This interactive dialogue held in Rwanda for the first time brought together districts, the City of Kigali, members of the District Joint Action Development Forum (JADF), members of the Private Sector Federation, the Ministry of Environment, REMA, ICLEI, RALGA, and other partners engaged in climate action in Rwanda.
Town Hall COPs are community-led climate dialogues designed to bring global climate goals closer to home. These local events provide an inclusive platform to review local climate progress, align with national climate goals, and identify actions that address real community priorities.
By connecting grassroots conversations to national climate plans such as NDCs and international processes like COP, Town Hall COPs ensure that local voices inform global climate action.
In his remarks on behalf of the Ministry of Environment, Twagirimana Thadée, Acting Director General for Environment and Climate Change, pointed out that this event provided a unique opportunity to consolidate local government priorities to effectively inform COP30, scheduled in November 2025, where Rwanda will present its NDC 3.0.
“As a developing country, like many others, our cities are facing the impacts of climate change, like flooding, extreme heat, water scarcity, pressure on infrastructure and public services, air pollution, etc. These challenges suspiciously affect vulnerable communities and highlight the urgent need for increasing their resilience through sustainable urban planning to safeguard livelihoods and promote long-term development.” Said Mr. Twagirimana.
According to Mr. Twagirimana Thadée, at COP30, Rwanda will stand on the six priorities designed to increase the country’s confidence in responding to international climate commitments:
1. The need for climate finance,
2. Adaptation and resilience,
3. Carbon markets,
4. Loss and damage,
5. Mitigation,
6. Just transition,
By organizing this meeting, RALGA ensures that the voices of local government and Rwandan communities shape climate decisions. Empowering local government staff is also one of RALGA’s strategic interventions.
“The workshop, designed under the Town Hall COP format, allows us to identify actionable pathways for change, boosting local climate action initiatives, especially for NDC3.0 mitigation and adaptation priorities, as well as appropriate timelines. It also provides space to local governments for making a meaningful contribution to national and global climate action, ensuring that local voices inform global decisions ahead of #COP30.” Mr. Augustin Munyaneza, Manager of Policy Analysis and Advocacy at RALGA.
The meeting featured presentations from:
- REMA on Rwanda's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC3.0);
- ICLEI on how local Voices inform Global Impact;
- City of Kigali and Musanze District on Climate adaptation and mitigation strategies;
- RCCDN on leveraging community voices, partnerships, and co-creation in climate actions.
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