Green Growth and Climate Resilience: National Strategy for Climate Change and Low Carbon Development

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Vision 2020 aims to transform Rwanda from a subsistence agriculture economy to a knowledge-based society earning 900 USD per capita, making Rwanda a middle income country by 2020. The Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) is the framework for achieving Vision 2020 and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In order for Rwanda to tackle climate change, it needs to be mainstreamed into Vision 2020, EDPRS and Sector strategies. This Strategy aims to guide the process of mainstreaming climate resilience and low carbon development into key sectors of the economy. It provides a strategic framework (Figure 1) which includes a vision for 2050, guiding principles, strategic objectives, programmes of action, enabling pillars and a roadmap for implementation. Each Programme of Action has three to five focussed actions with a number of sub-actions. These are summarised at the end of the Strategy and detailed in the Sector Working Papers in Appendix B.

A vision for 2050 envisages Rwanda as a developed country, with a strong services sector, low unemployment and low levels of poverty. It is a country where agriculture and industry have a minimal negative impact on the environment, operating in a sustainable way, and enabling Rwanda to be self-sufficient regarding basic necessities. By 2050, development will be achieved with low carbon domestic energy resources and practices, reducing Rwanda’s contribution to climate change while allowing it to be independent of imported oil for power generation. Finally, Rwanda will have the robust local and regional knowledge to be able to respond and adapt to changes in the climate and the resulting impacts, supporting other African countries as a regional services hub to do the same.