The Government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) have announced a new project to enhance Rwanda’s readiness to participate meaningfully and equitably in international carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (PA).

Funded by GGGI’s Carbon Transaction Facility with a total budget of USD 854,859, the two-year project titled ‘Rwanda Article 6 Readiness and Carbon Market Framework Operationalization’ was launched in Kigali, Rwanda this Thursday 27 March 2025. The event brought together Government officials, representatives from development partners, private sector, and academia.

The project launch follows the establishment of Rwanda’s National Carbon Market Framework in 2023 aimed at catalyzing Rwanda’s participation in international carbon markets and to comply with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The framework’s operationalization has been limited due to low awareness of opportunities linked to carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement by public and private actors, and capacity gaps of key stakeholders to effectively engage in carbon markets. Moreover, operationalization of the framework has been constrained by the need to enhance the current pipeline of mitigation activities to facilitate high-quality carbon transactions.

The project will address these challenges by supporting the operationalization of Rwanda’s National Carbon Market Framework through a combination of the following interventions:

1. Awareness raising and capacity building of public and private stakeholders to engage in Article 6 cooperative approaches on an equitable basis.
2. Governance frameworks and institutional capacity building rules, modalities, and procedures for carbon market participation.
3. Provision of technical support in the development of a pipeline of high-quality carbon reduction projects across key sectors, such as agriculture, forestry energy, transport, and waste.
4. Multi-directional knowledge sharing to enhance stakeholders’ awareness and confidence to create opportunities for dialogue with potential buyers.

Ultimately, these interventions will collectively enable Rwanda to generate and sell carbon credits to other countries, including GGGI’s Carbon Trust Fund members, and catalyze meaningful participation in Article 6 markets to fund Rwanda’s ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Caroline Raes, GGGI Country Representative in Rwanda reiterated GGGI’s commitment to working closely with REMA and all stakeholders to ensure the project delivers tangible results.

She noted “Meaningful and equitable participation in Article 6 markets is critical for Rwanda to attract investment for greenhouse gas mitigation projects that face barriers to implementation, such as lack of access to funding or required technologies.”

She added “By strengthening Rwanda's readiness to participate in international carbon market, we are enabling the country to unlock significant financial resources that can accelerate climate action but also catalyze green technology transfer and new industries. This will not only contribute to achieving Rwanda's climate targets but also foster green growth and create new economic opportunities.”

Faustin Munyazikwiye, Deputy Director General of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) emphasized the importance of the project in supporting Rwanda’s climate ambitions. “This collaboration with GGGI is crucial for Rwanda as we strive to implement our National Carbon Market Framework. By building a robust and transparent carbon market, this project will help us to create our readiness, attract international investment, promote sustainable development, and contribute to global efforts to mitigate climate change.” He said

The project will focus on building capacity, developing guidelines, and establishing systems that promote transparency and integrity in carbon market activities. It will ensure that Rwanda’s participation in international carbon markets is both environmentally sound and economically beneficial. GGGI as project delivery partner, will actively engage with REMA and other stakeholders to ensure uptake of knowledge for decision making purposes and guide implementation for clear actions to increase the government’s readiness to promote high-impact mitigation projects for potential trades.