Category: National Governments

Rwanda: Review of GHG inventory, mitigation assessments and national reports

Emma Salisbury was contracted as an international expert to support Rwanda’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The challenge

Under the UNFCCC, Rwanda is classified as a non-Annex I party, and is required to submit National Communications (NCs) and Biennial Update Reports (BURs) at regular intervals. BURs must be prepared to a high standard ready to undergo an international consultation and analysis (ICA) process which includes a technical analysis on the transparency of mitigation actions and their effects. Rwanda required support during the compilation of its first BUR to ensure that the GHG inventory and mitigation assessments were in line with international best practice.

The solution

As part of the production of the first BUR, a national GHG inventory was compiled and mitigation actions assessed for four sectors in Rwanda; Energy, Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU), Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) and Waste.

Emma collaborated with the national experts that compiled the GHG inventory and mitigation assessments to provide Quality Assurance (QA) in line with international best practice. The mitigation assessments were compared against the ICA criteria to check alignment with reporting expectations. The GHG inventory chapter of the BUR and the accompanying National Inventory Report (NIR) were also reviewed with the benefit of 10+ years of international experience.

The result

Rwanda submitted its first BUR to the UNFCCC in 2021, with its national GHG inventory and mitigation assessments checked in line with international best practice. A NIR containing in depth detail of the GHG inventory compilation process was also checked and submitted. National experts in Rwanda received technical guidance and support through one-to-one discussions and in-depth feedback on documents and calculations.

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Chris Dore

Director

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Alan Hardy, Kyson Design

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UNFCCC Secretariat

“ Engaging Aether to support us to develop the first GHG Inventory System and first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the United Republic of Tanzania has been a rewarding experience due to their high level of professionalism, creativity, timeliness and value for money. We will definitely consider Aether in our future initiatives. ”

Abbas Kitogo, Programme Specialist Energy and Climate Change, UNDP Tanzania

“ Aether's approach to couple innovative visualisation with high expertise manpower delivered valuable insights for our inventory work. ”

Umweltbundesamt (Germany)

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Annette Rattigan-Leo, Chief Sustainable Development and Environment Officer