Rwanda is seeking stronger international financial commitments and greater investment in green development as it joins global climate negotiations in Türkiye, where developing countries continue to push for practical support to address the effects of climate change.
Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva, who is representing President Paul Kagame, arrived in Antalya ahead of the high-level discussions at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP31.
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed his arrival on Nov. 10. The conference, which opened on Nov. 9, runs until Nov. 20, with heads of state and government scheduled to participate in the high-level segment on Nov. 11 and 12.
Rwanda’s participation comes with a six-point agenda covering climate finance, adaptation, carbon markets, loss and damage, emissions reduction and a just transition to cleaner energy.
At the centre of its demands is climate finance. The Ministry of Environment says Rwanda will seek a clear roadmap for delivering the annual $300 billion climate finance goal agreed at COP29, alongside increased funding for adaptation in countries particularly exposed to climate risks.
The government also wants international support to be more accessible and predictable, particularly for projects that strengthen resilience in communities and protect economic activities against climate-related damage.
Another priority is the implementation of the Global Goal on Adaptation, including the development of indicators that can help governments measure progress and assess whether international support is reaching countries that need it.
Rwanda is also seeking to expand opportunities through international carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. These mechanisms allow countries to cooperate on emissions reductions and can provide financing for projects that generate verified climate benefits.
The country plans to use the summit to attract investment into renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, electric mobility, sustainable urban development and nature-based solutions.
It will also present its Country Platform for Climate and Development, a Cabinet-endorsed framework intended to coordinate national climate priorities and mobilise investment from development partners and private-sector actors.
The energy transition is another important part of Rwanda’s negotiating position. The government supports a fair shift away from unabated fossil fuels but argues that developing economies need adequate financing, technology and technical expertise to make the transition without compromising their development ambitions.
Rwanda will also seek stronger international support for addressing climate-related loss and damage, particularly where communities and infrastructure have already suffered impacts that cannot be adequately addressed through adaptation alone.
The country’s climate diplomacy has a particular connection to the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Adopted in Rwanda’s capital in 2016, the agreement seeks to phase down hydrofluorocarbons, gases widely used in refrigeration and air conditioning that contribute significantly to global warming.
Rwanda says it will use COP31 to advocate for universal ratification and faster implementation of the amendment.
The wider conference is expected to address the implementation of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the rise in global average temperatures to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels while pursuing efforts to keep the increase to 1.5 degrees.
For Rwanda, the negotiations are not only about securing international commitments but also about attracting the resources and partnerships needed to implement its own climate ambitions.
Whether those negotiations translate into accessible funding, technology transfer and investment will be an important measure of the conference’s practical value to developing countries.
