Minister Mujawamariya inaugurated the Kigali Climate Talks co-organized with Germany and Rwanda

Rwanda Minister of Environment, Dr Mujawamariya Jeanne D’Arc, inaugurated The Kigali Climate Talks, an initiative of the German Embassy in Kigali and the Government of Rwanda, launched on 9 May 2024 in Kigali Rwanda.

She highlighted that Kigali Climate Talks are a great platform to assess progress, enhance good practices and identify creative solutions for effective climate action.

“Addressing climate change requires collaboration between all nations and organizations. Inclusive, robust, and open dialogue is an important ingredient in our shared effort to mitigate and adapt to climate change” she said.

“Climate change is affecting all of us. If we are to safeguard the well-being of citizens and our economies, we need to address the impact of climate change through our development programs. This is why the Government of Rwanda has chosen to pursue a green growth approach to sustainable development” she added.

Heike Uta Dettmann, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Rwanda, emphasized that there is a need for climate talks to better deal with the climate challenges affecting some parts of Rwanda.

Germany and Rwanda are strong allies in climate and environmental efforts. The Kigali Climate Talks builds on the Rwandan-German Climate and Development Partnership that supports mitigation, adaptation, sustainable urban development and climate research.

“It was a great pleasure to participate in the panel discussion at the inaugural Kigali Climate Talks. REMA discussed the Rwanda’s journey to implement its NDC ‘Climate Action Plan’ as a government entity in charge of its monitoring.” said Faustin Munyazikwiye, Deputy Director General of REMA.

The Kigali Climate Talks inaugural event marks the beginning of a quarterly series that aims to foster in-country dialogue and action on international climate discussions, agreements and obligations. The Kigali Climate Talks will discuss how these topics reverberate in the Rwandan context with a strong focus on implementation. In this way, the talks aim to be a recurring cornerstone event to catalyze discussions on global climate change negotiation items in Rwanda, promoting sustainable practices, innovative solutions and informing the country’s position.

The topic of the first Kigali Climate Talks was: “Rwanda’s Climate Action Plan (NDC) – Implementation and Ambition.” The event shared Rwanda’s progress in implementing its Nationally Determined Contributions.

Kigali Climate Talks Objectives are; Stakeholder Engagement that aims to convene a diverse group of participants, including government entities, civil society, academia, the private sector, and development partners, to deliberate on climate change issues; Understanding Climate Challenges that focus on developing a shared understanding of the climate challenges facing Rwanda, fostering a unified approach to mitigation and adaptation;

Policy Advancement that focus on contributing to the enhancement of climate-related policies in Rwanda, ensuring they align with both national and international climate goals; Innovation and Partnerships that aims to showcase novel solutions and collaborations that are at the forefront of Rwanda’s climate action endeavors, inspiring scalable and sustainable climate initiatives; and Climate Diplomacy that is to conduct a briefing and debriefing country consultations before and after global climate change negotiation sessions (COP & SBs).

The Kigali Climate Talks will also provide a platform to discuss Rwanda’s plans to submit an updated version of its NDCs by 2025 as was agreed as part of the Global Stocktake at COP28, building on the country’s already ambitious targets and the need to attract international support and investment to realize these goals.

Among some great personalities that attended The Kigali Climate Talks inaugural event were Dr Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, Rwanda Minister of Environment; Heike Uta Dettmann, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany; Pablo Vieira, Global Director, NDC Partnership Support Unit; Juliet Kabera, Director General, Rwanda Environment Management Authority and others.

Photos of the event: