ECCAS Regional Hub and Rwanda’s Ministry of environment join forces to boost Climate Transparency
By Justin Kayiranga
Rwanda’s Ministry of the Environment, in collaboration with the Regional Hub for Climate Action Transparency in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), recently organized a national workshop aimed at strengthening the capacities of Rwandan stakeholders in enhancing climate action transparency. The workshop gathered representatives from government agencies, civil society organizations, and private sectors to foster a unified and transparent approach to combat the pressing challenges posed by climate change.
The event served as a platform for exchanging experiences, sharing best practices, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders working towards mitigating the effects of climate change in Rwanda.
Rwanda, known for its commitment to sustainability and environmental preservation, aims to strengthen its efforts in climate change mitigation and adaptation, as outlined in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. The workshop emphasized the significance of accurate, transparent, and verifiable data for tracking progress, reporting on climate actions, and accessing international climate finance as explained by Beatrice Cyiza, the Director General in charge of climate change at the ministry of environment.
She said “We used to issue reports called biennial reports, but now we will be using the Enhanced Transparent Framework report which will have information than the former one. So, the main benefit we will get from this workshop is that the reports we will provide will have accurate and reliable information.”
The collaboration with the ECCAS Regional Hub for Climate Action Transparency aims to foster a unified approach within the Central African region to tackle climate change challenges collectively.
Gervais Ludovic Itsoua Madzous, the coordinator of this hub, affirms that once the ECCAS member states as well as developing countries abide to this way of reporting on climate action, it will tackle the difficulties faced by this sub-region in meeting its commitments to transparent climate action.
However, he highlighted the reluctance of developed countries in implementing the Paris agreement as a big challenge to achieving climate action transparency.
“Developed countries promise to give money to support developing countries to fight climate change and this money never come. So, this is a big challenge to the visibility of developing countries climate action as we are not reporting well on what we are doing.” Asserted Gervais Itsoua.
As Rwanda continues to forge ahead in the battle against climate change, the outcomes of this national workshop are expected to contribute significantly to the nation’s climate action goals.
The Rwanda national workshop is the 6th of its kind in Central Africa. The Coordinator of the Regional Hub for Climate Action Transparency, Gervais Ludovic Itsoua Madzous, said: “The analysis of existing gaps in climate action transparency in the sub-region reveals certain weaknesses that limit the development of sustainable transparency frameworks in ECCAS member states.
Over the 3 days, participants explored the climate action transparency framework and exchanged on the country’s current, past and future climate action transparency projects; and they are expected to elaborate and adopt a joint work program at the national level.
About ECCAS Regional Hub for Climate Action Transparency
The ECCAS Regional Hub for Climate Action Transparency is an initiative established by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) to promote transparency and accountability in climate action across the region. ECCAS is a regional intergovernmental organization composed of 11 member states in Central Africa, namely Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
ECCAS Regional Hub aims to enhance the effectiveness and credibility of climate policies and actions in the region. Transparent reporting and monitoring systems enable countries to accurately assess their progress, identify gaps, and make informed decisions to address climate change challenges.
