Rwanda is calling for greater investment in green industries, arguing that climate action offers the country an opportunity to accelerate economic growth, attract investors and create jobs. Speaking at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Dr Justin Nsengiyumva said green industrialisation can help Rwanda address the climate crisis while opening doors for economic development. He pointed to a national programme that has cut more than 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, equivalent to removing about 6,500 cars from the road.
The Prime Minister highlighted Rwanda's Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Programme as an example of how green industrialisation can deliver financial returns alongside environmental benefits. The programme has helped industries and small and medium-sized enterprises save more than 41 million megajoules of energy while cutting annual emissions by over 30,000 tonnes. From an investment of USD 5 million, the scheme has generated USD 6.5 million in net savings, demonstrating how cleaner production can reduce operating costs while lowering environmental impact.
Rwanda's growth strategy is guided by the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy, Vision 2050 and its third Nationally Determined Contribution, which set out plans for a low-carbon economy resilient to climate effects. The Prime Minister identified renewable energy, clean cooking, electric mobility, sustainable agriculture, the circular economy and sustainable cooling as key sectors for development. He emphasised cooling as particularly important, noting that the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol could prevent up to half a degree Celsius of global warming by 2100 while creating jobs in manufacturing, equipment servicing and cold-chain services.
For Rwanda's development agenda to succeed, the Prime Minister urged development partners and financial institutions to move beyond pledges and form practical partnerships that share investment risks. He identified blended finance, concessional loans, guarantees and carbon finance as important tools for making green industrial projects financially viable and attractive to investors. Rwanda has already established foundations for investment in the cooling sector through its National Cooling Strategy, minimum energy-performance standards and financing mechanisms.
For savers, borrowers and business owners in Rwanda, the strategy means potential opportunities in green sectors alongside pressure for financial institutions to develop new lending products and risk-sharing arrangements to support climate-related investments.