Kigali Convention Center, Kigali, Rwanda on 27th April 2021, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in collaboration with Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) ,Ministry of Environment (MoE) and the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) hosted a hybrid meeeting on E-mobility structured to showcase current and emerging technology options for e-mobility that are available in Rwanda as well as to connect companies with potential investors in the region and abroad. The virtual hybrid meeting was conducted in compliance with covid-19 restrictions including the wearing of facemasks, use of hand sanitizer and handwashing, and social distancing. The discussion facilitated collaboration between different actors and stakeholders through videoconferencing and was an opportunity to gather perspectives from the private sector on areas where the regulatory framework and policies could be adjusted to encourage and promote the uptake of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.
Furthemore it was an opportunity to showcase and demonstrate the power and potential of sustainable transport to create jobs, grow the economy an improve health outcomes for all. With more than 250 online participants the event attracted particiants from across the globe in Germany, Italy, UK, United States, Korea, India ,Zimbabawe, Rwanda to name a few.
Daniel Ogbonnaya, Rwanda Country Representative, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) welcomed all guests online , speakers and exhibitors in the room stating he would like to acknowledge the support for transitioning to electric vehicles at the highest level of government as a critical factor to ensure the successful roll-our and scaling up of e-mobility firms in Rwanda. He encouraged the participants to join Rwanda on the path of low-carbon development by scaling up e-mobility in all sectors and across all vehicle types. Beyond the benefits of reduced air pollution and lower GHG emissions, e-mobility is also supporting Rwanda in reducing our reliance on imported fuel, which will create a more stable, self-sufficient economy as we move towards middle-income status. The range of vehicle types and models exhibited here in this room is indicative of a healthy ecosystem for e-mobility, with a supportive regulatory and policy-enabling environment. GGGI is keen to do even more to facilitate the transition to e-mobility as we continue to decouple economic growth from GHG emissions”
GGGI Rwanda Country Representative
In his welcome remarks Director General of Transport -Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) Mr Alfred Byiringiro said “promoting e-transport as a green mobility option is a viable solution to reduce air pollution approved the strategy for e-mobility adaptation to achieve seamless, green and sustainable transportation with a safe and environmentally sound transport for goods and people.”
Director General: MININFRA
The different stakeholders attending this hybrid meeting demonstrated the capacity of the Government of Rwanda to drive a multi-stakeholder effort to transition to e-mobility in close collaboration with the private sector.For Rwanda Transitioning to e-mobility is identified as a conditional mitigation measure which will require costs including EVs and charging infrastructure of up to 900 million USD.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment Mr Patrick Karera gave the opening remarks and thanked all stakeholders that organised this blended approach that facilitates such discussions as today’s event and the former Italian Ministry of Environment , Land and Sea (IMELS ) now known as Ministry of Ecological Transition. He added the technology showcased here today demonstrate efforts made by government, private sector ,business, development partners in advancing e-mobility agenda and he further encourage participants in askking questions to the speakers and exhibitors for their plans in the future. He said that the government of Rwanda is confident scaling up to e-mobility sectors will contribute to Rwanda Climate ambitions and that Rwanda is open to investors interested in entering this space and Rwanda economic recovery where transport plays an important role in creating green jobs.”
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment
REMA Deputy Director General Mr Faustin Munyazikwiye added in his remarks that “vehicular emissions are the largest contributor to air pollution in Rwanda’s urban centers. The number of registered vehicles in Rwanda has steadily increased with motorcycles accounting for over half of the total vehicles followed by passenger cars (34%), and other vehicles such as buses and trucks (15%). As Rwanda continues to urbanize, vehicular emissions are also expected to rise and have a negative impact on public health outcomes. According to Rwanda’s national inventory, transport accounted for 13% of the total GHG emissions. E-mobility offers a pathway to significantly reducing air and noise pollution, decreasing reliance on fuel imports, and improving operational costs for public transport operators. Globally, the transport sector produced 7.0 GtCO2eq of direct GHG emissions and was responsible for 23% of total energy-related CO2 emissions (6.7 GtCO2) in 2010.”
CEO of FONERWA
Significant reduction in emissions from transport are required to meet the SDG targets in 2030 (such as SDG 11.6 on air quality in cities and 11.2 on access to sustainable transport) as well as the NDCs. E-mobility is also an opportunity to increase affordability within the transport sector through the reduction of costs for municipalities, small-scale operators, cooperatives, the informal sector, and for passengers.
The event was well attended by all several stakeholders across the Transport Sector and enabled companies to connect with potential investors in Rwanda, the region, and abroad. The hybrid meeting made it possible for potential investors to connect with emerging companies with multiple stakeholders. Invited participants include the private sector, policymakers, investors, the Private Sector Federation (PSF), and counterparts based abroad who will have the opportunity to participate remotely. Bilateral meetings were also organized during the showcase to connect investors with e-mobility companies in Rwanda.
E-mobility exhibitors included Volkswagen ,Ampersand ,Safi ,Victoria Motors ,GuraRide and Rwanda Electric Motocycles.
E-mobility exhibitors
Several presentations were made by different stakeholders in transport sector such as Janvier Twagirimana, Transport External link & Donor Coordinator, MININFRA gave thorough report on Status of E- Mobility in Rwanda ; Changsun Jang, Lead in Transport and Sustainable Mobility (via videoconference) introduced GGGI Role in Facilitating the Transition to E-mobility and highlights of the E-Bus report ; Vedaste Mazimpaka, Transport Planning Consultant/Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) presented on Urban Electric Mobility Initiative on E-bike share and Electric 2Wheeler (e-2W) activities under Solutions Plus ; Dr. Egide Kalisa, Air Pollution Researcher, at the University of Rwanda gave a detailed report on E-mobility and Impact on Air Pollution/Air Quality and Jean Claude Mutabazi ,Sector Lead – Infrastructure ,Deal Accelerator Division at Rwanda Development Board (RDB) spoke about the Law on Investment promotion and Facilitation: Incentives for E-Mobility.
The discussion was intentionallly divided into two sessions to allow bilateral engagements and business to business discussions . The first session was lead by multiple development partners, agencies, multi-lateral donor organizations, and civil society on the topic of existing and upcoming activities supporting the Government of Rwanda’s transition to e-mobility. The aim of the session was to identify opportunities for stronger collaboration, potential synergies, and identify gaps in the current funding and technical assistance in e-mobility.
The hybrid meeting was a success as the online participants were also able to follow and view the E-mobility Technology Showcase set up by each vendor in Rwanda. The organisers provided a physical and virtual space for the showcase of current e-mobility technologies that are available on the Rwandan market. The aim was to connect policymakers, urban planners, and potential investors with e-mobility startups and companies to provide feedback on current offerings, share challenges when it comes to transitioning to e-mobility to facilitate the uptake of e-mobility options. This session gave adequate exposure of e-mobility firms to a larger audience, including both domestic and international investors and to potential consumers.
To watch the full recording on GGGI You -tube channel: