the ongoing development of Rwanda’s Energy Efficiency Strategy (2027-2037) funded by Agence Française de Développement. Since 2016, GGGI has also worked with Aviation Travel and Logistics Holding (ATL) to integrate sustainability features into the New Kigali International Airport, which has achieved provisional Green Mark certification. Turning plans into investment GGGI subsequently moved beyond policy and planning to help Rwanda mobilise finance and implement green projects. It worked closely with the Rwanda Green Fund (formerly FONERWA), supporting its institutional development and contributing to Rwanda securing its first Green Climate Fund project through the Ministry of Environment’s direct access accreditation. The resulting Green Gicumbi Project, a $32.8 million initiative implemented entirely by the Government of Rwanda, strengthened climate resilience and improved livelihoods through climate-smart agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable land and water management, while also building local capacity for climate adaptation. We were a partner in the Fund’s earlier development, helping shape its early mandate, Caroline said. “It has been rewarding to see the Fund evolve over the years, and become a leading example in Africa, with many countries looking to learn from and replicate its success”. Over the past decade, GGGI says it has helped mobilise more than $52 million in green investment for Rwanda and supported the development of around 18 green growth policies. “A key part of GGGI’s mandate is to unlock sustainable finance for our member countries,” Caroline explained. “For every $1 invested in GGGI, we aim to mobilise $15 in additional financing. While we have largely achieved that target globally, there is still significant potential to mobilise more investment in Rwanda,” she added. She noted that green investment refers to financing that flows directly to project owners, whether in the public or private sector. “Our role is often to provide investment-readiness support and to connect projects with sources of finance,” she said. “For example, the Green Gicumbi Project was implemented directly by the Rwanda Green Fund. If we can help our partners secure the resources they need to implement transformational green projects on their own, that is a success for us as well.” Turning Investments into Climate Action While GGGI is best known for supporting policy and investment mobilisation, it is increasingly involved in deploying green technologies and solutions in areas where it has specialised expertise. The transformation of Nduba landfill is among GGGI's flagship interventions, illustrating the organisation’s evolving role from a technical adviser and investment catalyst to a partner that also supports the delivery of practical, on-the-ground climate solutions. Working with the Rwandan Ministry of Environment and with funding from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg through its Ministry of Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, GGGI introduced several first-of-their kind waste management solutions for measuring, sorting and recovering value from waste at Nduba, Kigali’s main landfill. For the first time, Nduba now has a weighbridge to accurately measure the waste coming into the landfill. Caroline said. “That may sound like a basic equipment, but it is absolutely critical. You cannot manage what you do not measure, and without reliable data, it is difficult to plan for future expansion, design investment-ready projects, or mobilise financing.. The project also established a Biowaste Treatment Facility which treats five tonnes of organic waste per day and converts it into organic fertilisers as well as a Waste Sorting and Separation Facility capable of handling 100 tonnes of recyclables per day, improving waste management efficiency at Nduba. Through the various infrastructure installed, the project has created about 67 green jobs and is anticipated to reduce 15,320 tCO₂eq of GHG emissions annually. To advance investments in the waste sector, it also developed a pre-feasibility study for a proposed 400-tonne capacity Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plant. “The MBT Facility which we are working on with the Ministry of Infrastructure is the real game changer. Alongside the new engineered sanitary landfill at Nduba, it will not only be able to treat a large share of the waste currently arriving at the site but will also generate various valuable resources such as Refuse Derived Fuel which can be used to green cement production, as well as energy that can be supplied to the grid. At the same time, the facility is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 64,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year and create more than 300 jobs, Caroline said. “Waste is currently the third-largest emitting sector for Rwanda, which is why it is so important to scale up efforts to reduce, recover, and reuse materials, including through larger treatment solutions such as the MBT,” she explained. “The pilot project implemented with our partners from Luxembourg and Rwanda demonstrated that there are tried and tested solutions, and now we need to look at scaling them. Ensuring no one is left behind the green transition GGGI also emphasised its commitment to advancing inclusive climate action. In collaboration with the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), it led the development of the IWACU Gender Equality and Social Inclusion tool in 2025, an AI-powered platform developed to help track how climate interventions affect women, youth and persons with disabilities. The tool was developed to support Rwanda's NDC 3.0 process – the country's latest climate commitments to reduce emissions and strengthen climate resilience under the Paris Agreement. It helps policymakers assess, prioritise and simulate the impacts of climate actions on different groups, with a particular focus on women, youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. Powered by AI and advanced analytics, it supports more inclusive decision-making through disaggregated data and has been recognised internationally at the AI for Good Summit in 2026. Rwanda is already recognised as both a leader on climate action and gender equality and social inclusion” Caroline said. “With this tool, the country can better demonstrate how climate investments affect different segments of society, helping ensure that the benefits of the green transition are shared more equitably.” The next phase Looking ahead, Caroline sees three priorities for GGGI’s support to Rwanda’s green growth journey: scaling green investment, expanding proven solutions, and ensuring the green economy creates jobs and economic opportunities, particularly for young people. “Rwanda has built a strong climate finance framework and robust institutions. The next step is to mobilise more investment, scale solutions that are already delivering results, and turn the green transition into a driver of investments and job creation, she said. “GGGI’s first decade in Rwanda was about building the foundations. The next decade is about scaling what works and maximising our impact, together with our partners.”

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From green cities to carbon markets: GGGI’s decade of supporting Rwanda’s transition to a green economy