But while Africa needs to adapt quickly to these climate-related changes, it is extremely important to note that the continent is the least responsible for climate change and yet it is the hardest hit by it. However, since climate change affects absolutely everyone, there is no option but for African nations and their leaders to stand up and help clean up the mess – even if it`s not entirely up to them to clean up. Denmark proposes two huge “energy islands” to achieve the 2030 climate target Achieving climate action requires huge amounts of financial resources, and the individual efforts of African countries cannot be enough. African leaders must therefore explore the possibilities of climate negotiations in order to promote African interests so that industrialized and emerging countries increase their commitments to climate finance mechanisms. 38% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through unconditional (16%) and conditional (22%) measures and nearly equal spending on mitigation ($5.7 billion) and adaptation ($5.4 billion); The 2019 State of the Climate in Africa report showed that several serious events such as sea level rise, severe tropical cyclones, droughts and floods have affected the continent and have been associated with loss and damage to vital aspects of communities and populations. This leads to problems related to food security, population displacement and the security, health and livelihoods of populations. In other parts of the country, the forest sector has helped to reduce land degradation, control erosion and reduce the intensity of landslides and floods in some areas. Rwanda`s economy is growing rapidly. The World Bank described the country before the Covid-19 outbreak in the “midst of an economic boom,” with growth of more than 10% in 2019. The country is engaged in the race for zero emissions, a global effort by the United Nations to help participating regions reduce their carbon footprint and ensure an environmentally stable future. At a time of great global uncertainty, Rwanda`s comprehensive, coherent and ambitious climate plan and measures should renew climate optimism. The NDC Partnership welcomes Rwanda`s continued leadership and looks forward to supporting the Government and people of Rwanda in our joint efforts to implement the spirit of the Paris Agreement through actions in the country.

Rwanda`s ambitious submission is the product of many years of state ownership and broad national commitment. Rwanda has used inter-ministerial and international cooperation to develop and link ambitious climate and development goals. Rwanda`s collaborative approach has set an exemplary pace for the implementation, mobilization and sharing of capacities, resources and knowledge from different angles. Rwandan officials drafted and validated a partnership plan (2018) to guide resource mobilization, leveraging society`s knowledge and strengths to revise their national climate plan. This “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach to climate action has used World Bank support to expand existing policies, including a green growth and climate resilience strategy and sectoral implementation priorities, to set ambitious targets based on rigorous data analysis. Based on an analysis of quantified mitigation and adaptation objectives and in line with the objectives of the National Development Policy, Rwanda`s NDC is ready to simultaneously reduce emissions, enable climate resilience and boost economic growth. Rwanda`s focus on climate action in the agricultural sector, which accounts for one third of national economic activity, is typical of its overall “win-win” NDC strategy. The potential of this crucial plan is increased by the almost maximum subsistence level of households in traditional agriculture (90%), especially in rural areas where more than three-quarters of the population is concentrated. Rwanda is the first African country to submit a stricter climate target to the United Nations and promises to reduce its emissions by at least 16% by 2030 compared to a status quo baseline. To address this issue, the plan includes adaptation measures in seven sectors – water, agriculture, agriculture and forestry, human settlements, health, transport and mining – to address climate impacts.

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