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Ireme Invest Launch

Rwanda Green Fund 2022 Highlights: Investing in a Green and Climate Resilient Rwanda

In 2022, the Rwanda Green Fund and its partners invested in building a green and climate resilient nation. 

From engaging partners around the world to investing in climate adaptation and green growth, here are some of the key highlights from the work of the Rwanda Green Fund over the last twelve months. 

 

Sustainable Energy For All Forum

At the Sustainable Energy for All Forum in Kigali, the Rwanda Green Fund showcased its clean energy investments. These included the fund’s investment in Ampersand Ltd - a Rwandan company that is putting electric motorcycles on the road in Rwanda and Kenya. 

At the Forum, the Fund also took part in a number of discussions on financing the transition to sustainable energy and shared its experience in financial innovations like results-based financing as a promising solution for the off-grid sector to bring life-changing energy to rural communities.

 

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

At the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, the Rwanda Green Fund exhibited the Green City Kigali - Africa’s first green city - and other investments that are supporting Rwanda to be a carbon neutral nation by 2050 at the Commonwealth Business Forum.

At the Forum, CEO Teddy Mugabo presented the work of the Fund to His Excellency, the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame and His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales - now King Charles III - who both visited the Rwanda Green Fund booth.  

At CHOGM, the fund also participated in a Commonwealth Leaders event on Keeping 1.5 Climate Goal Alive.

 

Official Opening of Nyandungu Eco-Park

From a degraded wetland to an educational and recreational eco-park in the heart of Rwanda’s capital city, Nyandungu Eco-Park officially opened to the public in 2022. The restoration of the Nyandungu wetland and creation of an eco-tourism park saw the planting of 17,000 trees made up of 55 indigenous species. The 121 hectare park features a medicinal garden, a Pope’s Garden, five catchment ponds, three recreation ponds, an information centre, a restaurant as well as 8km of walkways and bike lanes. 

The restoration of the wetland and creation of an eco-tourism park was a Fund investment and cost 4.5 million dollars. It was made possible with support from the UK Government, the Italian Government through the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Global Environment Facility through the UN Environment Programme and local company IHS Towers.

 

Launch of Green City Kigali Pilot Phase

In 2022, the Rwanda Green Fund announced that Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBStudios), an award-winning UK-based architectural and urban design practice, was selected to develop Green City Kigali Master Plan and detailed designs for the pilot phase.

FCBStudios will now develop the 600 hectare master plan and detailed designs for the 16 hectare pilot phase. The firm will focus on developing a prototype neighbourhood community to house 10,000 people on the western slope of Kinyinya Hill.

The Green City Kigali will be the first of its kind in Africa. It will be a place of sustainable, affordable, green and inclusive urban living. Learn more at greencitykigali.org

 

Green Gicumbi - Milestones

In 2019. Rwanda received US $32.8 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to increase the resilience of communities vulnerable to climate change in Gicumbi District, Northern Province. The Green Gicumbi project will directly support 150,000 residents and provide wider benefits to more than 380,000 people.

In 2022, the Green Gicumbi investment recorded a number of key milestones, including:

  • 600 hectares of radical terraces 
  • 600 hectares of progressive terraces established for erosion control
  • 4,801 hectares under agroforestry
  • 2,000 hectares of agricultural land planted with agroforestry trees
  • 3 Automated weather stations established
  • 1,107 hectares degraded forests rehabilitated 
  • 19,900 energy saving cook stoves distributed to vulnerable families
  • 3,321,000 seedlings raised and planted
  • 40 climate resilient dwelling units constructed and occupied by beneficiaries
  • 4,642 check-dams constructed in gullies to prevent erosion
  • 33 underground tanks and cisterns constructed 
  • 135 rainwater harvesting tanks installed
  • 23,000 green jobs created due to project interventions

 

Learn more about the Green Gicumbi investment here.

 

Community Adaptation Facility Pilot Kicks Off

In 2022, the Rwanda Green Fund piloted a climate change community adaptation facility under the NDC Deep Dive project. This facility is enabling communities to access climate finance to enhance resilience and adaptation to climate change in Rwanda. This year, a call for proposals for community projects was launched in Gicumbi District.

 

UN Climate Change Conference - COP27

At COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Rwanda pressed for more ambitious climate action and shared the country’s green investment opportunities. The Rwanda Green Fund team attended COP27 and promoted Rwanda as an ideal destination for green investment by highlighting Rwanda’s track record in delivering climate action and sharing the country’s vision for a carbon neutral future by 2050. 

At the Rwanda Pavilion, the Fund and wider delegation hosted events and launched initiatives that will shape the future of the sustainable finance ecosystem in Rwanda, and enable the private sector to play a greater role in the country’s climate action efforts, including Ireme Invest and the NDC Facility.

 

Launch of Ireme Invest 

At COP27 in Egypt, Rwanda launched Ireme Invest - a new green investment facility that will increase the private sector’s contribution to Rwanda’s response to climate change. 

Ireme Invest, is an initiative of the Government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Green Fund and the Development Bank of Rwanda, with support from a range of development partners. Ireme Invest will feature a Project Preparation Facility offering grants and a Credit Facility offering concessional loans and a credit guarantee.

Ireme Invest was officially launched by His Excellency, the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. 

 

Launch of NDC Facility

At COP27 in Egypt, Rwanda launched the EUR 46M NDC Facility to finance public sector climate action. The facility, which will be managed by the Rwanda Green Fund, has been capitalised through a grant of EUR 46 million from the Federal Republic of Germany through the Rwandan-German Climate and Development Partnership. 

Known formally as the NDC Facility, the new funding will be available to government institutions working to implement Rwanda's climate action plan, also known as the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement. 

 

New Organisational Structure

This year, the Rwanda Green Fund developed a new organisational structure to better position the Fund to attract climate finance and green investments. The new organisational structure required the recruitment of new team members, and a focus was put on ensuring gender balance. 

By the end of 2022, most positions under the new structure had been filled and new staff had completed their first onboarding session.

 

New Environmental and Social Management Framework and Gender Inclusion Strategy

In 2022, the Rwanda Green Fund rolled out two key new documents: the Environmental and Social Management Framework and the Gender Inclusion Strategy

The Fund has invested in capacity building for the Environmental and Social Management Framework, and it is now being utilised in two construction projects, with plans to expand to all Fund investments under Ireme Invest in 2023.

Over the last twelve months, the Fund’s staff were trained on the Gender Inclusion Strategy and mainstreaming gender equality at the institutional level. This has enhanced the capacity of staff in ensuring gender equality in environment and climate change investments across the country.

 

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