Rwandan industries and small and medium-sized enterprises have saved an estimated $6.5 million through measures to improve resource efficiency and reduce environmental impact, Prime Minister Dr Justin Nsengiyumva has said.
The initiatives have also helped businesses reduce energy consumption by more than 41 million megajoules and cut carbon dioxide emissions by over 30,000 tonnes annually, he said.
Nsengiyumva made the remarks on November 11, 2026, during a discussion in Antalya, Türkiye, on investment, jobs and economic growth through green industrialisation.
He said Rwanda’s efforts to promote resource-efficient production showed that protecting the environment could go hand in hand with improving industrial productivity, attracting investment and creating jobs.
The government is seeking to expand investment in sectors that support this transition, including renewable energy, clean cooking, electric mobility, sustainable agriculture, recycling and environmentally friendly cooling technologies.
The Prime Minister singled out cooling as an area with growing global demand and significant potential for industrial development.
He said effective implementation of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol could help prevent up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of global warming by 2100, while creating jobs in the manufacture and repair of cooling equipment, as well as in cold storage and the transportation of goods requiring controlled temperatures.
Rwanda has developed a National Cooling Strategy, introduced minimum energy performance standards and established financing mechanisms aimed at encouraging investment in the sector.
Nsengiyumva called on development partners and financial institutions to help reduce investment risks through concessional loans, guarantees, blended finance and funding linked to emissions reductions.
He said Rwanda needed to move beyond climate commitments and develop practical partnerships that deliver measurable economic, social and environmental benefits.
