In 2025, Rwanda strengthened its position as a regional leader in green growth by embedding green economy priorities into national development planning and public finance systems, with support from PAGE. Through the institutionalization of these priorities across national and district planning frameworks, operationalizing climate finance tracking tools, and strengthened land-use monitoring systems, Rwanda advanced a more coordinated and accountable approach to low-carbon and climate-resilient development.
19 May 2026
Rwanda Embeds Green Growth into National Planning and Public Finance
Embedding Green Economy Principles Across Planning Frameworks
A major achievement in 2025 was the integration of green economy principles into Rwanda’s national and decentralized planning architecture, led by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with sector ministries, districts, and national planning institutions. With technical support from PAGE, green growth priorities were incorporated into the National Strategy for Transformation (NST-2), Sector Strategic Plans (SSPs), and District Development Strategies (DDSs).
A key milestone was the establishment of a dedicated cross-cutting thematic area within NST-2, ensuring that climate resilience, environmental sustainability, and inclusive green growth are systematically reflected across sectors and levels of government. PAGE supported this process through technical expertise, policy advice, and capacity building.
Strengthening Policy Coherence and Public Investment
The integration of green economy priorities into NST-2 marked a structural shift in Rwanda’s development approach by positioning sustainability within the country’s core economic planning, budget and investment systems.
Under the overall guidance of the NST-2 other ministries as well as local governments (at district level) will systematically integrate climate and environmental priorities into planning and budgeting processes.
To support implementation at the local level, more than 150 district officials, including planners, environmental officers, and budget managers, received targeted training equipping them with knowledge and skills to translate national green growth commitments into operational action at the district level.
As a result, green growth considerations will be increasingly reflected in public investment decisions, sector strategies, and local development plans, supporting more effective implementation of Rwanda’s climate and sustainable development commitments.
Advancing Climate-Responsive Public Finance
Parallel reforms strengthened Rwanda’s climate-responsive public financial management. The implementation of Climate Budget Tagging (CBT) enabled government institutions to systematically identify, track, and assess public expenditures contributing to climate and environmental objectives, improving transparency and supporting more evidence-based budgeting decisions.
With technical contributions from PAGE, a national Green Taxonomy was established and provides a common framework for classifying sustainable and climate-aligned investments. The taxonomy is designed to guide government institutions, financial actors, investors, and development partners in channeling financing toward activities that support Rwanda’s green growth and climate resilience priorities.
With these tools, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and sector ministries strengthened their ability to track, classify, and prioritize climate-related expenditures across sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and natural resource management.
These key milestones and related lessons were shared with a broader national audience at the Green Economy Week in November 2025 which brought together government institutions, development partners, private sector actors, academia, and civil society to exchange knowledge and strengthen collaboration around Rwanda’s green growth agenda.
Strengthening Land-Use Monitoring and Environmental Stewardship
Complementing these reforms, Rwanda undertook a strategic study on greening land-use systems that informed the development of a comprehensive monitoring framework focused on identifying unsustainable practices, including wetland degradation and ecosystem misuse. The framework provides government institutions and regulators with evidence to support policy implementation, enforcement, and more sustainable land management decisions.
Building on this, the Environmental and Natural Resources Management Information System (ENR MIS), managed by the Ministry of Environment and relevant sector institutions, was strengthened through the introduction of an advanced land monitoring system capable of tracking near real-time land-use changes across sectors such as housing, agriculture, and ecosystem conservation.
National and district authorities are using the system to improve spatial planning, monitor environmental risks, strengthen compliance and enforcement efforts, and support more sustainable stewardship of natural resources.
