Rwanda partners with US-based organization to advance environmental conservation

By The Inspirer.

The government of Rwanda has signed a cooperation agreement with Bedari Collective, a US-based organization, to support the implementation of the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiative.

The project seeks to advance conservation and sustainable development efforts across Rwanda.

The agreement was signed by Jean Guy Afrika, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), on behalf of the Rwandan government, and Jason Pastorius, senior advisor at Bedari Collective.

According to RDB, the partnership aims to mobilize long-term funding to support projects focused on environmental conservation, climate change mitigation, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystem protection—delivering lasting benefits to communities across the country.

Rwanda is a signatory to the Paris Agreement, which commits nations to taking collective action against the global climate crisis. Developing countries, particularly in Africa, remain the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

During the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, President Paul Kagame underscored the urgent need for international cooperation to effectively address climate change and safeguard the planet.

As part of its national climate goals, Rwanda has pledged to reduce vehicle emissions by 38 percent by 2029.

New vehicle emissions testing program

More than two weeks ago, Rwanda rolled out an upgraded nationwide program to monitor and control harmful emissions from all vehicles, in a bid to protect public health and the environment.

Innocent Mbonigaba, head of the vehicle emissions testing unit at the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), revealed that over 1,000 vehicles have already been tested under the new system.

“Since REMA began implementing the emissions testing program, more than 1,000 vehicles have been examined through the official online platform, with payments processed via Irembo,” Mbonigaba explained. “Before the official rollout, we conducted awareness tests on over 7,000 vehicles.”

He added that testing centers across the country are currently handling between 150 and 200 vehicles daily.